
Google Glass - Innovating A Social Failure - scholia
http://www.siliconvalleywatcher.com/mt/archives/2013/04/google_glass_-_innova.php
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potatolicious
Eh. And the iPad was destined to be a failure as "just a big iPhone".

I'm unwilling to predict the success of Glass, but I'm also unwilling to
predict its demise. The jury hasn't even yet convened, much less come close to
making a verdict.

For one thing, there seems to be a misunderstanding about the product. If the
device is recording, a green light illuminates on the device - there's no
missing it. Like jvrossb said also, the device doesn't cover your whole eye -
if you're reading something on its screen you're very visibly looking up and
to the side.

The "this will fail social norms" card has been played many times, and it has
come to pass, but it hasn't been the core of a product failure. We went
through growing pains when people friended _everyone_ on Facebook and then
realized what a bad idea it was to post pictures from their wild night out
where their boss can see it.

We've almost entirely solved that problem now, and Facebook continues to see
high engagement and picture sharing.

We also suffered through a few years of people staring into their phones at
the dinner table. Social etiquette changed and now it's taboo.

In almost all cases social norms have shifted in response to new technology -
our sense of what is appropriate socially is not a stationary target. If Glass
can offer something people want, we will work around its social problems. The
real trick is if Glass will actually offer something substantial people want.

~~~
hugs
The first live Glass demo wasn't a bunch of people at a cocktail party. It was
skydivers, skateboarders, and bicyclists. Glass is going to be very popular as
a sports accessory. I can see Google inking a deal with the NFL to equip every
player with Glass for an "in the helmet" view of every tackle.

~~~
Samuel_Michon
Google Glass has a 5MP sensor, which can capture video at 720p, but given its
size, the quality probably isn’t stellar.

In the use cases you mentioned, GoPro is the better choice. The most expensive
model costs one third of Google Glass and captures 1440p at 48fps. It takes
photos at 12MP and has advanced stabilization features built in. The GoPro is
already the go-to sports accessory, I don’t see how Google is going to disrupt
this market given its price and lackluster camera specs.

~~~
dannyr
The difference though is Glass being real-time.

Imagine Glass being used by a golfer. No need for a golf tracker device. You
can easily see how far you are from the hole, wind speed, etc.

Imagine Glass being outfitted into the helmet. Watching football will not be
the same. Seeing the perspective of the quarterback when he is about to throw
the ball makes watching the sport more exciting.

~~~
Samuel_Michon
There are, and have been, more suitable products for that. I don’t think this
is the use case Google has in mind for Glass. Google Glass is meant to be way
more personal, collecting your movements and augmenting your physical world
with content that Google has selected for you based on the information they
have on you.

~~~
dannyr
Actually, it's more of sharing. Look at the promotional videos. Even the
Google IO demo last year.

It's sharing what the wearer sees to his circle or to the public.

Of the main menu choices in Glass, 3 are for sharing "Photo, Video and
Hangout"

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twoodfin
Eh. Even folks in my own social circle don't think twice about "checking in"
on Facebook with tags on all of their friends, and then posting photos of the
event as it's happening to Instagram. A not insignificant fraction can't be
relied upon not to completely check out of reality for extended messaging
sessions. And that's a generation (yikes) past where all the real innovative
group sharing stuff is happening (high school).

I'm not saying Google Glass, or something like it, will succeed, or that it
won't face social obstacles of the kind the author describes. But I'm not at
all convinced those obstacles are insurmountable if it provides value.

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lukifer
The tech behind Glass is amazing, and I'll probably end up owning one, or
something like it. But Google is showing how completely disconnected they are
from social reality outside of Silicon Valley: most people are still just
getting comfortable with smartphones, and resenting their capacity for
distracting their friends. Add in the fact that you never know if you're being
recorded, and that the source of distraction is _on the person's face, all the
time_ and you've got a recipe for the worst brand awareness campaign ever.

I think the product is likely to find successful niches among hardcore nerds,
security personnel, the military, maybe even medicine. It's cool and probably
useful for all sorts of things. But most of society is going to draw a sharp
line and hate this technology for at least a generation. (I'm probably too out
of touch to predict what the kids will think.)

~~~
derekp7
What about when the technology becomes invisible? Imagine a tiny screen that
is in the corner of where the earpiece of glasses meet the lens, or by the
nose bridge. Then you won't know if someone is wearing it. Also the video
camera can become almost hidden also. At that point, people may become
suspicious of anyone wearing thick horn-rimmed glasses.

~~~
jvrossb
We'll cross that bridge when we get there?

Incidentally, a couple days ago I spoke to someone wearing sunglasses. I did
not find myself wondering if he was zoning out even though I couldn't see his
eyes because there were other indicators that he was engaged. I did not check
to see if the iPhone in his pocket was recording, nor did I really focus on
his button up shirt to see if there was a tiny camera recording me.

In an essentially pre-Glass world all the technology needed to zone out in
social situations while surreptitiously recording audio and video already
exists and is accessible, yet I've never really worried about it. I strongly
suspect this is a made-up problem. There may be many issues with Glass, but my
hunch is this won't be one of them.

~~~
lukifer
> I did not check to see if the iPhone in his pocket was recording, nor did I
> really focus on his button up shirt to see if there was a tiny camera
> recording me.

You know why? Because the phone was in his pocket, and if a camera was on his
shirt, it was very well-hidden.

The fact that Glass lives on someone's face, the thing our brains are hard-
wired to focus on, punctures a hole in manufactured normalcy and brings the
issue right to the surface. Especially given that the whole point is to use
it: all it will take is someone drifting off in conversation while staring
into their mini-screen, or blurting out "Oh, that's so funny, I just put it on
YouTube", and it'll leave a sour taste with everybody else.

I can't predict whether or not Glass will succeed. I can confidently predict,
however, that there will be a strong social backlash.

~~~
kunai

      "Who else was in that?" she said.
      I unfolded my napkin and got the silverware out. "I don't remember."
      She got out her phone.
      "No, don't go there."
      "I. M. D. B." Her fingers.
      "Oh, Cristian Douglas," I said. "It was Cristian Douglas."
      Still typing, head leaned back, under the spell of her phone.
      "Yeah, Cristian Douglas and Bob Willis."
      She said nothing.
      "Sheila McIntyre."
      "Yep," she said.
      "Dougie Boons."
      And then, after a minute of watching her lit-up knuckle slide around, past the side of her phone, she said, "Mel Gibson."
      I put my hand over the phone. "Stop."
      She looked around my hand.
      "And-- and--"
      I slammed the phone down and her hand-- I slammed them down on the counter.
      "My phone!" she cried.
      "Stop it."
      "You're no fun."
      Me: "You're no fun!"
      Her: "That was really rude."
      Me: "Don't look things up while I'm talking!"
      She was wriggling her phone out from under my hand, but I held it tight. For a second, I was tempted to yank her out from the booth and twist her arm behind her back, but instead I just let go.
    
      - why the lucky stiff
    
    

It's only inevitable that the problem clearly outlined by the genius why the
lucky stiff will be exacerbated with Glass.

It's the digital equivalent of taking a newspaper and holding it in front of
your face while talking to someone else.

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jvrossb
It's pretty obvious if you are not paying attention to your surroundings while
using Glass, your eyes shift up (you have to to see the screen) and it's clear
you've zoned out.

"what is the user looking at on their screen, are they present, or distracted?
Are they here and paying attention? Are they publishing this online right now?
Or later?" is a made up problem. The other issues brought up may be entirely
valid, but this one isn't.

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ChuckMcM
_"Google Glass a product designed by engineers that clearly don't understand
interpersonal interactions."_

I have very bad news for this author, this is classic projection. The author
will be uncomfortable around people who are wearing Google Glass, so they
predict failure. They make that prediction because if Glass is successful then
it means the author will feel compelled to retreat from society and nobody
will be "present" for them.

I won't call it one way or another but I can spot technology rubbing someone
the wrong way from a mile away. I get it, the lack of privacy, the need to
trust either the people you are with or to be 'on guard' to avoid something
that can come back to haunt you.

Perhaps the Google engineers were envisioning a future where there was
absolute silence around the office water cooler because nobody wanted to go on
record as a gossip.

I don't think that the engineers on Glass don't understand the challenges
though.

~~~
Samuel_Michon
Try to get within 2 feet of a stranger with a video camera that has its
‘recording light’ on. You’ll get questions soon enough, probably of a not-so
positive nature. Glass’ saving grace at first is that people won’t recognize
it as a video capture device, but if it ever gains traction, expect a
backlash.

~~~
ChuckMcM
I'm not saying their won't be a negative reaction, I'm just saying that there
are folks who are perfectly ok with people walking around with recording
devices.

If enough of those people embrace the technology it will be a 'success' and
people who do object may become disconnected like people who shun Facebook for
its lack of privacy as well. Fashion is a powerful thing, even stupid fashion.

~~~
Gormo
Why do you assume that people who shun Facebook are 'disconnected'?

~~~
ChuckMcM
I don't assume, my daughter was a great exemplar for me of what Facebook _can_
be, she was upset that she wasn't "in the loop" when folks were discussing
movies to go to or outings, and hadn't seen various photos etc. So signing up
gave her a connection to a lot of her friends which enhanced their ability to
plan and execute on various group activities. It also opens her up to the
'bad' stuff (stalkers, wall flaming, etc etc). Amongst her friends, _who she
trusts_ , it's a net plus to her life.

Similarly people wearing glass around her, _whom she trusts_ , aren't really a
threat. So they snap a crazy picture of the pizza cheese that looked like a
kitten or a video of an amazing Zelda move, its not a big deal.

My point is that the _source_ of the unease about people filming is a lack of
trust in that person and what they are going to do with that data. Amongst
friends? Lots of trust. Amongst strangers? Not so much.

So separate the trust issue from the product issue.

Another way to look at this that I just thought about, video camera recorders,
aka 'camcorders'. When they came into existence there was a very similar
outcry about random people filming random things. But the people who bought
them in droves were grandparents so they could take them to their grandchild's
house, film their antics and then re-watch them whenever they wanted. They
were still creepy if people were randomly filming. So if someone is wearing
Glass and it makes you uncomfortable you might ask them to take it off. You're
probably not going to ask your in laws who are filming their grandkids, nor
are you going to ask the guy who is using it for heads up GPS info while
driving a cab, or the store clerk who is doing inventory, or engineer who is
sitting in the park reading code. But all of those are solid use cases for it.

I assert that if it fails it won't be because some folks are anxious around
others who are wearing Glass.

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Kylekramer
Here's my question: surreptitious recording is not a new invention. People are
already constantly connected to the internet to the point of distraction.
Richard Nixon is a testament to the former. The dinner game where the first
person to touch their phone pays is testament to the latter. The only real
difference I can see between Glass and current recording devices and
smartphones is that Glass is conspicuous.

So, why is Glass scaring so many people? The conspicuous part? The Google
factor where a big company is gathering the data? I'd honestly love to know
why it causes such a visceral reaction.

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jessesutherland
Why make any sort of prediction for its success based on your own tastes or
issues with privacy? By those standards Facebook should have failed massively
already because a lot of people don't like it (I for one) and its obviously
handled privacy poorly in a number of well publicized instances.

Google Glass is a tool that augments existing tools and for a lot of people
that will probably be fine - and they'll use it occasionally while on vacation
or at a party or what have you. For some it'll be a game changer, and those
people will use it all the time; but those people already use their cameras,
smartphones etc constantly and Glass will just help them create a better
workflow.

Some people will like it, some won't; beyond that I don't see how anyone here
can make sweeping declarations about how 'society' - whatever / wherever that
means - is going to take it.

Finally, why is assumed that everyone who uses it will be recording
surreptitiously on a constant basis??? I don't do that with any of the many
recording devices I've owned, and I don't know anyone else who does either.

Just because it'll be easier doesn't mean this garish anti-privacy vision will
come to pass. And just a heads up: any time you're in public, you're in public
- you're not in private and you're likely recorded, looked at, or noticed by
someone, or something in any modern society. Get over it.

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graeme
>"Be here right now" will be a new (renewed) mantra.

I completely agree with this, and am trying to be more mindful and in the
present. I don't want Google Glass. That said....

>I am absolutely certain it won't be socially acceptable to >be video or audio
recording people around you without their >permission

We've come to accept a LOT in the past few years. Pre-Facebook, people found
it very weird to look for people online. A campus directory (it had first and
last names, and email addresses) was called 'The Stalker'.

From Surveillance Cameras, to handing over data to corporations, to
warrantless wiretapping, we've adapted very quickly to losses of privacy.

The one thing that might make google glass different is that it's very
personal, while the other privacy violations are abstract and don't intrude on
social interactions.

But all it takes is a few people in a group for recordings to seem 'normal'.
Most of us aren't leaders. We look to see what other people find acceptable,
and base our opinions on the perception of the group consensus.

To be clear, I don't like the idea of pervasive interpersonal video recording
without consent. But I think the idea will gain acceptance more easily than
this author admits.

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gavinlynch
Regarding the "socially acceptable" aspect: This is gen 1. I'm not going to
say I guarantee this, but wouldn't you all be very, very surprised if this
thing doesn't get a little more sleek? I mean, eventually, couldn't Glass (or
a Glass-like product) just streamline itself into regular old glasses? It
might be a few more years away, and it might be a little bulkier than current
glasses, but I just see this as inevitable. And when a product like Glass
looks very similar to something we have been wearing for centuries.. I don't
think there will be much social stigma, or at least it will dissipate
relatively quickly.

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eksith
The first paragraph describes verbatim a lot of the same objections toward
smartphones with cameras and internet capability. We got over it (for better
or worse... probably worse).

The funny thing about technology is that pioneering and groundbreaking
technology -- and I don't think Glass is either (see Steve Mann) -- don't
always mean a successful product. Adoption is weird. People hang on to some
things and make them popular in the same way people make otherwise arguably
"better" things fall by the way side. And that may be for reasons you didn't
even remotely envision when you first saw the technology (Betamax).

------
pud
One day when the technology is able to overlay an image on top of your vision
(as opposed to a little screen next to your right eye that you have to look
at), it will be amazing.

Opening a car hood and seeing yellow arrows with instructions telling you what
to do.

Surgeons seeing information overlaid on top of patients.

GPS just being arrows in front of you.

Being able to see what your room looks like with different paint, and just
being able to look around.

Chilling at home watching a giant TV, without having a giant TV.

There are a million uses for how that technology will be awesome. I don't
think it's there yet in v1, but it can't be too far off and I'm glad Google's
working on it.

~~~
WildUtah
Flashing Flash-based ads in your peripheral vision all day, even when your
eyes are closed.

Location based nags you can't turn off demanding that you visit the commercial
sponsors of your device as you travel through the city.

Bugs that block your vision randomly and can't be turned off because you
carrier is taking two years to approve the bug-fix upgrade to Android 11.3 and
your equipment is locked down with an encrypted bootloader.

Crashing into walls because some cracker has added your glass to a botnet
mining for bitcoins and the device is lagging and leaving artifacts in your
sight lines.

~~~
krapp
Well, to be fair any form of this that takes off is going to have to be able
to be turned off somehow. People won't accept it otherwise if they have a
choice, they'll all rush to the competing model with the off switch.

------
tunesmith
What if it were a google glass _with_ the eye projection, but without the
camera? I mean, if you want to take a picture, just pull the phone out of your
pocket.

~~~
ditojim
the camera is a killer feature for glass. it wouldn't make sense without it.
and having used it myself and taken photos, i can tell you i prefer the
experience "hands down" over a mobile device or point-and-shoot for activities
such as hiking, running, and biking.

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kingkawn
I'm waiting to see how glass is received by law enforcement. On the one hand
it would provide them with full capability to record all evidence and
interactions an officer would have, in addition to potentially retrieving an
individual's criminal record on the spot. On the other hand it would shed
light on the unofficial pressuring and intimidation tactics used in day-to-day
interactions with the poor.

~~~
stevewilhelm
Wearable video cameras already available to law enforcement.
<http://watchguardvideo.com/copvu/overview> Google 'copvu police departments'
to see which departments are using Copvu

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baddox
It would be socially unacceptable to be perpetually reachable via phone or
email as well.

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methodin
If we had less posturing and more failure, less blog posts and more action,
our lives would be better. It isn't known that Google couldn't be the company
10 years from now iterating on the failed concept...

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michaelpinto
The thing is that I can see this as a must have feature in an automobile, but
the idea of walking into a party with the glasses could kill the party (or
imagine if someone wears them into the bathroom?).

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orangethirty
The only issue glass has is google's inability to launch a status product.
Lets see if they get it right this time.

