
Sergey Brin shows off Project Glass - Amazing or Disappointing? - RobGonda
http://www.robgonda.com/2012/05/31/sergey-brin-shows-off-project-glass-video/
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jack-r-abbit
Amazing or Disappointing? My answer is _Prototype_. I have been interested in
a wearable computer for many, many years. I look forward to seeing Glass
evolve from a proof of concept into an actual product. I'll reserve my
amazement and/or disappointment for when that time comes. Until then... it is
just a prototype.

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vibragiel
This interview with Sebastian Thrun is a bit more revealing.

<http://www.charlierose.com/view/interview/12321>

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ralfd
Wait, the Lieutenant Governor of California, a sitting public politician, has
his own TV show?

~~~
Mystalic
Via SF Examiner:

"A spokesman for the lieutenant governor’s office said in a phone interview
that the show will be for Newsom to promote California, which Newsom has been
doing since talking office in January 2011. The show, his office said, will be
separate from his political office, and no state funds will be used for the
show."

There must be a better use of his time as the second-in-command of the largest
state in the U.S. and one of the world's largest economies.

[http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2012/04/gavin-newsom-host-
sh...](http://www.sfexaminer.com/local/2012/04/gavin-newsom-host-show-current-
tv)

~~~
sp332
Maybe not. Like VP of the US, LG of CA is largely a ceremonial role.
[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lieutenant_Governor_of_Califor...](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lieutenant_Governor_of_California)

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RobGonda
comment from the blog via Axure:

People severely underestimate how hard it is to build a head-mounted display
that is small, light and provides good, high-res image. To do it cheaply adds
another order of magnitude of difficulty. It has been the pursuit of many
technology companies for decades.

I'm pretty sure, the Vuzix device is in the tens of thousands of dollars. And
it's on a wire.

Oakley might hint all they want, as many companies have over the years, but
they admit themselves in the article you've linked to that they've been
chasing this unicorn since 1998.

And devices like the Epson Moverio BT-100 or Sony HMZ-T1 are a whole different
class: they're entertainment clunkers that you wouldn't wear on your head on
the street. What Google will likely offer is of unprecedented size and weight,
bearable looks to wear among real people (not nerds), it's wireless, capable
of linking with your device of choice (smartphones, possibly laptops), and
will have to carry price tag acceptable for more affluent consumers (say,
those who can afford iPhones and top-of-the line Android phones). So, when you
ask, is it really that hard, I would respond: you have no friggin' idea.

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revscat
It seems that this would rather drastically interfere with your peripheral
vision. Looking at Sergey wearing it at 0:17 in the video, it looks like
around 60% of the right side of his view is obstructed by the device. While
certainly some cool tech, I'm skeptical about how well that would integrate
into your daily experience.

You certainly wouldn't want to wear it while driving or operating equipment.

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m104
Not a serious comment, but that image of Sergey reminds me a lot of the Bill
Gates "borg" icon that Slashdot liked to use. How ironic is that?

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binarydud
i think the key to remember when looking at google vs possible competitors
isn't the actual hardware, but the software behind the glasses. Yes, Oakley
might be making their own HUD glasses, and they will probably be very good
looking and functional, but will they be useful.

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infinitivium
"Don't touch the pad on the side" ..... prototype or not, what kind of
usability nightmare is that? You put on glasses by grabbing the sides.. The
control should be based on your eye movements or something like a watch.

~~~
jack-r-abbit
> _prototype or not, what kind of usability nightmare is that?_

The kind that allows you to figure out what works and what doesn't.

I guess it has been almost 2 years now but I recall a certain phone maker
giving the advice "don't hold it that way" when an actual product (in the
store... being sold to millions) was experiencing an issue of that nature. I
think they survived that. :)

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RobGonda
You would think Google would do better ... also, if it's a prototype that
doesn't do anything, why Google is building hype by having Sergey and
Sebastian Thrun wear it in public?

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deanjones
To anybody saying this is disappointing, please watch this:

<http://youtu.be/grxL5umOE6g>

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antidoh
Yeah, that's what I want, another way for people in a conversation to not pay
attention to me.

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tluyben2
To me that's rather disappointing for 2 years work and the announcements made
before this.

