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> I honestly though(t) Glass would have done better if it had no recording capabilities built-in. It would have substantially reduced the creepiness factor. Ou

by giobox 9y ago

> I honestly though(t) Glass would have done better if it had no recording capabilities built-in. It would have substantially reduced the creepiness factor. Outside of the tech community this is a distinction I imagine few would make - most people upon seeing a camera are going to not unreasonably assume it can record. I still see large numbers of people taping over their laptop webcams even when they are turned off. I think the simpler explanation is that strapping a camera to your face is simply inappropriate or off-putting in some social settings for many people.

pm90 9y ago
> I think the simpler explanation is that strapping a camera to your face is simply inappropriate or off-putting in some social settings, at least with today's typical social norms. Didn't help that the only people who did/could/would buy the first glass prototypes were nerds who apparently started using them in bars and clubs. That solidified its image as "creepy". Contrast it with Spectacles, a product designed to record as much as possible. But since it was marketed/targeted towards "cool" people, it never got the creepy trait.
- giobox 9y ago
  The typical use case for Spectacles, at least as I see it, is a little different though. Spectacles is much more like a Go Pro, in that I will be out doing some kind of activity I want to share with friends. People also typically don't wear sunglasses indoors, my expectation of privacy is very different outdoors vs indoors. The approach with Google Glass was very different, where Google were arguably prototyping a device intended to be worn all the time, including indoors and in scenarios were people typically would not normally expect to be photographed or filmed.
  - saurik 9y ago
    Such as "in the bathroom", which was the experience at Google I/O a few years ago when a quarter of the people there had Google Glass.
- spinlock 9y ago
  How are Spectacles selling? I assume they're doing better than Glass even though I've never seen them in the wild.
  - giobox 9y ago
    I've no idea, but in central California I often see at least one person wearing them any time I go near a busy beach, which is most weekends. If the article below is to be believed, approx 60,000 pairs in Q1. Given the enormous disparity in price between the two I'd assume they are outselling Glass as well. http://www.businessinsider.com/snap-took-in-8-million-from-the-sale-of-its-spectacles-2017-5 http://www.businessinsider.com/snap-took-in-8-million-from-t...
zild3d 9y ago
> I still see large numbers of people taping over their laptop webcams even when they are turned off. Good. That isn't a demonstration of technical illiteracy. There have been plenty of vulnerabilities shown in webcams and microphones, and even the indicator LEDs can be disabled remotely https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/6758/can-webcams-be-turned-on-without-the-indicator-light https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/6758/can-webcam...
skinnymuch 9y ago
> I still see large numbers of people taping over their laptop webcams even when they are turned off. Like Zuckerberg does for his mic and webcam: https://imgur.com/zxDHM https://imgur.com/zxDHM Or direct image link: https://i.imgur.com/OxWY3FV_d.jpg https://i.imgur.com/OxWY3FV_d.jpg
- SXX 9y ago
  Correct link: https://i.imgur.com/OxWY3FV.jpg https://i.imgur.com/OxWY3FV.jpg
Buge 9y ago
It isn't just outside of tech that people cover their webcams. Mark Zuckerberg does it[1]. EFF sells webcam covers[2]. James Comey does it (although maybe he's not exactly tech)[3]. I've seen articles claiming Snowden does it, but I can't find a good source, that might just be rumors. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/22/mark-zuckerberg-tape-webcam-microphone-facebook https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/22/mark-zuck... [2] https://supporters.eff.org/shop/laptop-camera-cover-set https://supporters.eff.org/shop/laptop-camera-cover-set [3] https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/04/08/473548674/why-the-fbi-director-puts-tape-over-his-webcam https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/04/08/473548674...
- giobox 9y ago
  I probably should have been clearer - I have no issue with the practice of covering webcams, it's simply a great example of how "camera conscious" many people are.

by giobox 9y ago

pm90 9y ago

> I think the simpler explanation is that strapping a camera to your face is simply inappropriate or off-putting in some social settings, at least with today's typical social norms. Didn't help that the only people who did/could/would buy the first glass prototypes were nerds who apparently started using them in bars and clubs. That solidified its image as "creepy". Contrast it with Spectacles, a product designed to record as much as possible. But since it was marketed/targeted towards "cool" people, it never got the creepy trait.

giobox 9y ago
The typical use case for Spectacles, at least as I see it, is a little different though. Spectacles is much more like a Go Pro, in that I will be out doing some kind of activity I want to share with friends. People also typically don't wear sunglasses indoors, my expectation of privacy is very different outdoors vs indoors. The approach with Google Glass was very different, where Google were arguably prototyping a device intended to be worn all the time, including indoors and in scenarios were people typically would not normally expect to be photographed or filmed.
- saurik 9y ago
  Such as "in the bathroom", which was the experience at Google I/O a few years ago when a quarter of the people there had Google Glass.
spinlock 9y ago
How are Spectacles selling? I assume they're doing better than Glass even though I've never seen them in the wild.
- giobox 9y ago
  I've no idea, but in central California I often see at least one person wearing them any time I go near a busy beach, which is most weekends. If the article below is to be believed, approx 60,000 pairs in Q1. Given the enormous disparity in price between the two I'd assume they are outselling Glass as well. http://www.businessinsider.com/snap-took-in-8-million-from-the-sale-of-its-spectacles-2017-5 http://www.businessinsider.com/snap-took-in-8-million-from-t...

zild3d 9y ago

> I still see large numbers of people taping over their laptop webcams even when they are turned off. Good. That isn't a demonstration of technical illiteracy. There have been plenty of vulnerabilities shown in webcams and microphones, and even the indicator LEDs can be disabled remotely https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/6758/can-webcams-be-turned-on-without-the-indicator-light https://security.stackexchange.com/questions/6758/can-webcam...

skinnymuch 9y ago

> I still see large numbers of people taping over their laptop webcams even when they are turned off. Like Zuckerberg does for his mic and webcam: https://imgur.com/zxDHM https://imgur.com/zxDHM Or direct image link: https://i.imgur.com/OxWY3FV_d.jpg https://i.imgur.com/OxWY3FV_d.jpg

SXX 9y ago
Correct link: https://i.imgur.com/OxWY3FV.jpg https://i.imgur.com/OxWY3FV.jpg

Buge 9y ago

It isn't just outside of tech that people cover their webcams. Mark Zuckerberg does it[1]. EFF sells webcam covers[2]. James Comey does it (although maybe he's not exactly tech)[3]. I've seen articles claiming Snowden does it, but I can't find a good source, that might just be rumors. [1] https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/22/mark-zuckerberg-tape-webcam-microphone-facebook https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jun/22/mark-zuck... [2] https://supporters.eff.org/shop/laptop-camera-cover-set https://supporters.eff.org/shop/laptop-camera-cover-set [3] https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/04/08/473548674/why-the-fbi-director-puts-tape-over-his-webcam https://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2016/04/08/473548674...

giobox 9y ago
I probably should have been clearer - I have no issue with the practice of covering webcams, it's simply a great example of how "camera conscious" many people are.