6 ms·

Can we just look back to all the stories about Google Glass a few years back and repeat them?

foobaby 5y ago
The problem with these is that they're essentially masquerading as normal sunglasses. I don't think most people in public will even notice that these aren't normal Ray Bans. Google Glass wasn't effective in part due to the fact that they were obvious to those around the wearer. That's not the case with these, which is frankly terrifying.
- dmoo 5y ago
  Just to say, they will notice them in Ireland. There are not that many sunglasses days…
  - rusk 5y ago
    They hide a thousand sins it’s said, so plenty more reasons to wear them round these parts
  - ojbyrne 5y ago
    They’re also selling regular glasses, no tint.
- ocdtrekkie 5y ago
  You'd be surprised how many people didn't notice them, tbh.
- rvense 5y ago
  It's hard for me to articulate how this makes me feel. As someone who values anonymity and, for no particular reason, would prefer not to be photographed and have my movements tracked, I feel like I am being forced from public spaces. Regulated CCTV coverage of certain areas is one thing. This is untracked, unlimited surveillance by a private company whose goals and motives are completely removed from any semblance of public, democratic influence. Facebook must be destroyed.
  - colpabar 5y ago
    Easy with the conspiracy theories. They may know your height, your eye/hair color, your skin color, your license plate #, where you live, where you work, where you shop, who you hang out with, etc, but you'll still be totally anonymous when they sell that information to whoever pays for it. They swear!
    - sockpuppet_12 5y ago
      I know right? Only people who have something to hide would care if some bespectacled reprobate snaps down-shirt shots of them on the subway to share the 'experience' with their fellows.
    - jlokier 5y ago
      When the cameras and processing are good enough, the watchers may also know your heart rate, breathing rate, who you glance at that goes by and which ones raise your heart rate, when you smile, when you frown, your pupil dilation, what items you browse in physical shops even if you don't buy, everything that can be picked out by lip reading, whether you look like you got a good night's sleep; trends in all these factors over time as they see you from multiple cameras across the months and years, and can probably predict when you will lose your job and if you're getting a divorce before you, your spouse and your employer knows these things, and which cancer you have before it's diagnosed (but will use it to raise/deny your insurance rather than actually help you). Of course it will all be presented only to trustworthy researchers with impeccable standards of ethics who have your interests first, such as the advertising unit, and the ministry of happiness and fair opportunity for all. All data requests from law enforcement fishing crews, "surgical" tactical vote manipulators, blackmailers, credit reference agencies, insurance companies, pre-crime detection centres, and religious morality police will of course be turned down, as that would be unethical. No price could possibly be high enough...
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
  - iamstupidsimple 5y ago
    If it wasn't Facebook, somebody else would or already is doing this. There's no escaping public CCTV in major cities nowadays. It's not nearly as regulated as you think and is also majority run by private companies. If you don't like this, changing the laws to ban public surveillance is the only option.
- drclau 5y ago
  > I don't think most people in public will even notice that these aren't normal Ray Bans Most people will not even be aware such devices exist. Here, on HN, there's an assumption that everyone is or will soon be up-to-date with tech news. But, the world outside of HN is way, way larger. I bet most people won't know what is going on even if they notice the eyeglasses have an LED that's on. It's not like an LED is a universal signal for "your privacy is cancelled now".
  - MertsA 5y ago
    > I bet most people won't know what is going on even if they notice the eyeglasses have an LED that's on. It's not like an LED is a universal signal for "your privacy is cancelled now". On decoy surveillance cameras they'll usually have a blinking or solid LED on them because the trope of "blinking red LED means it's recording" is so widespread. That's been used in film, self checkouts, body cameras, surveillance systems, etc. I don't know what indication would be more likely to signal a recording in progress short of a loudspeaker screaming "YOU ARE BEING RECORDED RIGHT NOW". I think it's far more likely that the general public will be unaware of the existing ways they are being surveilled.
- a5aAqU 5y ago
  People who are concerned about it will stop talking to people who wear Ray-Bans. I could see this having a negative effect on Ray-Ban, especially since it's easy to say "ban Ray-Bans" or "Ray-Bans are banned" when you're hosting a gathering or event. Customers are going to want to know, "Why do people around me always seem to look angry when I wear Ray-Bans? I get called 'glasshole' a few times every week."
- ajb 5y ago
  David Brin predicted that surveillance would be impossible to control in his 1998 book "The Transparent Society", going on to argue that there are two possible futures: one in which the masses are under 100% surveillance, while elites can act behind closed doors, and one in which the masses can also see what the elites are doing ("sousveillance"). I'm still hoping that there is a way out, but Brin is looking more and more prescient.
  - matheusmoreira 5y ago
    Looks like we'll need to become part of this elite in order to have any peace.
    - InvertedRhodium 5y ago
      This is HN, everyone is trying to become part of the elite here.
      - jes 5y ago
        I am not.
        tucnak 5y ago
        That's exactly what the elitist would say.
- tellersidd 5y ago
  I welcome these because it is all the same problems with Google Glass + a bunch of others. This obviously goes too far and we might even get some sane legislation out of this.
rsynnott 5y ago
No repeat of the Robert Scoble photo, please!
Animats 5y ago
At least with Google Glass, you had a display. These don't even have that. It's mostly a music player, really. Let's call them "fDweebs". ("iDweebs" were those Apple earbuds with white wires.)

The problem with these is that they're essentially masquerading as normal sunglasses. I don't think most people in public will even notice that these aren't normal Ray Bans. Google Glass wasn't effective in part due to the fact that they were obvious to those around the wearer. That's not the case with these, which is frankly terrifying.

dmoo 5y ago
Just to say, they will notice them in Ireland. There are not that many sunglasses days…
- rusk 5y ago
  They hide a thousand sins it’s said, so plenty more reasons to wear them round these parts
- ojbyrne 5y ago
  They’re also selling regular glasses, no tint.
ocdtrekkie 5y ago
You'd be surprised how many people didn't notice them, tbh.
rvense 5y ago
It's hard for me to articulate how this makes me feel. As someone who values anonymity and, for no particular reason, would prefer not to be photographed and have my movements tracked, I feel like I am being forced from public spaces. Regulated CCTV coverage of certain areas is one thing. This is untracked, unlimited surveillance by a private company whose goals and motives are completely removed from any semblance of public, democratic influence. Facebook must be destroyed.
- colpabar 5y ago
  Easy with the conspiracy theories. They may know your height, your eye/hair color, your skin color, your license plate #, where you live, where you work, where you shop, who you hang out with, etc, but you'll still be totally anonymous when they sell that information to whoever pays for it. They swear!
  - sockpuppet_12 5y ago
    I know right? Only people who have something to hide would care if some bespectacled reprobate snaps down-shirt shots of them on the subway to share the 'experience' with their fellows.
  - jlokier 5y ago
    When the cameras and processing are good enough, the watchers may also know your heart rate, breathing rate, who you glance at that goes by and which ones raise your heart rate, when you smile, when you frown, your pupil dilation, what items you browse in physical shops even if you don't buy, everything that can be picked out by lip reading, whether you look like you got a good night's sleep; trends in all these factors over time as they see you from multiple cameras across the months and years, and can probably predict when you will lose your job and if you're getting a divorce before you, your spouse and your employer knows these things, and which cancer you have before it's diagnosed (but will use it to raise/deny your insurance rather than actually help you). Of course it will all be presented only to trustworthy researchers with impeccable standards of ethics who have your interests first, such as the advertising unit, and the ministry of happiness and fair opportunity for all. All data requests from law enforcement fishing crews, "surgical" tactical vote manipulators, blackmailers, credit reference agencies, insurance companies, pre-crime detection centres, and religious morality police will of course be turned down, as that would be unethical. No price could possibly be high enough...
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
- iamstupidsimple 5y ago
  If it wasn't Facebook, somebody else would or already is doing this. There's no escaping public CCTV in major cities nowadays. It's not nearly as regulated as you think and is also majority run by private companies. If you don't like this, changing the laws to ban public surveillance is the only option.
drclau 5y ago
> I don't think most people in public will even notice that these aren't normal Ray Bans Most people will not even be aware such devices exist. Here, on HN, there's an assumption that everyone is or will soon be up-to-date with tech news. But, the world outside of HN is way, way larger. I bet most people won't know what is going on even if they notice the eyeglasses have an LED that's on. It's not like an LED is a universal signal for "your privacy is cancelled now".
- MertsA 5y ago
  > I bet most people won't know what is going on even if they notice the eyeglasses have an LED that's on. It's not like an LED is a universal signal for "your privacy is cancelled now". On decoy surveillance cameras they'll usually have a blinking or solid LED on them because the trope of "blinking red LED means it's recording" is so widespread. That's been used in film, self checkouts, body cameras, surveillance systems, etc. I don't know what indication would be more likely to signal a recording in progress short of a loudspeaker screaming "YOU ARE BEING RECORDED RIGHT NOW". I think it's far more likely that the general public will be unaware of the existing ways they are being surveilled.
a5aAqU 5y ago
People who are concerned about it will stop talking to people who wear Ray-Bans. I could see this having a negative effect on Ray-Ban, especially since it's easy to say "ban Ray-Bans" or "Ray-Bans are banned" when you're hosting a gathering or event. Customers are going to want to know, "Why do people around me always seem to look angry when I wear Ray-Bans? I get called 'glasshole' a few times every week."
ajb 5y ago
David Brin predicted that surveillance would be impossible to control in his 1998 book "The Transparent Society", going on to argue that there are two possible futures: one in which the masses are under 100% surveillance, while elites can act behind closed doors, and one in which the masses can also see what the elites are doing ("sousveillance"). I'm still hoping that there is a way out, but Brin is looking more and more prescient.
- matheusmoreira 5y ago
  Looks like we'll need to become part of this elite in order to have any peace.
  - InvertedRhodium 5y ago
    This is HN, everyone is trying to become part of the elite here.
    - jes 5y ago
      I am not.
      - tucnak 5y ago
        That's exactly what the elitist would say.
tellersidd 5y ago
I welcome these because it is all the same problems with Google Glass + a bunch of others. This obviously goes too far and we might even get some sane legislation out of this.

rsynnott 5y ago

No repeat of the Robert Scoble photo, please!

Animats 5y ago

At least with Google Glass, you had a display. These don't even have that. It's mostly a music player, really. Let's call them "fDweebs". ("iDweebs" were those Apple earbuds with white wires.)