5 ms·

As much as I love Google, I would bet that they lose money on this endeavor, unless they have a really long-term plan where these glasses are just a stepping st

As much as I love Google, I would bet that they lose money on this endeavor, unless they have a really long-term plan where these glasses are just a stepping stone. I just can't imagine that many people using these.

stcredzero 14y ago
The specific form factor won't fly for the general public. Other form factors might. Specific occupations might not care. (Construction workers are already wearing helmets and often goggles, for example.)
barclay 14y ago
These ones? No. These are ridiculous, (really) ugly, and pretty limited. But make no mistake, this is absolutely the future.
- rmc 14y ago
  Less space than a Nomad. No Wireless. Lame.
  - taligent 14y ago
    The iPod was something ordinary people loved and geeks hated. These glasses are the opposite.
    - bad_user 14y ago
      I don't know what you're talking about. I dreamed of these glasses since I was in high-school. Guess I'm not a geek.
      - dbaupp 14y ago
        taligent is implying that geeks love the glasses, and non-geeks people hate them.
  - mkaltenecker 14y ago
    The iPod was actually a product at that point. That’s the big step that still has to be taken with Glasses. And it ain’t an easy one, probably the hardest thing about Glasses. It’s cool tech. No more. Certainly not a product. We’ll see how this works out.
- dr42 14y ago
  "But make no mistake, this is absolutely the future." Outside of niche uses already mentioned, I think this is a mistake to believe.
  - tanepiper 14y ago
    Didn't they say that about the iPad? http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/tr-out-loud/why-the-ipad-will-fail-to-win-significant-market-share/1666 http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/tr-out-loud/why-the-ipad-wi... Or the iPhone? http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/12/23/iphone_will_fail/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/12/23/iphone_will_fail/ Or the Internet? http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/1995/02/26/the-internet-bah.html http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/1995/02/26/the-interne...
    - 2muchcoffeeman 14y ago
      All those technologies had all the basic pieces in place. A use case, a way to interact with them, an actual demonstration of the technology. I admit that it took me several weeks to realise the potential of the iPad though. Brin has been seen wearing these for a while now. Why can't we see some basic software and interaction? There a lots of potential uses for wearable computers, especially one with a HUD. Even if all we can do is use it as another form of input/output for your phone or other devices. As far as I can tell and google, all we saw today was a few stunts with people wearing little cameras. We'll have to wait until they start releasing the dev kits to see if there's actually anything to this particular attempt. Hopefully they will also have a product at the same time.
  - Jonovono 14y ago
    Really? Why? Imagine these in contact form that perform the same things. But also replaces your cell phone. You now see your messages when you want and can respond just by thinking (once we can essentially read your mind, if that happens). Anything you want could be displayed there without having to check your phone or anything else. Obviously talking to it sucks but if it ever gets to the point where you can think something then this would be killer, for anyone. Iono, seems to clearly be where things are heading. I don't want to type things to a person everytime I want to communicate with them, what is that? I just want to seamlessly send them a message I have on my mind and get back to real life. And this is the first step and whats possible now. But im sure they expect more. I expect and want technology to get to the point where its not even noticeable. And these are what it is doing.
powerslave12r 14y ago
The biggest mistake anyone who thinks 'these look ugly' makes is assuming that this first draft is the end all be all. This is most definitely the clunker of a stepping stone a lot of revolutionary devices start out as. Eventually it's going to be on contact lenses anyway.. (or maybe brain implants.)
- moe 14y ago
  Maybe I'm in a minority but since I don't wear glasses nor contacts I feel reluctant to insert anything into my eyes unless absolutely needed (i.e. for eyesight). However, other than that I agree with you. I'll just be sticking to the glasses form factor (when it's indistinguishable from normal glasses).
- bathat 14y ago
  Well... but it isn't really the first draft of the technology, is it? Steve Mann was doing basically the same thing 15 years ago with equipment that wasn't really a whole lot more clunky. In fact, that's really the reason I can't get behind Glass as the Next Big Thing: I've wanted something like this for the better part of two decades and the display technology continues to suck. Edit to add: Look here: http://wearcam.org/netcam.html http://wearcam.org/netcam.html That webpage hasn't been edited for a decade (a decade, that's 10 years), and it has a better-looking display unit (see the picture captioned "late 90's").
stewie2 14y ago
I really like this glass project. I have never lined up for a electronic device, but I guess this time I will.
yaix 14y ago
>>I just can't imagine that many people using these. You are in good company. "There is a world market for about five computers." was what the IBM chairman was able to imagine in the 1940s.

stcredzero 14y ago

The specific form factor won't fly for the general public. Other form factors might. Specific occupations might not care. (Construction workers are already wearing helmets and often goggles, for example.)

barclay 14y ago

These ones? No. These are ridiculous, (really) ugly, and pretty limited. But make no mistake, this is absolutely the future.

rmc 14y ago
Less space than a Nomad. No Wireless. Lame.
- taligent 14y ago
  The iPod was something ordinary people loved and geeks hated. These glasses are the opposite.
  - bad_user 14y ago
    I don't know what you're talking about. I dreamed of these glasses since I was in high-school. Guess I'm not a geek.
    - dbaupp 14y ago
      taligent is implying that geeks love the glasses, and non-geeks people hate them.
- mkaltenecker 14y ago
  The iPod was actually a product at that point. That’s the big step that still has to be taken with Glasses. And it ain’t an easy one, probably the hardest thing about Glasses. It’s cool tech. No more. Certainly not a product. We’ll see how this works out.
dr42 14y ago
"But make no mistake, this is absolutely the future." Outside of niche uses already mentioned, I think this is a mistake to believe.
- tanepiper 14y ago
  Didn't they say that about the iPad? http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/tr-out-loud/why-the-ipad-will-fail-to-win-significant-market-share/1666 http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/tr-out-loud/why-the-ipad-wi... Or the iPhone? http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/12/23/iphone_will_fail/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/12/23/iphone_will_fail/ Or the Internet? http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/1995/02/26/the-internet-bah.html http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/1995/02/26/the-interne...
  - 2muchcoffeeman 14y ago
    All those technologies had all the basic pieces in place. A use case, a way to interact with them, an actual demonstration of the technology. I admit that it took me several weeks to realise the potential of the iPad though. Brin has been seen wearing these for a while now. Why can't we see some basic software and interaction? There a lots of potential uses for wearable computers, especially one with a HUD. Even if all we can do is use it as another form of input/output for your phone or other devices. As far as I can tell and google, all we saw today was a few stunts with people wearing little cameras. We'll have to wait until they start releasing the dev kits to see if there's actually anything to this particular attempt. Hopefully they will also have a product at the same time.
- Jonovono 14y ago
  Really? Why? Imagine these in contact form that perform the same things. But also replaces your cell phone. You now see your messages when you want and can respond just by thinking (once we can essentially read your mind, if that happens). Anything you want could be displayed there without having to check your phone or anything else. Obviously talking to it sucks but if it ever gets to the point where you can think something then this would be killer, for anyone. Iono, seems to clearly be where things are heading. I don't want to type things to a person everytime I want to communicate with them, what is that? I just want to seamlessly send them a message I have on my mind and get back to real life. And this is the first step and whats possible now. But im sure they expect more. I expect and want technology to get to the point where its not even noticeable. And these are what it is doing.

powerslave12r 14y ago

The biggest mistake anyone who thinks 'these look ugly' makes is assuming that this first draft is the end all be all. This is most definitely the clunker of a stepping stone a lot of revolutionary devices start out as. Eventually it's going to be on contact lenses anyway.. (or maybe brain implants.)

moe 14y ago
Maybe I'm in a minority but since I don't wear glasses nor contacts I feel reluctant to insert anything into my eyes unless absolutely needed (i.e. for eyesight). However, other than that I agree with you. I'll just be sticking to the glasses form factor (when it's indistinguishable from normal glasses).
bathat 14y ago
Well... but it isn't really the first draft of the technology, is it? Steve Mann was doing basically the same thing 15 years ago with equipment that wasn't really a whole lot more clunky. In fact, that's really the reason I can't get behind Glass as the Next Big Thing: I've wanted something like this for the better part of two decades and the display technology continues to suck. Edit to add: Look here: http://wearcam.org/netcam.html http://wearcam.org/netcam.html That webpage hasn't been edited for a decade (a decade, that's 10 years), and it has a better-looking display unit (see the picture captioned "late 90's").

stewie2 14y ago

I really like this glass project. I have never lined up for a electronic device, but I guess this time I will.

yaix 14y ago

>>I just can't imagine that many people using these. You are in good company. "There is a world market for about five computers." was what the IBM chairman was able to imagine in the 1940s.