7 ms·

This is so exciting. Just how a completely new user experience paradigm was uncovered when high quality touch screen devices like iPhone etc. first launched, th

by ultimoo 14y ago

This is so exciting. Just how a completely new user experience paradigm was uncovered when high quality touch screen devices like iPhone etc. first launched, this is yet another milestone in how we will continue to interact with the petabytes of data that we as mankind have digitized. It's worth pondering how significantly new I/O devices change the game -- the first tty, the commercial keyboard & mouse, the touch screen, multi-touch trackpads, and voice activated smartphones.

nicholasreed 14y ago
Amazing technology aside, this is a pretty disappointing API release from a developer standpoint. Basically no access to Glass's amazing hardware, nor any way to receive user input other than a swipe/tap on the side? I'm really hoping it gets more comprehensive.
- jfim 14y ago
  Give it time. The first iPhone only supported web apps, and besides, it's likely that battery is limited on Glass.
- georgemcbay 14y ago
  The Glass will surely be hacked six ways to Sunday but I doubt the official API will go much deeper than it already is. The still-disappointing Plus API pretty much tipped Google's hand when it comes to how flexible they want to be on providing APIs for future products and on top of that there are some pretty substantial privacy issues with giving developers low-level access to the vast amount of personal data Glass will constantly be collecting. I'm already worried enough about Google having that data that I'm sitting out Glass for the foreseeable future (despite the fact that I suspect it will be useful for a lot things), but if random third parties could access that data at a low-level I'd be even more worried.
- psbp 14y ago
  I'm willing to bet that they'll have some android integration announcements at I/O. The Motorola phones are suppose to have touch controls on the back, which would be a pretty convenient way to interact with glass.
- laureny 14y ago
  Still better than the SDK shipped in the first iPhone, isn't it? And see where the iPhone is now...
- asheldritch 14y ago
  Actually from what I see the only way to receive user input is via user selection of menu options. There don't appear to be any callbacks from swipes or taps on the touchpad.
Aloisius 14y ago
You do realize that wearable computers are over 30 years old right? See Steve Mann: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Mann http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Mann
- kaolinite 14y ago
  Can you go out and buy a pair at a store right now?
  - Samuel_Michon 14y ago
    Can you go out and buy a reel-to-reel tape recorder at a store right now?
    - DanBC 14y ago
      Yes. (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Akai-GX-4400D-Reel-To-Reel-Tape-Recorder-/290896977868?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item43bacf9fcc http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Akai-GX-4400D-Reel-To-Reel-Tape...) What do I search for to buy a wearable computer?
      - Samuel_Michon 14y ago
        (You go out to the Ebay store? Can you tell me where that is?) My point was, just because something isn't for sale in stores right now doesn't mean it never existed. As far as I know, Steve Mann's EyeTap glasses have never been for sale in stores, but kaolinite's argument was just silly – hence my comment. If you don't like the 'reel-to-reel tape recorder' example, imagine I said 'enriched plutonium'.
        kaolinite 14y ago
        My point wasn't that it didn't exist because it wasn't in stores but more that taking a device like that to mass-market is a much bigger challenge that making it for one person (not that I am saying his work isn't incredible). When discussing UX and how this will affect the general population, this technology is basically brand new.
gurkendoktor 14y ago
> It's worth pondering how significantly new I/O devices change the game -- the first tty, the commercial keyboard & mouse, the touch screen, multi-touch trackpads, and voice activated smartphones. This comment actually explains my complete disinterest in Glass :) I don't see how voice-activated smartphones have changed the game yet, IMHO they're in the same league as Glass - "this might be worth it later" (especially dubious for Siri). I use two touch-screens and a trackpad every day and yet I could probably go back to only a keyboard and die happy. What has changed my life was connectedness, and Glass does not do more than a smartphone in that area.
- kailuowang 14y ago
  "What has changed my life was connectedness, and Glass does not do more than a smartphone in that area." Yes it does. It completes the connection between what you see and the rest of your digital world. That's significant.

by ultimoo 14y ago

nicholasreed 14y ago

Amazing technology aside, this is a pretty disappointing API release from a developer standpoint. Basically no access to Glass's amazing hardware, nor any way to receive user input other than a swipe/tap on the side? I'm really hoping it gets more comprehensive.

jfim 14y ago
Give it time. The first iPhone only supported web apps, and besides, it's likely that battery is limited on Glass.
georgemcbay 14y ago
The Glass will surely be hacked six ways to Sunday but I doubt the official API will go much deeper than it already is. The still-disappointing Plus API pretty much tipped Google's hand when it comes to how flexible they want to be on providing APIs for future products and on top of that there are some pretty substantial privacy issues with giving developers low-level access to the vast amount of personal data Glass will constantly be collecting. I'm already worried enough about Google having that data that I'm sitting out Glass for the foreseeable future (despite the fact that I suspect it will be useful for a lot things), but if random third parties could access that data at a low-level I'd be even more worried.
psbp 14y ago
I'm willing to bet that they'll have some android integration announcements at I/O. The Motorola phones are suppose to have touch controls on the back, which would be a pretty convenient way to interact with glass.
laureny 14y ago
Still better than the SDK shipped in the first iPhone, isn't it? And see where the iPhone is now...
asheldritch 14y ago
Actually from what I see the only way to receive user input is via user selection of menu options. There don't appear to be any callbacks from swipes or taps on the touchpad.

Aloisius 14y ago

You do realize that wearable computers are over 30 years old right? See Steve Mann: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Mann http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Mann

kaolinite 14y ago
Can you go out and buy a pair at a store right now?
- Samuel_Michon 14y ago
  Can you go out and buy a reel-to-reel tape recorder at a store right now?
  - DanBC 14y ago
    Yes. (http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Akai-GX-4400D-Reel-To-Reel-Tape-Recorder-/290896977868?pt=Vintage_Electronics_R2&hash=item43bacf9fcc http://www.ebay.com/itm/Rare-Akai-GX-4400D-Reel-To-Reel-Tape...) What do I search for to buy a wearable computer?
    - Samuel_Michon 14y ago
      (You go out to the Ebay store? Can you tell me where that is?) My point was, just because something isn't for sale in stores right now doesn't mean it never existed. As far as I know, Steve Mann's EyeTap glasses have never been for sale in stores, but kaolinite's argument was just silly – hence my comment. If you don't like the 'reel-to-reel tape recorder' example, imagine I said 'enriched plutonium'.
      - kaolinite 14y ago
        My point wasn't that it didn't exist because it wasn't in stores but more that taking a device like that to mass-market is a much bigger challenge that making it for one person (not that I am saying his work isn't incredible). When discussing UX and how this will affect the general population, this technology is basically brand new.

gurkendoktor 14y ago

> It's worth pondering how significantly new I/O devices change the game -- the first tty, the commercial keyboard & mouse, the touch screen, multi-touch trackpads, and voice activated smartphones. This comment actually explains my complete disinterest in Glass :) I don't see how voice-activated smartphones have changed the game yet, IMHO they're in the same league as Glass - "this might be worth it later" (especially dubious for Siri). I use two touch-screens and a trackpad every day and yet I could probably go back to only a keyboard and die happy. What has changed my life was connectedness, and Glass does not do more than a smartphone in that area.

kailuowang 14y ago
"What has changed my life was connectedness, and Glass does not do more than a smartphone in that area." Yes it does. It completes the connection between what you see and the rest of your digital world. That's significant.