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The Google Glass devices serve both as a specific prototype consumer electronics device and a test-bed for a general user interaction concept, and I wish people
by apendleton 13y ago
The Google Glass devices serve both as a specific prototype consumer electronics device and a test-bed for a general user interaction concept, and I wish people writing reviews, or meta-reviews like this one, would pay more attention to the distinction. Many of these complaints could be fixed either with a software update (if, for example, the apps aren't sufficiently configurable), or with improved hardware in an actual production release (battery life, for example) without compromising the potential of the idea of Glass. These seem not to be such a big deal, since this initial iteration is just a prototype.
Some of these, though, are criticisms of the concept: if, for example, it really does cause lots of people disorientation or headaches to look at displays close to their faces, that seems to be an irreparable flaw in Glass-like devices as a product class, and is much more damning.
- Filligree 13y agoNot an irreparable flaw at all, you can adjust the focus distance with appropriate optics. I think a certain cyborg is likely to say "told you so", though.
- apendleton 13y agoUnless people are getting disoriented because the object is in the middle of their field of vision on one side and not in their field at all on the other (testers apparently reported feeling "cross-eyed," which suggests that some people's eyes try to converge even though they can only see the display with one eye).
- Filligree 13y agoA fair point. There's an obvious hardware fix - use two screens - but it might just about double the cost of the device. Eventually, something like this will be very useful. :-)
- sinnerswing 13y agoNo one will use Google Glass because they can do everything on a Smartphone without looking like a dork.
- Encosia 13y agoYou could have said something similar about using smartphones too, less than 10 years ago.
- sinnerswing 13y agosmartphones 10 yrs ago = nerdy google glasses = dorky
- Encosia 13y agoSurely you don't believe the sort of people judging someone for what gadget they hold or wear makes such a fine distinction between those two things.
- evv 13y agoNot exactly. 10 years ago, there was no competitor to the smartphone which allowed you to use the internet on the go.
- deleted 13y ago[deleted]
- Encosia 13y ago10 years ago, I was building WAP websites specifically for the large majority of people who felt uncomfortable strapping a BlackBerry or Windows Mobile phone holster to their belt, preferring to suffer through the painful experience on more stylish phones like the Motorola Razr instead. A smartphone wasn't necessary to access the data at that point, but made consumption and creation much more readily available, just like Google Glass does today. It's hard to remember that previous status quo in a post-iPhone world, but the people walking around with a BlackBerry in a belt holster then weren't unlike the people wearing Google Glass now.
- vm 13y agoI've been dying to hear the use cases ("killer apps") where Google Glass kicks ass. Scoble talked about how it speeds up photo so much, that I could it change the way we document our lives & experiences. That's big. What else??? Any HNers use Google Glass yet and found killer uses?
- Spooky23 13y agoThe obvious use case is for military-type applications. Relay photos to an overhead drone to give commanders a situational awareness of what is happening. Designate targets. Provide video-game like HUD. For consumers, I'd say the recording stuff is an uncanny valley. I'd love a HUD for navigation.