The possibilities and perils of Google Glass

MANILA, Philippines – Imagine seeing the world through a whole different lens. Technology brought closer to your senses, more than ever before, but at the same time out of the way like its barely there – that is the challenge and the marvel that is Google Glass.

Perhaps one of the most ground-breaking wearable computers to date, Google Glass is the future of computing. At the center of the experience is “glass,” a camera, and a display that are together a new way to see and experience the world.  

Look through the built-in camera to capture everything you see, photos and video taken from your literal point of view. Look through the display to get text and email notifications. Speak out commands, ask Google a question to make sense of the world around you, or ask for directions to get you to where you need to go.

Early reviews are consistent, there’s plenty of work to be done, but the potential is great.

An initial 8,000 devices were sent out in May 2013 to a select group of participants that qualified for the Glass Explorer program. Each member, either a tech journalist, celebrity, developer or contest winner is sold a working prototype for US$1,500. 

And that community is growing. In November, existing members were given the opportunity to invite 3 more friends into the fold. Soon, anyone who wants one, will be able to purchase one, Google says. But even before it hits the mainstream, Google Glass brings with it a host of challenges.

The road hasn’t been easy for early adaptors.

While many become instant celebrities, stopped by passers-by while walking down the street, it hasn’t been smooth-sailing for all. A word has even been coined, “glasshole,” which is loosly used to refer to Google Glass users who either flaunt their device or use it to violate social norms. 

No glass at restaurants 

While smartphones can take photos and video, Google Glass can do it inconspicuously. With no LED light to indicate whether or not a user is capturing video, privacy buffs are up in arms about the prospect of someone secretly taking photos/video of them. In a recent update Google also added the ability to take a photo by blinking an eye. 

In November 2013 Seattle native Nick Starr was barred from entering local restaurant Lost Lake Cafe and Lounge because he refused to take off the Glass he had on. Entrepreneur Jason Lajeunesse who owns Lost Lake told Forbes the issue is “about privacy.”

“It’s one thing to take out a camera and capture a moment, people see you doing it, they have a chance to step out if they want to. With Glass, people don’t have a chance to do that. We want our customers to feel comfortable, not like they’re being watched.”

Lajeunesse’s business partner, Dave Meinert, owns the Seattle dive bar, 5 Point Cafe – the first known establishment to explicitly ban Glass.

But Google Glass in a restaurant has its benefits aside from the usual food pic. Mashable’s Pete Pachal told Rappler he frequently uses Glass in restaurants to identify items on the menu. “This casual access to information, where I can ask for it verbally without needing to fumble through a keyboard, is great.”  

Technology law expert JJ Disini says instances like this are going to be a cause for concern, “Right now we’re in a state of flux. People are using it, while the rest of us are unaware to what extent our privacy is being violated. The problem is you don’t know how that information will be used and it will not necessarily be used in your favor.” 

No glass while driving 

In January, California resident Cecilia Abadie was issued a ticket with two infractions, one for speeding and another for wearing Google Glass while driving. The case was thrown out because there was no way of proving beyond reasonable doubt that the device was on while she was driving. Many consider this to be the 1st test case involving use of the device.

Speaking to journalists after the court decision, Abadie defended her use of the device. “There is no blind spot, it is designed to be out of the way, it is designed to be there only when you need it.”

In an interview with Rappler, Abadie says the current reaction to Glass is normal. “Humanity has always been fearful of new technology. Back in the time of Socrates when humanity started to think about written word vs oral tradition they had huge fears.” 

She added, “we have to push forward and not be afraid of technology and consider it in an educated way.”

Abadie also pressed for more experimentation in using devices like Google Glass to find a solution to problems like using cellphones in cars, “if this could be a solution and not part of problem at least they have to give it a chance. I’d like for people who are going to be making laws to understand what they are dealing.”

California’s vehicle code prohibits the operation of a video display in front of the driver. The law pre-dates the Google Glass era and was initially meant for TVs built into a car’s dashboard.

Elsewhere in the United States, Delaware, West Virginia and New Jersey have already drafted laws that specifically ban Google Glass while driving. Everywhere else there’s a Google Glass app called DriveSafe that can detect if you doze off while driving. If you do, it will try and wake you up, and give you directions to the nearest rest stop.

No Glass in theaters 

Last week, a theater patron in Ohio was detained and questioned by US Homeland Security agents for wearing Google Glass while at the movies. Agents accused him of illegally recording the movie he was watching.

After a couple of hours they connected the device to a computer, found no video recordings, and let him go. The unnamed theater goer told TechCrunch, “I signed up for Glass but I guess I also signed up for being harassed by authorities that are unfamiliar with the technology. Some hiccups are to be expected with any new advancement.”   

Prevention 

Not a stranger to privacy issues, Google has already taken steps to promote responsible use of Glass. For example, the company has banned the development of Facial Recognition apps. 

But that hasn’t stopped groups like Stop The Cyborgs from campaigning against the use of wearable technology to collect big data. The movement claims devices like Google Glass “create a future where privacy is impossible and where surveillance pervades every aspect of life.”

Glass team technical adviser and wearable computing pioneer Thad Starner thinks this line of thinking is pessimistic and exaggerated. He told the New York Times, “asocial people will be able to find a way to do asocial things with this technology, but on average, people like to maintain the social contract.” 

That social contract is what technology law expert Disini says will need to evolve. He says, “people will have to develop social norms about when it is polite and when it is not polite to use Google Glass.” 

Cecila Abadie says it’s called etiquette, common sense and respect for others. “We’re learning collectively,” she says.

Cure

American literary author HP Lovercraft once wrote, “The oldest and strongest emotion of mankind is fear, and the oldest and strongest kind of fear is fear of the unknown.” While the fear of Google Glass is understandable, and at times justified, like any piece of technology, as much as it can be used to cause harm, it also has the potential to be used for good. 

This is the case of North Carolina FireFighter and developer Patrick Jackson who is building apps for Google Glass to make firefighters’ jobs easier and safer. Jackson’s app displays a notification when emergency calls come in. Google Glass displays the location of the incident and the nature of the call. In the future he hopes to build in functionality that can pull up a building’s blueprints to help firefighters navigate through fire mazes.  

While it is still work in progress, apps like his tell us that Glass is more than just an overpriced toy, but a tool that improves people’s lives, and that is, after all what technology is all about.  – Rappler.com