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Tag: Google Glass

  • Want To Learn More About Google Glass? Watch These Videos

    As Google I/O was wrapping up on Friday, Google was busy uploading the first of its developer videos to its YouTube channel. As part of the first wave, Google Glass developers who couldn’t make it to I/O got a chance to learn how to develop for and hack Glass.

    Now Google has finally uploaded the final two Glass sessions from Google I/O – one of which deals with developing for the Mirror API while the other is a casual fireside chat with the Glass team.

    First up is Building Glass Services with the Google Mirror API with Alain Vongsouvanh and Jenny Murphy:

    The Google Mirror API is a simple but powerful set of RESTful APIs for building Glassware. In this session we’ll review some first principles for Glass development, paradigms of the Google Mirror API, and the rapid track from concept to prototype. We will cover both standard use cases and ones that push the boundaries of the API.

    Finally, the Fireside Chat with the Glass Team brings together key members of the Glass development team at Google X to talk about their experiences:

    Join several key members of the Glass team as they discuss the path that brought them here. We’ll discuss why Glass is so important to the evolution of wearable technology and how developers can most effectively engage in the ecosystem.

  • Want To Develop For Google Glass? Watch These Videos

    Google Glass may have been announced at last year’s Google I/O, but it didn’t get a proper introduction until this year’s I/O. Google devoted a number of sessions for the new hardware on Thursday, and Google has made some of those sessions available on YouTube.

    First up is Developing for Glass with Timothy Jordan. He announced the Glass Developer Kit during this session, but there’s more than that:

    By bringing technology closer, we can get it out of the way. This and other core concepts, design guidelines, UX paradigms, and APIs will be introduced as a baseline for Glass Development. Excellent examples will be shown and used to codify everything into a set of best practices. If you want to develop for Glass, this is where you start!

    The other session is Voiding Your Warranty: Hacking Your Glass with Hyunyoung Sung and P.Y. Laligand:

    Glass is ready for hacking! See what is possible with the hardware platform and how you can gain root access. Learn how to run your own experimental applications. Disclaimer: you’ll be stepping into uncharted and unsupported territory!

  • Michelle Bachman Tries Out Google Glass

    Michelle Bachman Tries Out Google Glass

    Now that Google’s latest experiment has caught the eye of congress and privacy advocates, many Google Glass fans are wary that the devices may be over-regulated before they even appear on the market. The congressional privacy caucus even sent an open letter to Google CEO Larry Page this week, asking for clarification and details on Google’s Glass privacy policies.

    While many member of congress will no doubt judge Glass by the provocative headlines it is producing, at least one congresswoman is checking out the technology for herself. U.S. Representative Michelle Bachmann was spotted in the halls of congress this week trying out Google Glass. Though Bachmann is not a member of the congressional privacy caucus, her position in the Tea Party movement could influence conservative Americans’ opinions of the new technology. A photo of the congresswoman wearing the device was tweeted on Wednesday by NBC News Capitol Hill reporter Luke Russert:

    Of course, Bachmann’s conservative and religious stances in congress have often made her a laughing stock in social media, and this occasion is no different. Replies to Russert’s picture include some funny and some mean tweets:

  • Now Some Members Of Congress Are Scared Of Google Glass

    Google Glass has sparked a conversation on the value of privacy ever since it was revealed last year. Those arguing for or against have become much louder in recent months, however, since the hardware is now in the hands of a select few developers. As expected, some members of Congress are now starting to chime in.

    The Hill reports that the bi-partisan congressional Privacy Caucus sent an open letter to Google CEO Larry Page asking for clarification on Glass and the myriad of privacy issues it presents. The letter contains many of the same talking points that groups like Stop the Cyborgs have brought up in the past, but it seems to at least be giving Google the benefit of the doubt in this case.

    Here’s some of the more interesting questions that many of us, including myself, would want answered:

    “What proactive steps is Google taking to protect the privacy of non-users when Google Glass is in us? Are product lifecycle guidelines and frameworks, such as Privacy by Design, being implemented in connection with its product design and commercialization? For example, if a Google Glass customer/user decides to resell or to dispose of their Google Glas product, would there be any product capabilities incorporated into the device to ensure that one’s personal information remains private and secure?”

    “In Google’s privacy policy, it states that the company “may reject requests that are unreasonably repetitive, require disproportionate technical effort … risk the privacy of others, or would be extremely impractical.” Please provide examples of when Google would reject requests on Google Glass that would risk the privacy of others? Would Google place limits on the technology and what type of information it can reveal about another person? If so, please explain. If not, why not?”

    “Given Google Glass’ sensory and processing capabilities, has Google considered making any additions or refinements to its privacy policy? If so, please explain. If not, why not?”

    There are a total of eight questions, but the above three are by far the most important. The last question is especially interesting as Google has run into complaints and threats of regulation when it changes its privacy policy. Even if Google were to change its privacy policy to reflect the the privacy implications of Glass, it’s a given that somebody would find something to complain about.

    In addition to questions about its privacy policy, the Privacy Caucus drags the 3-year-old street view Wi-Fi data collection scandal into the spotlight yet again. They want to know if Google will be doing anything to prevent Glass from unintentionally collecting data. It’s somewhat of a moot point because Glass and the street view cars are very different. Even if Google Glass could store data from unprotected Wi-Fi sources, the paltry 16GB of onboard storage ensures that it wouldn’t be able to collect very much.

    As for Google’s response to all of this, a spokesperson for the company told The Hill that Google is “thinking very carefully how [it] design[s] Glass because new technology always raises new issues.”

    That’s about all we can ask for at the moment. It will be interesting, however, to see if Page actually responds to the letter. During his closing remarks at Google I/O on Wednesday, he raised concerns that the law wasn’t keeping pace with technology. Would he argue that privacy laws aren’t keeping up with what Google is trying to achieve with Glass?

  • Glass Developer Kit Is In The Works At Google

    Google Glass Explorers have been busy developing apps for the device with the Mirror API that launched alongside the hardware. Developers may have found themselves running into some limitations, but that will be fixed in the future.

    During the Developing for Glass session at Google I/O, Timothy Jordan, Senior Developer Advocate for Project Glass, announced that the Glass team is working on a Glass Developer Kit. Unlike the Mirror API, which only supports apps that push content, the Glass Developer Kit will allow for the creation of offline apps.

    More importantly, the Glass Developer Kit will also give developers access to the hardware itself. Some hackers have already gained access to the hardware through software exploits, but there hasn’t been any official way to get at the hardware yet. There is no word yet, however, as to how deep the hardware access will go. Hackers have shown that Glass can do some pretty scary things so I’m a little unsure of how deep Google will let developers go.

    So, when will the Glass Developer Kit be available to developers? Google says it will be out sometime in the future. We don’t know when that future is, but we’ll let you know when the future becomes now.

    Jordan’s Developing for Glass session is not up on YouTube yet, but the live feed that originally aired it is. Jordan’s session starts at the 1:06 mark:

    In other Glass news, Twitter has just launched an official app for Glass. Other services like Facebook, Tumblr, CNN and Evernote have also launched official apps today.

    [h/t: Engadget]

  • Twitter For Google Glass Now A Reality

    It’s a big day for Twitter. Not only did it strike a deal with Yahoo to get tweets in Yahoo homepage newsfeed, but now they’ve announced the launch of Twitter for Google Glass.

    There have been reports in recent weeks that Twitter was working on this, and now, here we are.

    The app lets you share photos to Twitter, and the the tweet will automatically include the text, “Just shared a photo #throughglass”.

    “In addition to sharing photos, you can also keep up with the people you follow on Twitter through notifications — for mentions, DMs and Tweets from users for whom you’ve turned on notifications,” says Twitter engineering manager Shiv Ramamurthi. “As always, you can reply to, retweet or favorite these Tweets.”

    Glass users can go to google.com/myglass and turn on Twitter, and they should be good to go.

    According to reports, Facebook, Tumblr, CNN and Evernote will also be launching Glass apps today.

  • This Video Of A Two-Year-Old Wearing Google Glass Is Far Too Adorable

    Google Glass probably shouldn’t be operated by two-year-olds. The $1,500 hardware seems to be pretty fragile, and I would be afraid that a kid would break it. One father, YouTube user chrisangelini, threw caution to the wind, however, when he let his two-year-old son take Google’s new hardware for a test drive.

    As expected, the results are adorable.

    [h/t: Reddit]

  • The Future Of Google Glass May Lie In 911 Calls And Guitar Lessons

    The Future Of Google Glass May Lie In 911 Calls And Guitar Lessons

    Google Glass is now in the hands of developers, and they’re already doing some pretty amazing (and scary) things with the technology. What will it look like a year from now, however, when it’s in the hands of consumers? What will it look like five years from now? One design firm has an idea.

    Playground Inc, a digital creative agency, has released a video with a few predictions of what will be in the next major iteration of Google Glass:

    It seems strange that the designers predict Google Glass having a 911 app, but it actually makes a lot of sense. Having someone not only to talk to, but also see, would go a long way in calming people down during an emergency.

    That particular example aside, the rest of the video presents some incredibly compelling ideas that would turn Glass from a device for pasty white nerds into a mass consumer device that fulfills any and all needs. I’m particularly fond of the example where one uses Glass to keep a running tally of how much groceries are going to cost while shopping.

    [h/t: Reddit]

  • Do The Privacy Implications Of Google Glass Scare You?

    Google Glass has some people spooked. They think that Glass turns those who wear the technology into a surveillance cyborg. Now some groups are calling upon the government to take action.

    Do you think Google Glass should be banned? Let us know in the comments.

    TechDirt reports that a new We The People petition submitted on May 3, a man from Seattle, Washington is requesting that the government “Ban Google Glass from use in the USA until clear limitations are placed to prevent indecent public surveillance.” As the title suggets, those who have signed are scared of the privacy implications:

    Google Glass is a new twist on technology which hasn’t had clearly stated limits on the locations in US communities where it can and cannot be used. In order to protect our communities we need limitations to prevent indecent public surveillance of our friends, children, and families.

    It is hard to prevent it because the hardware gives no notification that it is recording an individual at any given time.

    Aside from the admittedly weak (only 34 signatures in a week) petition, a group called Stop the Cyborgs has sprung up in recent months in protest of Google Glass. It’s not like they hate Google or Glass though. They also don’t want a ban. Instead, the group argues that they just want consumers to think about what they buy and the implications of technology:

  • That there is a social, commercial and technological trend towards ubiquitous surveillance and monitoring. This trend gives a few corporations and government agencies an unprecedented amount of information about individuals and society as a whole.
  • That human decisions are becoming increasingly influenced technological systems the internal workings of which are secret and which are difficult to challenge. This trend gives a few corporations and governments an unprecedented ability to manipulate society.
  • That initiatives like internet of things, smart cities and government 2.0 are replacing the democratic process with technical systems which will be difficult to change.
  • Even if organisations do not abuse their power. The combination of wearable computing & biometrics allows everything to be linked to a single identity available to anyone you interact with. Thus for example it becomes impossible to separate your professional and personal life; it becomes impossible to be politically active without your political affiliation being known to everyone you interact with; it becomes impossible to keep your relationships private; it becomes impossible to speak or behave freely in the moment without considering how your actions might be perceived in all future contexts and all future audiences.

    • As for its specific beef with Google Glass, the group lists a number of problems it has with the technology:

  • The camera is always pointing at head height and only needs to be electronically activated to record. This allows the possibility of accidental or remote activation.
  • The devices are hands free so the person does not need to take on the role of cameraman but rather just happens to be recording. This encourages people to record data and makes it harder to tell if someone is recording compared to them pointing a camera or smart phone at you.
  • Heads up displays allow people to be fed information without others knowing they are receiving it.
  • The devices are typically tied into a central server, which aggregates and stores information.

    • Their concerns may be legitimate as hackers with early access to Glass say its relatively easy to turn the device into a surveillance tool. The obvious first thought is that people can use Glass to spy on others, but the real threat is that hackers could use Glass to spy on the person wearing them. Jay Freeman explains:

    Once the attacker has root on your Glass, they have much more power than if they had access to your phone or even your computer: they have control over a camera and a microphone that are attached to your head. A bugged Glass doesn’t just watch your every move: it watches everything you are looking at (intentionally or furtively) and hears everything you do. The only thing it doesn’t know are your thoughts.

    The obvious problem, of course, is that you might be using it in fairly private situations. Yesterday, Robert Scoble demonstrated on his Google+ feed that it survived being in the shower with him. Thankfully (for him, and possibly for us), this extreme dedication to around-the-clock usage of Glass also protects him from malicious attacks: good luck getting even a minute alone with his hardware ;P.

    However, a more subtle issue is that, in a way, it also hacks into every device you interact with. It knows all your passwords, for example, as it can watch you type them. It even manages to monitor your usage of otherwise safe, old-fashioned technology: it watches you enter door codes, it takes pictures of your keys, and it records what you write using a pen and paper. Nothing is safe once your Glass has been hacked.

    Do you think fears of Google Glass are overblown? Or do you think hackers could wreak havoc on those who choose to wear Glass? Let us know in the comments.

    I think most can agree that hardware like Glass shouldn’t be allowed in certain places. It’s totally reasonable to ban its use at bars, strip clubs and other places that respect client confidentiality. It should also probably be banned from the workplace or other locations that handle sensitive data.

    That being said, the consumer version of Glass is at least a year away. That gives Google and developers enough time to ensure that Glass respects privacy while potentially ushering in a new era of wearable computing.

    Despite all of the fear circulating around Google Glass, you probably won’t have to worry about people abusing the technology. Those who use Glass will either be too busy taking selfies in the shower or being punched in the face.

    Is Google Glass a revolution in wearable computing? Or is it a surveillance nightmare? Let us know in the comments.

  • Google Glass Will ‘Definitely’ Get Someone Punched In The Face By This CEO

    Meetup CEO Scott Heiferman wants to punch someone in the face wearing Google Glass. It’s not entirely clear whether that means he wants to punch someone wearing Google Glass in the face or if he wants to punch someone in the face while wearing Google Glass.

    Business Insider put out this video of him talking about the device:

    Heiferman says, “Google Glass? Well, I’m definitely going to punch someone in the face wearing a Google Glasses. I’ve never punched anyone in the face in my life. I’m generally a peaceful guy. If you’ve ever seen a three-year-old using an iPad, you’ll know why I smashed an iPad with a sledgehammer. It’s so damn compelling, and that has implications.”

    He continues, “We’re going from ten to fifteen seconds to get my phone, you know, turn it on, open Facebook, and see something interesting…well now, with Google Glass, and the watch, we’ve gone from like ten to fifteen seconds to interestingness down to like three to five seconds to interestingness, and now once it’s on my wrist, and like you know, plastered on my eyeballs, that’s like down to one second to interestingness.”

    “It basically means that you’re gonna be an asshole,” he says. “it’s easier and easier for you to ignore real people around you, and sometimes that’s totally fine, but on this relentless pursuit – the train is barreling down, and saying, distraction is just a fact of life. We have to consider what it means.”

    He concludes, “And I’m not saying like, ‘Let’s sit back and ponder the nature of culture, and the future of society,’ in that way. I’m just saying, you gotta punch someone in the face wearing Google Glasses.”

    Business Insider itself says he wants “to punch anyone wearing Google Glass in the face.” That would certainly be in line with his “assholes” comment. Still, whenever he says it in the interview, the wording sounds more like he wants to punch someone in the face while wearing Google Glass.

    “Compelling…Interestingness…”

    “I’m definitely going to punch someone in the face wearing a Google Glasses…I’m just saying, you gotta punch someone in the face wearing Google Glasses.”

    Either way, he’s definitely going to punch someone in the face, and Google Glass will be involved.

  • Google Glass Ban: Will It Actually Happen?

    Google Glass Ban: Will It Actually Happen?

    A Google Glass ban has been on the minds of some people as stories begin to emerge of establishments saying they will bar customers from wearing Google’s new tech inside. Those are just stories from a small number of businesses though? Is there any chance that Google Glass could be banned on a much larger scale?

    A recent petition on the White House’s We the People Web site is asking the administration to ban Google Glass until certain privacy concerns can be addressed. The petition has only received 30 signatures so far though. If there’s wide-spread fear of Google Glass, it’s not being voiced here.

    Of course, it doesn’t mean that anti-Glass advocates are small in numbers. In recent months, a Web site called “Stop the Cyborgs” was created to collect all stories on the technology while providing interesting commentary on the future of personal surveillance and privacy. That being said, the group is adamant that it does not hate Google and that it does not want to ban Glass. Instead, the group says that it wants to “encourage individual people to think about the impact of new technologies, to set bounds on how technologies are used proactively, and negotiate their relationship with the future.”

    Besides people getting a laugh out of white dudes looking really nerdy wearing Glass, most seem to be of the above opinion. Google Glass isn’t an evil that needs to be eradicated, but rather something that people should just be aware of. Glass opens up a lot of new possibilities, but some of those possibilities can be rather scary. Is the risk worth it? It’s best to let the market decide that.

  • How Much Would You Pay For Google Glass? Most Say $200

    How Much Would You Pay For Google Glass? Most Say $200

    In its current state, Google Glass is incredibly expensive. Those who signed up for the Google Glass Explorers program last year had to fork over $1,500 to get a crack at the device. The price will come down when it’s made available to consumers next year, but a new survey suggests that the price will have to come down a lot before consumers bite.

    Last week, TrendBlog posed a question to its audience – “How much are you willing to pay for Google Glass?” The respondents were given a wide variety of price options ranging from below $100 to more than $2,000. The end result found that most were willing to pay near the bottom of the price spectrum.

    Overall, 48 percent of respondents would pay between $200 to $300 for Google Glass when it launches next year. Going lower or higher than that causes interest to drop dramatically with only 13 percent willing to pay less than $100 with only one percent willing to pay between $1,200 and $2,000. Unsurprisingly, nobody would pay more than $2,000.

    How Much Are People Willing To Pay For Google Glass by trendblog.net
    How Much Are People Willing To Pay For Google Glass by trendblog.net

    Pricing is incredibly important, especially when it comes to consumer electronics. Microsoft has learned this lesson the hard way as Windows 8 PCs have failed to take off partly due to the high cost. Apple was able to sell high priced electronics because it was able to convince consumers that its products contained exceptional software value. Google will have to do the same if Google Glass is priced above $300.

  • Google Says Glass Could Be Harmful To Some Eyes

    A lot of kids are starting to play with smartphones and tablets very early in their lives. It may not be a good idea for kids to wear Google Glass, however.

    Google itself says as much in a FAQ for the product. This is straight from the page:

    Glass isn’t for everyone. Like when wearing glasses, some people may feel eye strain or get a headache. If you’ve had Lasik surgery, ask your doctor about risks of eye impact damage before using Glass. Don’t let children under 13 use Glass as it could harm developing vision. Also, kids might break Glass or hurt themselves, and Google’s terms of service don’t permit those under 13 to register a Google account. If Glass is not for you and you wish to return it, do so before the end of the applicable refund period.

    There are only six of the so-called “frequently asked questions,” and oddly one of them is “Can I use glass while operating a jackhammer?” Google’s response is, “Use caution,” noting that it will not protect your eyes from debris, balls, sharp objects, or chemical explosions.

    So, probably not a good idea.

    [via AndroidHeadlines]

    Image: Stop the Cyborgs

  • Saturday Night Live Makes Fun Of Google Glass

    You know you have a pop culture phenomenon on your hands when you make an appearance on Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update, as Google’s Glass did over the weekend.

    Tech blogger Randall Meeks (played by Fred Armisen) stops by to show off the device. The skit really seems to be poking more fun at Google’s voice recognition technology than anything. He has a quite bit of trouble getting Google to recognize the Wi-Fi password and the word “Italitan.”

    At one point, the device starts playing porn sounds, which Meeks has some trouble muting.

    This is certainly not the first time the device has been parodied, but now that it’s in people’s hands, the jokes have made quite the comeback.

  • Google Glass Explorer Hangs Out With Class From Large Hadron Collider

    Google shared a new video to its Project Glass YouTube channel today, featuring physics teacher Andrew Vanden Heuvel, one of the Google Glass “Explorers,” visiting CERN’s Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland. He uses Glass to conduct a Google Hangout with his class from the site.

    Vanden Heuvel discusses his adventure further on his blog.

  • Is Google Censoring Users Too Heavily?

    Is Google Censoring Users Too Heavily?

    Now that the chosen few have had time to play around for Google Glass for a bit, many are noticing some unexpected restrictions. Specifically, the voice-to-text system, which is the primary way to interact with the device, does not accept swearing.

    In other words, Google Glass will not let you say whatever you want, and if this is really the future of how we interact with the Internet on a daily basis, that could be a problem.

    Should Google be dictating what people can and cannot say? Let us know what you think in the comments.

    On the surface, this may not seem like a huge deal. Right now, only a few people even have the device, and there’s no telling if it will even be successful or simply just something we’ll all be laughing back at a few years from now. Either way, this is a Google product, and Google is how an incredibly large number of people retrieve information and communicate with others.

    This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Google get a little stricter on what is acceptable behavior from its users in recent memory. Late last year, Google stopped letting users disable SafeSearch in the US, making some queries less relevant as a result. Users were outraged, as shown by the comments we received on our coverage of the story. Earlier this year, we confirmed with Google that the changes had rolled out to more countries.

    Essentially, Google took away the filter that gave users more control over what they would see. That adult content is still out there, but Google made it harder to find, making users get more descriptive with their keywords.

    Here’s what they said about it: “We are not censoring any adult content, and want to show users exactly what they are looking for — but we aim not to show sexually-explicit results unless a user is specifically searching for them. We use algorithms to select the most relevant results for a given query. If you’re looking for adult content, you can find it without having to change the default setting — you just may need to be more explicit in your query if your search terms are potentially ambiguous. The image search settings work the same way as in web search.”

    Adult content is one thing. Now, they’re simply censoring speech. Given that users won’t be typing on Google Glass, they’re making it a great deal harder to say the words you actually want to say, whether you’re searching or trying to have a conversation with a friend.

    As Geek.com (who first reported on this) pointed out, this is also the case for Google’s voice feature on Android. In fact, it’s the same for the desktop voice search experience. Have you tried to voice search a dirty word from your computer lately? It looks something like this:

    Origin

    But it’s probably more likely that you would just type your query from your PC. On a smartphone, tablet or desktop computer, users can simply type what they actually want to say. Why does Google let you type it, but feel the need to censor it when you say it out loud? What’s the point? I’m sure you can imagine the outrage if Google started censoring what you type. What’s the difference? For a device like Glass, which relies on speech (as would a possibly forthcoming smart watch, I would imagine), the default experience is censored.

    One interesting angle to all of this is that Google is starting to draw criticism for having a “puritanical” approach to users, similar to that of Apple’s App Store, though you can still find plenty of adult-themed apps in Google Play.

    There’s no real consistency to Google’s censorship practices. It will be interesting to see if things change significantly in Google Play.

    I have to wonder if Microsoft is busy crafting its next “Scroogled” campaign. As we’ve seen, Bing sometimes goes out of its way to suggest particularly objectionable content (though it looks like they’ve cleaned up things a bit since the linked report was written).

    We’ve reached out to Google for comment on its voice censoring, and so far have not received a response.

    By the way, taking pictures in the shower with Google Glass is apparently okay.

    Is Google right to censor speech with its voice-to-text input? Would you be okay if they did the same thing with just text input? Is the fact that they don’t do this with text input a double standard? Share your thoughts in the comments.

    Lead image: Google co-founder Sergey Brin wearing Google Glass on the subway.

  • Will Google Glass Have A Place In Sports Broadcasting?

    Google Glass can do a lot of things, but can it be used in sports?

    Google Glass Explorer Joseph Lallouz might have answered that very question this week when he wore Glass to his hockey game. What follows is six minutes of first-person hockey that feels all too real and incredibly immersive.

    Now, Glass has no chance of replacing traditional sports broadcasting, but it would be an incredible compliment. Just imagine a broadcast of a football game switching to a live feed from the players as the game starts. Even better, people watching the game could switch between players to get whatever view they desire.

    Google Glass has a lot of potential, but the controlled demos from Google haven’t really sold me on Glass entirely. Watching a hockey game from the perspective of a player has.

    [h/t: Reddit]

  • Reddit For Google Glass Is Now Ready To Assault Your Eyeball With Cat Pictures

    Reddit For Google Glass Is Now Ready To Assault Your Eyeball With Cat Pictures

    Google Glass seems like it was built for Reddit. Google’s wearable computers are perfect for capturing the spontaneous moments in life, and then sharing those moments with the fine folks of Reddit.

    Members of the Google Glass Explorers program can now start bragging about having glass on Reddit thanks to the tireless work of Malcolm Nguyen. His app, Reddit Timeline, brings pretty much all the capabilities of Reddit to Google Glass. Here’s what Glass users can expect from the app:

  • Top 25 post from your FrontPage within a bundle updated every hour.
  • Upvote/Downvote
  • Share to Reddit
  • Comment Threading
  • Read aloud comments
  • Reply to comment

    • By using the touchpad on Glass, users will be able to swipe through the top posts. From there, they can upvote and downvote content. Accompanying text is overlaid on images in an easily readable font.

    Consumers aren’t going to get Google Glass for a while still, but it’s pretty much a given that a Reddit app will be incredibly popular once it does launch to the public. Nguyen is just getting a headstart on the competition.

    [h/t: Living Thru Glass]

  • White And Nerdy Takes On A Whole New Meaning With Google Glass

    Glasses are totally sexy, but that used to not be the case. Glasses used to be an indicator that somebody was a nerd. If you wore glasses, you probably played Dungeons and Dragons late into the night while stuffing your face with Doritos. Now thanks to Google Glass, all the pasty white guys can be identified as nerds using only eye wear once again.

    A new tumblr popped up recently called “White men wearing Google Glass.” Turns out the title is incredibly descriptive because that’s what you get. Here are some of the standouts:

    White and nerdy google glass

    white and nerdy google glass

    white and nerdy google glass

    The most popular image by far is the one below of Robert Scoble testing Google Glass’ water resistance.

    white and nerdy google glass

    It is waterproof to an extent, but Google itself says not to go scuba diving with Glass on.

    [h/t: Mashable]

  • Google Glass Already Jailbroken, Could Be Used For Nefarious Purposes

    Google Glass really freaks some people out. Those people are understandably concerned that those wearing Glass could be secretly recording their every move. There are some obstacles programmed into Glass to prevent this, but it might not be for long.

    ZDNet reports that a hacker by the name of Jay Freeman has already jailbroken Glass. The jailbroken Glass can be used to bypass a number of obstacles that prevent Glass from becoming the surveillance tool of the future.

    The big thing is that hackers can remove all indication that Glass is recording video. In the vanilla OS, Glass will show the video as it’s recording on the glass prism above the eye. If a person was close enough, they could tell that Glass was recording video. Freeman says that Glass’ OS can be modified to remove this so that you can record video while everybody is none the wiser.

    Of course, you couldn’t record minutes of footage as the current Glass only allows video recordings of up to 10 seconds. Oh wait, that’s controlled by the OS as well so you could bypass that limitation to allow unlimited video recording. Glass only has 12.5GB of embedded flash memory though so there’s not much space for video.

    That’s where Freeman starts to get creative. He says you can modify Glass to take a picture every 30 seconds while recording low bit rate audio. It takes up much less storage than HD video, but provides what is essentially the same information. Freeman speculates such tactics could be used for corporate espionage or for planning robberies.

    Should you be afraid of Google Glass, especially after all of this has come to light? The short answer is no. The long answer is that Google Glass is just a tool, and like any other tool can be used for good or evil. It doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be cautious though. Bars, strip clubs and other establishments that make it a priority to protect customer privacy have an obligation to prevent Glass and other recording equipment from being used on their premises.

    It should be noted that we’re still in the infancy of Google Glass. Google may lock down the consumer versions of Glass to prevent unwarranted surveillance on a massive scale. We’ll find out in about a year when Google Glass finally launches.

    [Image: Stop the Cyborgs]

  • Here’s Google’s New ‘Getting Started’ Video For Glass

    It seems like only yesterday that Google was showing us the concept video for Glass, and now here we are with the “getting started” video showing people how to use it, because it exists.

    While still not available to consumers (just the lucky chosen few), there are plenty of the devices out in the wild, and developers are working hard building apps.

    Here’s a quick tutorial for how to basically use Glass that you could enjoy if you had the privilege of having one.

    [via The Verge]