'Wearable Computing Will Be the Norm,' Says Google Glass Team 196
An anonymous reader writes "In an interview with Wired, Google's Steve Lee and Babak Parviz spoke about how they've come to use Project Glass in their lives, and where they expect the mobile computing industry to go in the near future. 'We've long thought the camera's important, but since we've started using this in public and with our family and friends and in real situations, not just hidden in the Google lab, we've truly seen the power of being hands-free. ... It's my expectation that in three to five years it will actually look unusual and awkward when we view someone holding an object in their hand and looking down at it. Wearable computing will become the norm.'"
Just needs better input tech, like this... (Score:5, Informative)
If you haven't seen the Leap motion (and no I'm not in any way shape or form connected to the company, although I wish I were!) you should check it out.
It's a super-accurate (I think sub-millimeter), low latency 3D tracker with the ability to follow up to 10 fingers (or other objects like pencils) at once. All in a very small box (USB powered?) box that's expected to sell for $70 (this year). I don't know the volume in which it can track the objects but on the demos it appears to be pretty large, large enough that a belt mounted (or necklace version) would be sufficient.
Voice recognition is good and getting better but there are many time when a point and click(?) interface is still much more efficient. Like when you want to access one link out of many on a web page. Or control a complex virtual device that has many degrees of freedom. Humans have evolved to have hands of extraordinary flexibility and control; just look at the amount of our brain dedicated to them. So let's use them! (The reasons why this Leap device is so good as opposed to say "finger detection" using the Google glasses video-camera is because the resolution is much higher, it tracks in 3D and there might not be a problem with occlusion.)
Of course the Google glasses should be updated to have a stereo display (I think currently it's only in the right eye). That would allow truly interacting with items in 3D. (Of course, the above comments about people gesticulating in space would come to pass! I'm wondering if "I'm sorry your honor but I didn't mean to touch the young lady like that, I was turning the knobs on my virtual stereo receiver" would be a valid defense.)
This is the way that Google should be fighting Apple. Not by making incremental changes to Apple's tech (or so it appears to most people* and, apparently some judges) but by revolutionizing the field. If they're right, then in three to five years Apple may only control the remains of a vast but dying industry. Sounds like Microsoft before or IBM before it.
*look, prior to the iPhone, smartphones looked one way and then suddenly they (the successful ones that is) completely changed their basic appearance and interface (touchscreens using fingers not stylii, icons, slide to access, pinch zoom). Coincidence? Coming from companies with decades of experience in making hundreds of cellphone models? That's how most lay-persons (and at least some legal experts) might view it.
Re:already the norm (Score:5, Informative)
I find it convenient. If you buy a non crappy BT headset you don't even notice you are wearing it. I also find it convieient that I dont need the headset in the car and the car is a large speakerphone so everyone can join in on the call. Finally, my BT helmet completes the trifecta while I am on the motorcycle.
What is inconvenient, is that Car makers and helmet makers are too lazy to make a proper HUD system to show information in my line of sight.
Having a camera/webcam strapped to my head is not highly important in any way. I already have that in my secondary BT headset, a LooxCie camera/BT headset. It's actually quite worthless having a camera on my head all day long, unless I want to live cast boring as hell things... Which is what people do with these.
The biggest convenience is I can easily unplug by removing the headset and upgrades to newer tech at a whim. Silly people that want surgery to have their interface will always be using way out of date hardware.
Anyone using implants will be using tech that is at least 5 years out of date, the FDA approval of devices for implant will take at least that long. Let alone that the $199 premium headset will cost $999 plus $12,500 for insertion by a surgeon.
Re:already the norm (Score:4, Informative)
I am aware of 3 or 4 car models already with HUDs, including the Camaro. Honda Civic's in the last few years have a big digital speed display above the steering wheel. It is much easier to read and I am always bothered when driving another car with a regular speedometer...
I have also seen speed HUDs for skiers before with special glasses, aren't there any already for bikes?