Am I crazy? Google Glass sucks (At least for now)

http://dttg.tumblr.com/post/26106246495/am-i-crazy-google-glass-sucks-at-least-for-now

by diegogomes • 14 years ago

22 25 14 years ago

dttg.tumblr.com

moocow012• 14 years ago

I have to agree with this. The skydiving stuff - possibly interesting from a networking perspective - but from a product perspective... I just don't get why people ate this up. It honestly felt ridiculous to me.

I'd be more enthused if I felt like they laid out a road map for the product and talked about why we need this. Why do (normal) consumers want this, Google? Im not saying they don't I just want to know why Google thinks they do and what the offering really is going to be. We've seen tech-oriented glasses in many forms over the years flop... why now and why will people adopt these? Whats the actual killer features that are going to be worth putting these on?

trimbo• 14 years ago

> I just don't get why people ate this up. It honestly felt ridiculous to me

How about because it's the only gadget demo ever where the experience has not been entirely insular? When's the last time a gadget product announcement has not been something happening on a screen? A 24" screen, a 10.1" screen, a 7" screen. Steve Jobs holds up an iPad and shows what it does on a screen. Sinofsky shows Windows crashes ... on a screen. Xbox... on a screen. Flicking games on and off, showing the latest version of iPhoto, whatever.

Glass demo? People actually doing awesome stuff and bringing the entire audience into it... live, in Hangouts.

Yes, we know this is a demo and not entirely honest. So what. Glass is a vision product. It's time to break away from being in front of devices, slouching in a chair or with our neck at a 45-degree downward angle looking at an iPhone. That's why people are excited.

moocow012• 14 years ago

I understand the point but the product is in fact a screen in a different form factor just like a phone is a screen that differs in factor from a monitor.

I think what I was trying to elude to is that their skydiving demo could have been utilized differently to talk about what the product experience will be like as a user. Instead what we got was streaming video of people skydiving - not exactly anything eye opening... the actual information I got about the product was really nothing.

dguaraglia2• 14 years ago

I think that Google is, at this point, doing a simple marketing exercise to test the concept. Why spend millions in R&D before you even know if people are interested in the new form factor?

So far, the reaction seems to be mostly positive. By hiring a few stunt guys and a blimp Google created a lot of hype, got a nice amount of feedback on that.

Heck, I was suckered by the presentation, even while thinking "I wonder what they are using the send the image feed, surely not 3G or even LTE... and what else besides doing Plus group conversations can this do?". I knew it wasn't revolutionary, but still got excited.

wallflower• 14 years ago

> "I wonder what they are using the send the image feed, surely not 3G or even LTE...

They showed today how they had multiple people on the roof with portable microwave dishes, hand aiming at each individual skydiver, with redundant backup alternative RF. The first skydiver released smoke to let his tracker know his position.

dguaraglia2• 14 years ago

Yeah, I suspected as much... and even then the video feeds seemed to break a bit. Can't imagine what it'd look like over 3G (LTE would fare much better I guess, but there's like 2 places in California where you have LTE coverage)

chubot• 14 years ago

I watched the skydiving demo video and also didn't understand how it was different than someone with a GoPro camera strapped to their head.

gfosco• 14 years ago

The only difference, for the sake of the demo/pr stunt, was that the glasses have a 3G or 4G Radio and G+ Hangout integration.

Think about it, though... The experience of wearing the glasses is probably very difficult to properly explain or show. You can't really put it on a camera and get a true representation. They have a long way to go before it's ready.

michaelbuckbee• 14 years ago

If you watch the video closely they actually do have GoPros strapped to their chests, and it looks like they then used the GoPro HD footage to create the blog post video about the whole thing.

jiggy20112• 14 years ago

And the Gopro logo all over their suits..

jiggy20112• 14 years ago

The gopro is way bigger and afaik it doesn't connect to the internet and stream.

4as198sGxV• 14 years ago

Maybe there is a market in the porn industry? Looks like a winner for shooting POV videos.

jarin2• 14 years ago

Funny enough, my porn client called me about that seconds after he saw that video.

bane• 14 years ago

I agree, when it's something more than a head mounted camera taking pictures of things I don't care to take pictures of, or telling me the weather when I don't care or can obviously tell by looking out a window...then I'll be interested (maybe).

As many people say, "it's the software stupid", so I'm waiting.

laserDinosaur• 14 years ago

"or telling me the weather when I don't care or can obviously tell by looking out a window"

Damn right! That's why the Iphone failed. Pffft, who needs to know there is a storm coming in over the internet. Hail coming in? I just check if my knee's a-shakin!

kstenerud• 14 years ago

Not crazy; just jaded.

It's an early prototype for chrissakes. The real devporn comes later. For now, just sit back and enjoy the show.

FWIW I pre-ordered and can't wait to hack around with this thing.

calciphus• 14 years ago

Exactly my thoughts. If you can't see past the fact that these are early prototypes of an experimental device, I'm sorry but if you consider yourself any kind of technologist or visionary, turn in your credentials.

There are three important things about Glass: * It's an HUD w/ a webcam * It's got some kind of wireless communication * It runs Android

If you don't see how those three things are full of possibilities, that's sad for you.

"Am I the only one who's not impressed that we only got a man 100 miles up into the air? It's not like he got to the moon" (OP, 1959)

ascendant• 14 years ago

This is not something that's going to market next week. These are prototypes and it's obviously got some way to go.

drivebyacct2• 14 years ago

Since you asked, yes, you are crazy for looking at the video broadcast to the Hangout and thinking that it's indicative of the UI available on the HUD. Or that because they didn't show a feature that it's not planned, even for v1.

There have been public mentions and acknowledgements of some of the features that you call out as missing. You're, plainly, uninformed.

jarin2• 14 years ago

I know we've all read about the exciting "external brain" aspects of augmented reality in books like Accelerando, but sheesh guys, we have to start SOMEWHERE.

If I have to buy 10 pairs of Google Glass to light a fire under Apple, Qualcomm, and Valve's asses to get the immersive AR glasses I always wanted I will gladly do so.

majorlazer2• 14 years ago

Post starts with:

I’ve been following every single article, video, or meme mentioning Google Glass since its first demo video a few months ago. Google promised a lot; Glasses were meant to be something like “an augmented brain.” It would offer contextual information, interactivity, quick reference, and much more. And now I feel betrayed. Why?

And ends with:

We all know that this is a really early prototype and are willing to see (and buy) something as revolutionary as the iPhone. In the end, the most intelligent move of the day was releasing the early version of the product only to developers (with a US$1,500 price tag), to gain the necessary feedback and try to get things working while surfing on the huge PR wave.

You just answered your own question.

diegogomes• 14 years ago

Well, i know it is a prototype. But a camera attached to a pair of glasses? I really expected more, even for a preview.

majorlazer2• 14 years ago

As did everyone else in the tech community. But I think demoing actual current functionality of the product is much more important than demoing something that doesn't work. The way I see it, Google knows that people won't be shelling out their cash for a camera attached to a pair of classes. They know that if this project doesn't go anywhere, they will have just made a fool of themselves by promoting it so heavily. So I am just gonna trust that Google knows what they are doing and they will blow our minds once the product is further along in the development cycle. And maybe the project will fail and won't go anywhere, but I just think it's a bit early for these kinds of blog posts. Let's wait until an actual product launch.

SkyMarshal• 14 years ago

It was definitely a far cry from their ultimate vision:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c6W4CCU9M4

phylosopher• 14 years ago

You could call it a PR stunt and be right. For me it was inspiring. After watching the video I fired up trello and put in an idea for our service, minggler, on how we could leverage Google Glass. No it does not include extreme sports. Google gets railed so often for doing terrible marketing. They got this one right. Let them have their win and keep thinking of ways this new platform can be leveraged. We are.

Am I crazy? Google Glass sucks (At least for now)

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