Hi All.
Today I found an article about VSP (a vision insurance provider) partnering with Google Glass to provide prescription Google Glasses for folks. (http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/insurance-companies-could-help-push-google-glass-mainstream-2D12006535) Google Glass has also been in the news recently when a woman was ticketing for driving while wearing a pair, but a judge determined there was no way to prove she was operating the device at the time. (http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/17/us-usa-googleglass-trial-dismissal-idUSBREA0F1XR20140117)
I think this new technology has interesting implications for the future of Web 2.0 technology by surpassing the availability of folks even via their smartphones into something that is within their vision range at all times. Since I am not a developer by a long shot, I didn’t even try to get approved for the pilot program, but I can see how many folks might find this convenient and/or “fun”.
Especially if an app is GPS enabled, a business could trigger an ad when you are nearby that you would instantly see. Today in a major communications meeting, we discussed that perhaps claims adjusters could wear these glasses while inspecting a damaged home or auto and feed the data from their vision into back end analytic engines and other apps that would then spit out the quote for repairs – greatly minimizing time spent on an individual claim while also improving accuracy.
On the other hand, especially with all the “big brother / big data” privacy concerns in the news lately, the thought of being *that* wired in and connected gets a little creepy. (Not that I am ever doing anything felonious or threatening national security, mind you!) I am also concerned about users of the device not attending to other tasks at hand – especially driving. Studies have show that drinking coffee, eating, or even changing a radio station contribute to distracted driving – and our society has still not overcome handling texting, phone calls, and other dangerous distracted driving that occurs with devices that aren’t attached to your head and in your line of vision! In some ways, technology advances remind me of issues in Biomedical Ethics – humanity and laws can’t keep up with technology advances leaving loop holes and conundrums abound.
What do you folks think? Do you think you would ever be interesting in wearing a Google Glass device? Do you imagine a way that these devices could be leveraged by your business?
-Wendy
Hi, Wendy -
ReplyDeleteThis is a very interesting post. I recently saw a news report about Google coming up with some glasses that a diabetic patient could wear and their blood glucose level could be assessed and stored in the glasses' internal computer and the doctors could track it from their clinics, hospitals, etc. I think you would only have the glasses on a matter of minutes so the levels could be recorded.
I'm not too sure -- since its your eyes -- how this could work randomly for companies since the person passing by their establishment could be either driving or walking (recall the lady that was texting in the mall and walked right over into the mall's water fountain).
I think it might be good if used to gather information over a couple minutes, but longer poses too many problems. First, they would have to assume that people would only safely use the glasses. As you said, texting has shown us that that's not too likely most of the time.
Thanks for the information.
Carolyn
Hi Carolyn.
DeleteYou are absoltely right. Apparently (from that traffic ticket article) you can be wearing the glasses but also have them off, so I think it would take a great number of years before (if) businesses could leverage accessing consumers directly in real time. I hadn't heard about the woman walking into the fountain - that's a good one! lol
-w
Hi Wendy,
ReplyDeleteWow this is pretty interesting. I read some news about the glasses but not enough to know what all the hype was about. I don't think I would buy these glasses or could see myself wearing them.
I always knew turning the radio in the car was distracting but I never thought about sipping my coffee. Geez I am always taking my coffee with on the weekend mornings when I am running around, sipping while driving. In today's times in the workplace it is all about multitasking so I am sure that flows into the everyday routine like sipping coffee and driving. We don't always realize these kinds of things.
As for my company using these glasses, you never know. When they started to out-source the work I realized anything is possible.
Thanks for sharing,
Cari
Hi Cari.
DeleteIt's definitely true that technology changes so quickly, and then changes the way the world almost as quickly. Who would have athought 20 years ago that jobs like radiologists could be outsouced all the way around the other side of the world?
I personally don't think I'd have any use for the Google Glass - but I didn't see the big deal when iPhones came out, either. I think I had had my first smartphone for about 2 hours before I wondered how I ever lived without it!
-w
There are a lot of devices that are not designed for people with glasses. Bluetooth headsets for example. I can't wear something that loops over my ear because that's where my glasses rest. Google glasses would be the same. I couldn't wear glasses over my glasses. It's innovative for a VSP to design something for that niche. However useless it seems to you and me, there will be people who want to try it and like you, Wendy, will wonder what they did before.
ReplyDeleteI have mixed feelings about Google glasses. I find it a bit disturbing how much information a user of the product could get just by looking at you. With the web becoming bigger, faster, and smarter, I feel that sometimes our privacy can get lost in the mix of things.
ReplyDeleteIt's too early to tell just how, what, and who exactly will be wearing these, but I assume just like any other product, the creators will be fine tuning it to their largest consumer. I guess we just have to wait and see!