Google
Glass
Google
Glass is a wearable computer that is integrated into a headgear that is worn resting
on the nose like a pair of eyeglasses. This innovative product is not yet
available to the general consumer, but has been promoted by its manufacturer
and has been written about extensively in the media (Ackerman, 2013, p. 28). A
prism screen on the headgear allows the user to see a screen in the upper right
corner of their field of vision while moving around, interacting with others,
and using their hands for other activities. A camera and microphone allows the
user to record video and audio with the touch of a pad on the earpiece or a
voice command. Many software
applications for Google Glass have been developed or are currently under
development. Google Glass can effectively
recording the user’s daily life and interactions with others and this has
triggered fears about privacy, particularly the concern that people will be
recorded without giving permission and that the information will be vulnerable
when it is stored in a cloud by Google (Davies, 2013). On the positive side, Google Glass, and other
versions being developed by competitors, could potentially be useful and
widely-used devices, given that they provide much of what people already find
useful in other mobile devices, but with the added capability of providing
users total recall of their experiences, augmented reality, and near instant
delivery of information to their field of vision all day long (Rivington, 2013).
Background
Google
Glass is a form of wearable technology, but it is not the first time wearable
technology has been developed. A famous example of a wearable computer was
built and used by a mathematician to win at the casino game roulette by
predicting where the roulette ball would land (Davies, 2013). As a wearable
recording device it also has precedent in the pinhole camera (Davies, 2013) and
the wearing of audio recorders to surreptitiously record conversations. Other
capabilities of Google Glass, such as Internet access, recording of video,
sending and receiving text messages and email are an extension of technologies
and applications developed for desktops, laptops and smartphones (Campbell, 2013).
Google, the maker of Google Glass has
made the prototype, called the Explorer, available to software developers who
paid $1500 for the limited edition and the first Google Glass for the general
consumer is expected to be out in 2014, if not late 2013 (Rivington, 2013).
Current
Google Glass Technology and Use
At
this time Google Glass is being used by developers for testing and designing
software to be used on the Google Glass platform. In the January, 2013 issue of 2013 Tech to Watch Elise Ackerman
pointed out that the headgear “has much the same electronics you’d find in an
Android phone” (2013). The features that
are new are that it is wearable, allowing the user to see content on the screen
and use other features while moving around and handling other activities that
require hands. The video recording is from the perspective of the user and
allow the user to be a part of the recorded video. This aspect is clearly demonstrated by a TED
Talk by one of Google’s founders, Sergey Brin (2013) where he is able to tape
himself playing with a dog, and his hands are clearly in the picture.
The fact that
Google Glass is wearable, and therefore in the visual field of the user also
means that messages, email and alerts can be received all day long without
having to be tied to a laptop or listening for an alert sound from a cellphone.
By just glancing up to the right, a user can see content delivered to the
screen. Several applications are being
developed to take advantage of this feature, such as a New York Times
application that will deliver headlines (Campbell, 2013). Another application,
developed by Google, called “Hangout” allows videoconferencing with friends
that takes advantage of the camera, allowing friends to see what the user is
looking at while carrying on a conversation hands-free (Rivington, 2013).
Security
As
this is a new technology, there are likely to be a host of security flaws that
are yet undiscovered or undisclosed. Just as browser cookies are used to track
usage patterns on the Internet, there will likely be methods used to track the
physical whereabouts and interests of Google Glass users. It might be possible for the data recorded
through the microphone or camera to be transmitted to a third party who could
use it for malicious reasons. Given the
other sensory tools, such as the gyroscope, it could even gather information
about the user’s specific direction of gaze as well as location. It has also
been suggested that the device could he used with facial recognition software, enabling
Google or third parties to collect data about who the user is interacting with,
especially given that information from Google Glass, such as videos, will be
stored in cloud computing. Cloud computing, whether or not used with Google
Glass, introduces privacy concerns such as who controls the data and whether or
not there is a mechanism for deleting the data permanently (Hayes, 2008). Another security concern is that currently
there is no way to lock or password protect the headset to protect the user’s
data and privacy (Davies, 2013).
Legal
and Ethical Issues
As noted above in the remarks on cloud
computing, one legal implication will be how the information is stored and how
government and security authorities will be able to use the data. Just as phone
records and texting records can be investigated by the government, it is
possible that videos or other information about what the whereabouts of the
user (through the use of the GPS function when the device is connected to a
smartphone) could be collected. A security expert, named Marc Rogers, in an
interview with Slashgear, (Davies, 2013) also points out the camera on the
phone could be surreptitiously used for criminal purposes, such as industrial
espionage, locating and recording information about security cameras, or other
as yet unknown uses. A particularly
worrisome concern is the use of Google Glass for face recognition, a capability
that as of now is banned by Google (Hsu, 2013) although some helpful apps have
been developed using the feature, such as an app to help doctors recognize
patients (Campbell, 2013).
Social
Implications
One important concern
will involve how the audio and video recording function is going to affect
social relationships. One concern that
most people would have when they encounter a Google Glass user, is that they may
be video and audio taped, although a light on the headgear will light up during
recording (Rivington, 2013). Probably a new etiquette will develop for people
to advise each other when they have the recording device activated. An ethical question will be whether or not it
is legal or socially acceptable to record interactions even if the user has no
intention of publishing the recording. Also, it has been suggested that the
fact that the headgear is always on will cause people to be more and more
involved with the Internet, social media and other ways of relating through the
computer, to the detriment of real-life, in person developing of relationships
(Douthat, 2012.)
Future
Use
Google
Glass has the potential to enhance education, change social interactions and
improve people's professional skills by giving them real-time access to
information allowing them to record all of their interactions and
activities. Some authors have pointed
out that it will serve as a memory bank for the user, a form of total recall
(Ackerman, 2013.) Numerous applications
are being developed, including games (Campbell, 2013), the ability to recognize
emotions in faces (Hsu, 2013), and providing information about what the user is
seeing in a form of augmented reality (Rivington, 2013).
Conclusion
Google
Glass is an exciting new technology that builds on the features of the mobile
phone while adding in the ability to have the Internet in front of the eye all
day long. There are some legal, ethical
and social concerns, but the technology is exciting and new applications are
being devised that are likely to make the headgear as ubiquitous as the
Smartphone. New social etiquette and
laws will need to be created, but the technology is likely to be useful and
well-received.
References
Ackerman, E. (2013,
January). Google gets in your face [2013 Tech To Watch]. IEEE Spectrum, 50(1),
26–29. Retrieved July 2, 2013 from http://ieeexplore.ieee.org.mutex.gmu.edu/xpl/articleDetails.jsp?tp=&arnumber=6395302&matchBoolean%3Dtrue%26searchField%3DSearch+All%26queryText%3D%28p_
This journal article
provides information about technological features of Google Glass and also
discusses some of its functions, uses and possible security issues including
how Google might use the data collected.
Campbell,
M. (2013, May 25). Time to raise a Glass. New Scientist, 218(2918),
19–20. Retrieved July 3, 2013 from http://mutex.gmu.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=iih&AN=87738709&site=ehost-live&scope=site
This journal article describes a
range of specifications, applications and possible uses. It is published in a peer reviewed journal
and is reliable. I can use it to give
examples of features and apps.
Davies, C. (2013,
June 4). Cracked Glass: Why wearables are the next security maelstrom. SlashGear. Retrieved July 6, 2013, from http://www.slashgear.com/cracked-glass-why-wearables-are-the-next-security-maelstrom-04284709/
This an interview
from a weblog that covers the technology industry. In this article the author interviewed a
security expert about some of the security concerns involved in using Google
Glass.
Douthat, R. (2012,
April). The Man With the Google Glasses. The
New York Times, 11(L). Retrieved July 05, 2013, from Global Issues In
Context via Gale: http://find.galegroup.com.mutex.gmu.edu/gic/infomark.do?&source=gale&idigest=de2248b45f9ce6dae7446cbde9a4393e&prodId=GIC&userGroupName=viva_gmu&tabID=T004&docId=A286419697&type=retrieve&contentSet=IAC-Documents&version=1.0
In this newspaper
commentary the author describes some possible cultural, political and social
consequences or dangers associated with the use of Google Glasses. It can be used in a discussion of the social
implications of Google Glass.
Harika & Iatha,
M. (2013). Cloud computing in google glass. International
Journal of Computer Trends and Technology (IJCTT), 4(4), 885-886. Retrieved
July 5, 2013 from http://www.ijcttjournal.org/Vol4Issue4.html
This is an online journal that described some specifications
and issues related to security.
Hayes, B. (2008, July). Cloud computing. Commun. ACM,
51(7), 9–11. Retrieved July 9, 2013 from http://doi.acm.org/10.1145/1364782.1364786
This journal article
has a good discussion of the security issues related to the cloud.
Rivington, J. (2013,
July 3). Google Glass: what you need to know. (n.d.). TechRadar. Retrieved July 6, 2013, from http://www.techradar.com/news/video/google-glass-what-you-need-to-know-1078114
This is an article
from a website called TechRadar that provides news about technology. This
article describes some of the history of wearable computers and the specific
features, the price of Google Glass and plans for it coming out next year.
Sergey
Brin: Why Google Glass? | Video on TED.com. (n.d.). Retrieved July
5, 2013 from http://www.ted.com/talks/sergey_brin_why_google_glass.html
This is a video of a TED talk by
Sergey Brin, one of the founders of Google and a leader on the development team
for Google Glass. While the video is
promotional because Sergey Brin has a vested interest in the success of Google,
it does provide a good example of the kinds of videos that can be created by Google
Glass. It can be used as a source of
information about the quality of the videos as well as their characteristics,
in particular that it allows the camera wielder to be use the camera
hands-free.
Hsu,
J. (2013, June 14). Smart glasses service dodges Google’s face recognition ban.
Yahoo! News. Retrieved July 9, 2013, from http://news.yahoo.com/smart-glasses-dodges-googles-face-recognition-ban-173533687.html
A good news article describing how
the banned face recognition could be useful for interpreting emotions in faces.
