M S Reza Jony is presently pursuing his MBA degree at Postgraduate Institute of Management, University of Sri Jayewardenepura, Sri Lanka. He wrote this report on Google Glass during his participation in the Information Management (IM) course........

1. GOOGLE GLASS: A FUTURISTIC FASHION FAILURE GADGET
By
Muhammad Salim Reza Jony
MBA (2014)
Postgraduate Institute of Management
University of Sri Jayewardenepura
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2. 1. Introduction:
Google Glass is as futuristic a gadget people have seen in recent times. It is a wearable
computer with an Optical Head-Mounted Display (OHMD) that is being developed by
Google in the Project Glass research and development project. Glass is being developed
by Google X and it’s powered by Android OS. It can communicate with the Internet via
natural language voice commands. The intended purpose of Google Glass would be hands
free displaying of information and its goal is to reduce time between intention & action. It
is the first conceptualization of a mainstream augmented reality wearable eye display by a
large company. However, Google Glass is limited in scope right now as the device is very
far from being market-ready.
2. Background of Google and Google Glass:
Google Inc. is an American multinational corporation specializing in Internet-related
services and products. These include search, cloud computing, software and online
advertising technologies. Google began in January 1996 as a research project by Larry
page and Sergey Brin. It was originally a search engine that ranks the websites (page
rank) and returns them as search results according to user query, with time Google grew
and presently it provides many other features than only search results i.e. it now provides
image search, YouTube and many more. It has its own R & D department known as
“Google X”, where the project Google Glass was made. Google X Lab, a secret facility
run by Google, located in California. About 100 project is under consideration that
includes, self-driving car Augmented reality glasses Internet service via balloon in
stratosphere.
Google Glass is a prototype for an augmented reality, heads-up display developed by
Google X lab slated to run on the Android operating system. Augmented reality involves
technology that augments the real world with a virtual component. The first appearance of
Glass was on Sergey Brin who wore it to an April 5, 2012 public event in San Francisco.
Provocative headlines emerged such as “Google Project Glass” replaces the Smartphone
with Glasses and “Google X Labs: First Project Glass, next space elevators?” A grounds
well of anticipation surrounds Glass because it implies a revolutionary transition to a new
platform, even though release for developers is only planned for 2013. At the time of our
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3. writing this paper, it is not available for consumers who can only see it in promotional
materials.
3. Technologies Used in Google Glass:
A combination of different technologies is used in Goole Glass. These are as follows:
a) Wearable Computers: Wearable computers, also known as body-borne
computers are miniature electronic devices that are worn by the bearer under, with
or on top of clothing. This class of wearable technology has been developed for general or
special purpose information technologies and media development. Wearable computers
are especially useful for applications that require more complex computational support
than just hardware coded logics. One of the main features of a wearable computer is
consistency. There is a constant interaction between the computer and user, i.e. there is no
need to turn the device on or off. Another feature is the ability to multi-task. It is not
necessary to stop what you are doing to use the device; it is augmented into all other
actions. These device scan be incorporated by the user to act like a prosthetic. It can
therefore be an extension of the user’s mind and/or body.
b) Virtual Reality (VR): Virtual reality is a term that applies to Computer Simulated
environment that can simulate physical presence in places in the real world as well as in
imaginary worlds. It covers remote communication environments which presence virtual
presence of users with the concept of telepresence and telexistence or a Virtual Artifact
(VA). The simulated environment can be similar to the real world in order to create a life
like experience.
Virtual Reality is often used to describe a wide variety of applications commonly
associated with immersive, highly visual, 3D environments. The development of CAD
software graphics hardware acceleration, head mounted displays, database gloves, and
miniaturization.
c) Augmented Reality (AR): Augmented Reality is a live, direct or indirect, view of a
physical or real world environment whose elements are augmented by generated sensory
input such as sound, video, graphics or GPS data. It is related to a more general concept
called mediated reality, in which a view of reality is modified by a computer. As result,
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4. the technology functions by enhancing one’s current perception of reality. By contrast,
visual reality replaces the real world with a simulated one. Augmentation is
conventionally in real-time and in semantic context with environmental elements.
d) Ambient Intelligence: Ambient Intelligence (AmI) refers to electronic
environments that are sensitive and responsive to the presence of people. Ambient
intelligence is a vision on the future of consumer electronics, telecommunications and
computing.
In an ambient intelligence world, devices work in concert to support people in carrying
out their everyday life activities, tasks and rituals in easy, natural way using information
and intelligence that is hidden in the network connecting these devices. As these devices
grow smaller, more connected and more integrated into our environment, the technology
disappears into our surroundings until only the user interface remains perceivable by
users.
e) Smart Clothing: Smart clothing is the next generation of apparel. It is a combination
of new fabric technology and digital technology, which means that the clothing is made
with new signal-transfer fabric technology installed with digital devices. Since this smart
clothing is still under development, many problems have occurred due to the absence of
the standardization of technology. Therefore, the efficiency of technology development
can be strengthened through industrial standardization. This study consists of three phases
.The first phase is selecting standardization factors to propose a standardization road map.
The second phase is to research and collect related test evaluation methods of smart
clothing. For this, we selected two categories, which are clothing and
electricity/electron properties. The third phase is establishing a standardization road map
for smart clothing. In this study, test evaluations have not yet been conducted and proved.
However, this study shows how to approach standardization. We expect that it will be
valuable for developing smart clothing technology and standardization in the future.
f) Eye Tap Technology: An Eye Tap is a device that is worn in front of the eye that acts
as a camera to record the scene available to the eye as well as a display to superimpose
a computer-generated imagery on the original scene available to the eye. This structure
allows the user's eye to operate as both a monitor and a camera as the Eye Tap intakes the
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5. world around it and augments the image the user sees allowing it to overlay computer-generated
data over top of the normal world the user would perceive. The Eye Tap is a
hard technology to categorize under the three main headers for wearable computing
(Constancy, Augmentation, and Mediation) for while it is in theory a constancy
technology in nature it also has the ability to augment and mediate the reality the user
perceives.
g) Smart Grid Technology: A smart grid is an electrical grid that uses information and
communications technology to gather and act on information, such as information about
the behaviours of suppliers and consumers, in an automated fashion to improve the
efficiency, reliability, economics, and sustainability of the production and distribution of
electricity.
h) 4G: 4G is the fourth generation of cell phone mobile communications standards. It is a
successor of the third generation (3G) standards. A 4G system provides mobile ultra-broadband
Internet access, for example to laptops with USB wireless modems, to
smartphones, and to other mobile devices.
i) Android Operating System: Android is a Linus-based operating system for mobile
devices such as smart phones and tablet computers developed by Google in conjunction
with the Open Handset Alliance. Android is open source and Google releases the code
under Apache License. This open source code and permissive licensing allows the
software to be freely modified and distributed by device manufacturers, wireless carriers
and enthusiast developers. Additionally, Android has a large community of developer’s
writing applications ("apps") that extend the functionality of devices, written primarily in
a customized version of the Java programming language. In October 2012, there were
approximately 700,000 apps available for Android, and the estimated number
of applications downloaded from Google Play, Android's primary app store, was 25
billion.
4. Features of Google Glass:
Google Glass has multidimensional features these are described below.
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6. Record Videos, Take Pictures: Just say the word and Google Glass will take a picture or
record a video – you will never have to touch the hardware. The photos and videos will be
stored on the 16GB flash memory of the device, and can also be shared on social
networking websites or emailed.
Show Messages: Google Glass will show you text messages as well as emails you
receive and allow you to reply to them via voice commands.
Find Information: You simply need to ask a question and the device will pull the answer
from the internet. For example, you can ask when Taj Mahal was built or to give you a
few photographs of the monument and the device will provide appropriate replies on the
small screen in front of your eye.
Show Maps: The widely used Google Maps are integrated into Glass, so that users will
be able to chart the course of their journey or look up locations or establishments via
voice commands.
Integrates Google Now: Google Now, the digital voice assistant from the search giant,
has been integrated in this device. It will keep track of your daily habits, such as when
you leave for office or the route you take. It will give you alternate routes if there is
traffic on the way or give you weather updates periodically, among various other
functions.
Translate: This is a neat feature that may come in handy when you travel abroad. You
simply need to ask Google Glass to translate a phrase or sentence from one language to
another and it will speak that out.
Live Video Sharing: Google Glass can show the world what you are seeing – live! If you
are attending a family function, your child’s school play or a concert, you can share the
feed with your friends and family in real-time and make them a part of the experience.
5. Reasons Behind the Market Failure:
The above applications and others offer promising niche market opportunities for Google
Glass. But unfortunately for the goal of making this a widely adopted, mass market
technology; Google Glass is clearly not for the present and it is not even for the near-
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7. future. Here is highlighted few reasons for market failure and why people are found very
annoying about Google Glass. :
Fails to Meet Demand: Google is a magnificent company and they have a track record of
being absolutely crap when it comes to actually shipping hardware. If Google wants to
address the price and supply issue they will need major league production facilities, and
currently they just do not have them. Until there is a stream of automated factories parked
next to the server farm in Iowa then we can expect massive delays, and for a luxury item
that is a big no-no. Of course, Google could always team up with someone else to help
produce the hardware, but who, without looking pointedly at any factories with a picture
of an Apple on the side of them, has the exacting tech production facilities to address
demand?
Hugely Expensive: Google Glass should cost $300 not $1,500. With all the
disadvantages above, $1,500 is way too much for this piece of hardware. A laptop has
multiple functions, whereas Glass is essentially a mobile device.
Terrible Battery Life: 4 hours of work in standard mode, 40 minutes when watching
YouTube videos. This is according to the technical specs, but in reality the battery life is
much worse. Compared to this, even Nexus 4 (that hardly stays alive for 24 hours) looks
like a pretty energy-effective device.
Disorienting and Gives Headache: It is disorienting. People are unable to focus on
others people or things around. Glass is headache-inducing too; people are more or less
cross-eyed when focusing on something so close to his/her face.
The Heat: Google Glass is hot. Everyone stares at you when you wear it but,
unfortunately, that is not the reason why the Glass is on fire. Try recording a video for a
little longer than 10 seconds or using World Lens for a minute – any intensive
computation makes the Glass hot. Eventually, you will face the “Glass must cool down to
run smoothly” message.
Voice Recognition: It simply sucks. Perhaps, if you are a native English speaker and live
in California or in the UK, it works for you most of the time. At least when you do not try
to search for some non-English terms or send an e-mail to your imaginary polish friend. It
would also be nice to hear some feedback from Scottish users. In fact, the worst thing
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8. about Glass voice recognition is that you cannot correct it with the keyboard. Seriously,
was it that hard to implement such a thing?
The Reliability: The screen on device died less than in three months after we bought it.
People are also complaining about this. Sure, the technology is very new, but this is still
disappointing, taking into account the entire buzz surrounding it.
Head-Up Display (HUD): In the world of mobile, people seem to be drifting towards
larger screens, with more functionality, and without a high-level interface, a HUD just
cannot compete. Interestingly this brings up a lot of fundamental questions about mobile
interfaces. All mobile displays are designed with one thing in mind: People are using a
flat screen. On a mobile, if people want to zoom out, they tap and do that weird splayed
fingers movement. How do people zoom out of HUD? In real life people lean backwards.
There is an entire generation already growing up with ‘double tap’ functionality firmly
embedded in their minds, and while it is not impossible, is the mass market really ready to
start learning and using an entirely new gesture system?
Looks Stupid: Not that people are averse to wearing stupid things of course, but do
people really think Dr. Dre can make the currently nerdy Glass frame as ubiquitous as
Beats on the street? Will he even bother? Glass currently looks like its straight
outta Compton, Surrey. Google does seem to realize this, and is already talking to Warby
Parker in the hope that they can provide something slick and stylish, but let’s face it,
wearable computers are supposed to make us look like this: people don’t really want
wearable computers – they want connected fashion statements. Give it some flair
Google!
5.1 Others Reason Behind the Market Failure:
There are many more places where the technology is likely to be banned outright. These
are addressed below:
Any Secure Area: These are not limited to nuclear facilities and government
laboratories, where most of people do not spend much time anyway. The sign above was
actually posted in a small factory / retail outlet that makes and sells bulk foodservice
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9. items like baked beans, chili, and au gratin potatoes. The owners ban Google Glass
because they do not want anyone stealing their recipes or techniques.
Google Glass may be banned anywhere the collection and recording of too much visual
information could present a business or security risk even, potentially, airports.
Meetings: It is highly likely that Google Glass is banned at business events and meetings.
Meeting organizers are already frustrated by the electronic distractions offered to
attendees via their smartphones (checking emails, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram). Google
Glass takes the potential for distraction to an entirely new, and one would suspect
generally unwelcome, level.
Driving: Cell phones are a dangerous distraction, even in hands-free mode. Google Glass
would make that problem far worse by creating visual as well as audible distraction. Look
for the wearing of Google Glass while driving to be banned by legislatures across the
globe. Unless, one is wearing Google Glass while riding in a driverless Google Car.
Retail Stores: Show-rooming is already a serious problem for brick-and-mortar retailers,
costing an estimated $217 billion in lost sales annually. Though the practice is not
difficult, it does currently require some degree of work by consumers; Google Glass
would alleviate even that modicum of effort. It could also be used by competitors to see,
in real time, a retailer’s pricing, selection and display for any and every item in the store.
It would be surprising if retailers do not start banning Google Glass in their shops.
6. Conclusion:
Google glasses are basically wearable computers that use the evolving
familiar technologies that bring the sophistication and ease of communication and
information access. However, different market reviews made it clear that this is very
much a first generation product that is very buggy, at the same time it failed to meet the
demand of the mass market and revolutionize the tech industry due to the bits and pieces
of annoying stuffs.
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10. List of References:
1. Five reasons Google Glass will be a catastrophic failure, Retrieved from
https://econsultancy.com/blog/62254-five-reasons-google-glass-will-be-a-catastrophic-
failure#i.zh4k50r5kdx1zf
2. Google glass The Future Gadget, Retrieved from
http://www.slideshare.net/respected/google- glass-the-future-gadget-28683908
3. http://googleglassstufclassassignment.blogspot.com/
4. http://www.scribd.com/doc/130977790/Abstract-of-Google-Glass
5. http://www.slideshare.net/jaseelashajahan/jas-glass
6. The Verdict Is In: Nobody Likes Google Glass, Retrieved from
http://www.businessinsider.com/nobody-really-likes-google-glass-2013-5
7. Why Google Glass Will Fail and Why This Won’t Stop Smart Glasses’ Success,
Retrieved from http://elekslabs.com/2014/02/why-google-glass-will-fail-and-why-this.
html
8. Why Google Glass Will Fail, Retrieved from
https://smallbusiness.yahoo.com/advisor/why-google-glass- fail-200031884.html
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