Testing on Google Glass Continues
Chris Dale is the Senior Manager of Communications for Google Glass.
“Google Glass is a tiny computer that sits in a lightweight frame and rests neatly above your eye. And it makes exploring and sharing the world around you a lot easier.”
Stanford offensive coordinator Mike Bloomgren, wearing Google Glass, answers questions from the media during a news conference, in Los Angeles.Stanford offensive coordinator Mike Bloomgren, wearing Google Glass, answers questions from the media during a news conference, in Los Angeles.
The glasses have a tiny video screen and a camera that connect wirelessly to the Internet through WiFi, a smartphone or a tablet computer. You can make and receive calls, send and receive texts, take pictures, record video or search the web. You control Google Glass using your voice and a touchpad on the right arm of the frame.
Professor Marcia Dawkins is among a select group of people who have been given a chance to test out Google Glass.
“I thought this is something I definitely need for my classroom and hopefully for my personal life too.”
The professor’s Google Glass looks like bright orange glasses, without the actual glass. But there is a tiny rectangular glass at the top right hand corner. Through that glass, she has been recording video while biking. She also has been able to talk to her sister in Thailand.
But not everyone is excited about Google Glass. Some are concerned about possible risks to privacy. John Simpson is the director of the privacy project at Consumer Watchdog.
“It is essentially going to allow people to come in and spy on you and record that without you knowing what is going on.”
Google says that it has already addressed that concern. Mr. Dale explained that in order to start the camera or record a video, the owner must say something out loud.
“I activate the device, and say ‘Okay, glass, take a picture.’ Similarly, I have a little button on the top here that I can push that will again show an explicit gesture to everybody around me that a picture is being taken or a video is being recorded.”
But filmmaker Chris Barrett showed just how easy it is to record people without them knowing it. His Glass captured a man getting arrested after a fight. He shared the video on YouTube.
Also, some are concerned about the use of facial recognition technology on Google Glass. But Google says it will not approve the use of such applications.
And that is As It Is for today. I’m Steve Ember. Thanks for joining us! And for the latest world news, be listening to VOA at the top of every hour, Universal Time.
