Add to favorites CBR tackles five of Google’s recently debunked 10 myths of Google Glass.
Google has published a list on the official Google Glass Google + page debunking what it describes as the top 10 myths surrounding Google Glass.
The list, posted on March 20, comes as the device continues to have a mixed reaction from the public and a month after Google told its explorers how to avoid being a Glasshole.
CBR tackles five of Google’s debunking myths.
1. Glass is the ultimate distraction from the real world
Google attacks suggestions that wearing Glass distracts users from the real world.
"Instead of looking down at your computer, phone or tablet while life happens around you, Glass allows you to look up and engage with the world," it said.
But experts are worried the technology could distract wearers to the point where it causes potentially dangerous consequences.
In a piece for the New York Times in 2013, researchers from the University of Illinois and Union College said when the mind is engaged, wearers could fail to see something that would "otherwise be utterly obvious".
"Google Glass may allow users to do amazing things, but it does not abolish the limits on the human ability to pay attention," they said.
A woman was also issued a traffic ticket in October 2013 for speeding and distracted driving after being stopped while wearing the futuristic spectacles.
Web and mobile app developer Cecilia Abadie claimed the device was not switched on at the time and was cleared of charges in January 2014.
The UK Department of Transport has banned drivers from using the Glass technology before it even launches in the UK.
2. Glass does facial recognition and other dodgy things
Another misconception addressed in the list says the device supports facial recognition technology, which Google says is not going to happen even if it were possible.
However, Emotient, a San Diego-based company, is working on a Google Glass app that can tell users what other people are feeling based on their facial expressions. The Sentiment Analysis protoype app detects and processes facial expressions of individuals and groups that the user would see to determine positive, negative or neutral emotions. The software, which is currently available on Glass for Beta testers, can also measure deeper emotions such as joy, surprise and anger, and tell if you’re feeling confused or frustrated.
There is also another Glass app being developed by a company called FacialNetwork that claims to take a photo of a stranger, and then find out who they are.
NameTag uses facial recognition software to send photographs wirelessly to a server, which compares it to millions of records, returning the photo back with personal details and other photos.
While Google’s policies do not allow for Glassware that supports any form of facial recognition technology, the app is currently available on Glass for Beta testers, so who knows what might happen in the future?
