Blog

Welcome to 1984?

Date
29 May 2013
Author
Brandon
Weekend Update screenshot

I wear glasses. Every day for more than 30 years.

So, with the introduction of Google Glass, I am envious and appalled at the same time.

While the Google Glass experiment is important to watch from a business, marketing and cultural perspective, no one — including Google — has any clue how the search giant’s efforts will play out.

It could be the biggest thing since sliced bread or it could be a bust. But either way, it’s difficult to think of a technology that is more potentially disruptive or absurd.

If you’ve been living under a rock, Google Glass is eyewear that incorporates a miniature computer with a display attached to its frame. It can take pictures and video, run apps and deliver information like travel directions. The interface is controlled by voice recognition, meaning a user can say “take a picture” to snap a photo — as well as head nods and swipes of a control bar on the side of the glasses.

Google began shipping its “Explorer Edition” of Google Glass in April for a cool $1,500. But, this “beta” version isn’t meant for mass consumption, but for software developers looking to explore uses for the eyewear.

In reality, Google Glass is a grandiose experiment, and the search monolith has targeted programmers for the company’s Android operating system to refine the eyewear before it is released to the public.

On May 15, Google CEO Larry Page said the following during his Google I/O keynote: “Our goal is to get happy users using Glass. Ultimately, a lot of your [user] experiences can move to Glass. We’re relying on you [software developers] to figure that out.”

Page also acknowledged that Google doesn’t have any idea what the best use is for Glass or how the project will pan out.

However, some of the options that have been discussed, including facial recognition and 24/7 recording, disturb me. And I’m not alone.

A recent survey by Bite Interactive, a mobile application company, reported that only one in 10 U.S. smartphone owners said they would wear Google Glass regularly. The survey, which polled 1,000 adults, also found that 38 percent of respondents wouldn’t wear Google Glass even if it were priced within their budget. Another 45 percent indicated concern that Google Glass would be too socially awkward or irritating to wear.

But what about privacy? In technology, we are reaching a stage in which the levels of advancement are beginning to exceed the limits of human capacity. We’re entering a wearable cyborg model. It sounds sci-fi, but it’s becoming reality.

I know it’s not overly different than the capacity of what smartphones provide, but there really does seem to be, at least in my mind, a difference in someone whipping out their iPhone and shooting a photo or video and just saying record.

What are your thoughts on this technology? We’d love to hear it.

Subscribe to our Newsletter
Don't miss out on our latest news and commentary and white papers, subscribe to our newsletter now!
You may also like
girl holding cat
Blog

The Loyalty Gap in Pet Care: Why What Pet Parents Feel Doesn’t Match How They Shop

In 2025, pet parents don’t just buy—they bond. They’re caregivers, confidants, and emotional anchors. But despite this powerful connection, most pet care behavior still skews practical, habitual, even transactional.
Real Estate
Blog

How Data Analytics for Real Estate Brands Identifies Emerging Market Trends

You can’t predict the future, but you can come close. Brands that win in the fast-moving world leverage data analytics for real estate to decode where the market’s heading next. Brands that don’t fall behind.
influencer
Blog

Winning Attention in a Creator-Led World: A Media Planning Playbook for What’s Next

The media landscape isn’t just shifting—it’s reshaping itself around creators. Platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Instagram are now outpacing traditional media in ad revenue. That’s not a moment. It’s a structural shift.
Wilmington Health
True care outdoor billboard
See how Wilmington Health rewrote the rules on local care—transforming from underdog to undeniable with a brand built on True Care.
Santee Cooper
lady sitting on counter in laundry room
Our Defeat the Peak campaign proved that when bragging rights are on the line, even peak hours don’t stand a chance.