Some Updates on Google's Competitors

Epson Moverio BT-200 :

Very few people are aware that Epson already owns a pair of connected glasses. Epson launched the Epson Moverio BT-100 in 2011, but they were a bit bulky and not that user friendly. However Epson plans on launching the Epson Moverio BT-200 in March, that will be sold for $699 and targets daily users.

What differentiates Epson smartglasses? The lenses are more transparent, which means that the projected heads-up images comes into magnified angled sections in the middle of clear lens, but early users say that it looks like crazy bifocals.

The new glasses are 60 percent thinner than before, and even easily fit over eyeglasses thanks to a flexible nosepiece. It still looks very weird!

A handheld Android console with a touchpad powers the floating display, which includes 3D if the contents matches. The Smart Glasses have a 960x540 resolution 16:9 display, which allows a 23-degree field of view. The device supports H.264 video playback and works with Dolby Digital Plus to carry audio to connected headphones for surround sound.

The device works with Android and uses Bluetooth 3.0 and an SDHC card slot for up to 32GB of storage. Built-in WiFi will also works for streaming video content, and with an extra bridge adapter they could be used to mirror HDMI connected set-top boxes and other entertainment sources.

Some apps are also developed to improve customer experience. Epson is also introducing a wristband : Pulsense PS-100, allowing heart rate monitoring.

Laforge ICIS : Prescription Smart Glasses

Icis is a line of eyewear that displays notifications from your phone, such as texts, tweets, and turn-by-turn directions around your field of vision. Icis is a fashion-tech product, so it will come in a variety of styles and colors. This project is open to international customers. Icis supports Android, iOS, and Windows Phone. Icis beta version is offered for $200.

                     

Indiegogo says that the specs will be released as late as possible to guaranty the best component available. However we already know some caracteristics. Icis is a bluetooth accessory that leverages the power and intelligence of your smartphone through an app, called SocialFlo. With SocialFlo, you can easily select which apps appear on your dashboard when you wear Icis.

Design: The device is still on a development stage. Laforge team has completed several frames designs for the Icis and Icis BOLD lines. Laforge is also currently testing other features that will be announced at later date. More colors, textures and designs will be added later.

Engineering: Laforge team has completed a couple iterations of the circuit board for the first prototypes and will be going through several more iterations over the next few months. The group is currently designing the developer's board that will ship this summer. They are working with suppliers to integrate components such as cameras and speakers into certain models of Icis.

Software: They have developed an alpha version of the SocialFLO app which allows smartphone's apps to be recognized by Icis. They have also completed the foundational work for the API so that developers can start making their own widgets!

Manufacturing: Laforge is working with a wholesale optics lab in western New York State to create the lenses for both of the Icis lines. This company has more than 30 years of experience in the eyewear manufacturing industry. The partnership allows Laforge to leverage near $30 million of capital equipment which keeps costs down. They will handle grinding in all of the prescriptions and final assembly will occur here in the US.

Laforge is currently narrowing down the list of suppliers that will manufacture the frames and raw lenses.

To resume I would say that Laforge did a good job as the glasses are "fashion-friendly". The glasses look much like regular trendy glasses and Laforge has directly positioned on the prescription lenses market, which was a very smart move. The device offers all the benefits of a hands-free mobile device and a premium version of the glasses also feature a camera, microphone and speaker.

If you're interested in the competitors, I have also published an article 2 weeks ago about 5 other Glass competitors.

How To Interact With The Device - Users Reviews

I bet you all have many questions on how to use Google Glass, how it feels or if it's user friendly. I've been in touch with some Explorers and I have read many reviews and want now to share this with you.

How to interact with the device

You first need to install the MyGlass app on your smartphone and tap a few choices to setup the settings and pair a new headset. When you activate Glass, a small screen is supposed to float in the upper right-hand of your field of vision. It takes a moment to adjust the spectral screen in your vision and feels a bit odd at the beginning, but you get used to it very quickly. The here is what you see : the time is displayed, with a small amount of text underneath that reads "ok glass". That's basically how you most of the time interact with the device. It's actually a two-step process : first you have to touch the side of the device (the touchpad) or tilt your head upward slowly, which "wakes the device up" and then you can start issuing commands by saying "ok glass" or scrolling down the options using your finger along the side of the device. You can scroll options by moving your finger backwards or forward along the strip, select by tapping and move back by swiping down. However, most of the interactions is done by voice.

Glass does all sort of basic things after you say "ok glass", such as taking a picture, recording or video, "play Michael Jackson" or get directions. The voice recognition works most of the time, but also sometimes doesn't, which can be confusing. The device doesn't always hear you properly or the answer isn't always appropriate. I would compare it to Siri - Apple's iPhone assistant. When the voice assistant gets it right, the device responds quickly and jumps into action. Sounds is also conducted through the bones as I mentioned it in a previous article.

The device gets the data through WiFi on its own via an Android device or iPhone, or it can also works via Bluetooth. This means that you can deal with a "no data situation". Indeed, a good data connection is obviously key for the device to function properly and losing data or experiencing slow data on a phone put the headset into a near-unusable state. Google however tries to work on this issue.

Users feel like the most interesting functionality isn't the search assistant but much more the access to realtime data. You can easily access to the weather, directions, or info about something you see. Recently golfers have even started using Glass to get a constant stream of information: yardages, live scorekeeping, wind directions and aerial hole views.

Hangouts are also a big part of Glass and you can start one by saying "start a hangout with" followed by the individual or Circle. You unfortunately can't start a public Hangout, which means you have to build those Circles asap. Explorers feel that Hangouts are a great experience as you're able to quickly share something you're seeing with friends. You can easily impress someone by looking up to an author's name or getting info on the last social controversy. Business users also enjoy grabbing pictures of receipts and having them synchronized to the cloud.

About the way it works, users really feel that the device is user-friendly, light, surprisingly comfortable and has an amazing potential.

Google Now

Google Now is an increasingly powerful part of the operating system, making recommandations based on where you go and what you do. The device saves your choices and habits and can then recommend something in a more efficient way. For example, Now will suggest you directions to go back to a place you've been earlier or to your office. It will also throw up a list of nearby restaurants at dinnertime. Explorers say that the suggestions aren't always perfect, but Now can regularly suprise you with a good understanding of what you want and need. You also can interact, once you get recommendations: you can tap on a restaurant to call or get directions. Early users regret that you couldn't pre-configure a bit more the device to get more accurate suggestions or informations.

How Not To Be A Glasshole!

Given the recent controversies Google has released its Explorers Guide on how not to creep out people while using the device. Google doesn't want to see bad feedbacks and has then issued advice on how to best interact with the device in a public place. 

Google considers that the Explorers community actively participates in shaping the future of Glass and the wearable device market. New technology always bring new questions and the Explorers help to answer those questions. Google has just expand the Explorer Program, feels that they are at the start of a long journey and thought it was very important to set some Do's and Don'ts.

Google has asked some long-time Explorers for their advice and here are the Do's and Don'ts :

DO'S:

Explore the world around you : Glass puts you more in control of your technology and frees you to look up and engage with the world around you rather than look down and be distracted from it. Have a hangout with your friends, get walking directions to a fantastic new restaurant, or get an update on that delayed flight.

Take advantage of the Glass voice commands. Glass can free your hands up to do other things like golfing, cooking, or juggling flaming torches while balancing on a beach ball (but also see Don’ts #2). This is great for looking up how many ounces in a cup while you cook, or taking a one-of-a-kind photo from your unique perspective.

Ask for permission. Standing alone in the corner of a room staring at people while recording them through Glass is not going to win you any friends (see Don’ts #4). The Glass camera function is no different from a cell phone so behave as you would with your phone and ask permission before taking photos or videos of others.

Use screen lock. Glass screen lock works like your smartphone’s screen lock: it passcode-protects your device to help prevent others from using it. If you ever lose your device or have it stolen by a budding online resale entrepreneur, you can turn off Glassware and perform a remote wipe (e.g. factory reset) of the device, removing all your information from the device. All you need to do is go to your MyGlass page on your browser, or the MyGlass App on your phone.

Be an active and vocal member of the Glass Explorer Community. The Explorer Program was created in order to have a place where our Explorers can give feedback, share content and communicate with the Glass team. It’s been hugely successful over the past year and this is due to our wonderful group of Explorers. They are constantly sharing their worlds with us and with each other, allowing us to hear and work on all the great feedback and stories our Explorers give us (and, wow, do they give us a lot!).

DON’TS:  

Glass-out. Glass was built for short bursts of information and interactions that allow you to quickly get back to doing the other things you love. If you find yourself staring off into the prism for long periods of time you’re probably looking pretty weird to the people around you. So don’t read War and Peace on Glass. Things like that are better done on bigger screens.

Rock Glass while doing high-impact sports. Glass is a piece of technology, so use common sense. Water skiing, bull riding or cage fighting with Glass are probably not good ideas.

Wear it and expect to be ignored. Let’s face it, you’re gonna get some questions. Be patient and explain that Glass has a lot of the same features as a mobile phone (camera, maps, email, etc.). Also, develop your own etiquette. If you’re worried about someone interrupting that romantic dinner at a nice restaurant with a question about Glass, just take it off and put it around the back of your neck or in your bag.

Be creepy or rude (aka, a “Glasshole”). Respect others and if they have questions about Glass don’t get snappy. Be polite and explain what Glass does and remember, a quick demo can go a long way. In places where cell phone cameras aren’t allowed, the same rules will apply to Glass. If you’re asked to turn your phone off, turn Glass off as well. Breaking the rules or being rude will not get businesses excited about Glass and will ruin it for other Explorers.

I really think that this could be useful for all the users and will help avoid some new controversies and erase some fears.

What's Inside Google Glass

So far the device has been sold to a few lucky Explorers for 1499$. It's very expensive and many people have wondered what's inside the device and what the real costs are to figure out what the public price will be.

Many surveys have been conducted and it looks like most of the people won't spend more than 300-400$ for the device. In 2012, Google employees were quoted saying that Glass would be sold at roughly the price of contemporary smartphones. Now let's try to figure out what Google Glass costs and what the price could be.

First, let's go down the component level and try to estimate the production costs. A teardown of some techies at Catwig has made it very easy to estimate the price of the device.

Once a Glass Explorer receives an invitation to participate to the program they have to schedule an in-person appointment at one of the three "Glass studios" (Mountain View, Los angeles, New York) to get the device. At this appointment a Google employee walk you through the setup and usage of the device.

Glass arrives in a box that includes accessories : tinted shield, clear shield, charger/AC adapter, USB cable, drawstring soft case. The build quality isn't less than what you can expect from a device that costs as much as a brand new laptop. It has a solid feel and a great surface finish.

Side touchpad

When you remove the casing, it exposes a few parts, including a separate touchpad module on the right side of the unit. Indeed, a Glass user can interact with the sensor by tapping its right temple. The touchpad is a full custom module made by Synaptics and is driven by a Synaptics T1320A touchpad controller.

Main CPU Board

The inwards-facing side of the board hols an RF (radio frequency) module, some small connectors and copper noting that this is a GOOGLE [X] production. The core chips powering Glass are a TI OMAP4430 16GB of SanDisk flash and an Elpida mobile DRAM chip. This board also includes a SiRFstarIV GSD4e GPS engine and a Bluetooth/WiFi module. A flex PCB and an RF cable, anchored with some metal tabs and a U.FL connector, trailed from this board to the behind-the-ear pod. 

Behind-Ear Module

To balance the weight evenly, Glass keeps its battery in a rounded bit behind the wearer's ear. When you open the device you can find a single-cell Lithium Polymer battery, which has a capacity of 2.1Wh. Only thing is that it can't be user-replaceable!

Speaker

Just forward of the battery pod there is a bone conduction speaker. It's a cutting-edge technology, allowing you to get the sound through the bones.

Display Assembly

A flex PCB connects the main logic board to an assembly containing the display, camera and some other sensors. It wraps around and through the frame holding those components. The flexprint PCB holds Glass' inertial sensor, an InvenSense MPU-9150. There's also a Wolfson WM7231 MEMS microphone. There's an additional identical chip on the main logic board, suggesting that Glass use a dual microphone noise-cancellation system. 

Display

The Glass display is very small and owns a native resolution of 640x360, the pixels are roughly 1/8th the physical width of those on the iPhone 5s retina display.  The high resolution display is the equivalent of a 25 inch high definition screen from eight feet away.

Optics

Glass uses a folded light pathway consisting of only a small handful of optical elements. Collectively they make the display's image appear to float a few feet from your face, in the top right corner of your vision. The prism focuses directly on the retina allowing you to see a very sharp image.

Camera

The Glass camera can be compared to a smartphone's one in terms of size and quality. It is a 5-megapixel unit with 720p video capture. It isn't perfectly aligned with the wearer's eye and the camera and display appear to talk to the CPU independently. 

It costs around 200$ to Google to produce the glass and the price will depend on Google's strategy and the margin they want on this product. Electronic manufacturers are know to operate on relative thin margins around 1.5% (8% on an iPhone 5)As Google targets a mass market we can expect that the price won't be too excessive... at least we hope!

Check Catwig's website if you want to get more info on the inside of the device.

How Google Glass Works?

As you hear about Google Glass everywhere, I assume that, just like me, you're willing to know how it works and what the technology is. This simple infographic made by Martin Missfelds explains the technology behind Google Glass.

The device owns a battery, a CPU (Computer Process Unit) including a GPS, a camera allowing the user to record videos and take pictures, a speaker, a microphone and a prism to superpose the virtual layer on the reality.

The real question is : how comes we get a sharp image? The technology is based on a mini projector. Via a prism and a projector a virtual layer is placed over reality. The prism projects the computer image directly onto the retina. Despite being very close to the eye, the image is bright and clear and because the image is slightly transparent, you can comfortably place it right in front of your eyes. The technology is simple science and at the beginning the main challenge of Google was to cater the glasses to people who wear prescription lenses, but it looks like it's not a challenge anymore! 

Google Glass Just Got Less Geeky!

Early Explorers first feedback was most of the time that the design of the Glass is not very nice. They were sometimes compared to Cyborgs and NY policemen wearing the device were compared to Robocop.

Google has recently taken the step that many of the users asked for regarding its Google Glass head-mounted computer. Indeed Google just introduced prescription frames for the device via an update to its website. The frames called TItanium frames should match the fashion expectations of the users and a pair will add 225$ to the current 1500$ cost of Glass for Explorers.

Explorers who already have a pair of Glass can just pick up a pair of these prescription glasses and simply attach their existing device to them.

The Glass can work with transparent or shaded lenses - additional 150$ for the tinted shades - and Google currently offers custome fitting through optometrists in a few towns in the US and plans to expand the program to many more cities worldwide. Only 200 doctors joined the fitting system but Google hopes to increase that number to 6000 by year's end. 

Google is working with VPS VisionCare (american's biggest optical health insurance provider) to get the training done and this partnership should also help with adoption too. The announcement of this partnership could take wearable devices, which are the next wave of computing, out of the realm of science-fiction and into the mainstream by making them more affordable and giving them a medical stamp of approval. It is also a new level of cooperation between the health care and high-tech industries. 

This cooperation is also an amazing deal for Google. VSP insures one fifth of the americans and Google plans to start selling Glass to the public this year. Recently a lot of people and associations have shown resistance to the device, links to privacy fears that the device could be used to take photos secretly or record discussions. As I have mentioned it in my previous article, some got arrested while driving or at the theatre, some got banned from restaurants. With traditional-style frames and prescription lenses, which Glass did not have before, the prism and the screen are less obvious and the device looks more typical. Some early Glass owners also hacked Glass to add sunglasses and other accessories.

Introducing prescription option should widen the appeal of Glass considerably and attract many more users. Wearable devices are a concrete challenge for manufactures because it involves a strong understanding of fashion and health expectations and not only of softwares and technologies. I think that Google is on its way to reach a mass market!

The Downsides of Google Glass

Advantages aside, Google Glass raises significant safety, security and privacy issues.

Negative reactions to Google have been making headlines lately :

A Google Glass user has been questioned in an Ohio Theatre for suspected piracy. The user was detained and questioned for hours but said that the device wasn't on. The gadget was actually also a pair of prescription glasses, that he had to wear in order to watch the movie but the recording function of the glasses had been left inactive. This unfortunate event brings back to the table the question about Google Glass potential illegality. Indeed, many people think that the device presents a risk of assisting copyright infringement. A Motion Picture Association has also claimed that action had to be taken to fight against camcording.

A few months before, a Google-Glass wearing driver has been pulled over by a cop and was issued a ticket for driving with the device on. The device was classified as a distraction much like a smartphone or other monitor. The woman has then decided to bring the case to court. Illinois is already considering explicitly banning Glass behind the wheel.

A Seattle entrepreneur has been fighting against people wearing Glasses in his Café and has recently expelled a customer who refused to remove his Google Glass inside the Café. A group calling itself Stop the Cyborgs offers free anti-glass icons and art on its site for businesses that want to notify customers the technology is not allowed. State and federal lawmakers have also expressed privacy concerns about the technology and are keeping an eye on it. 

Many casinos have also banned wearable computer screens as they fear they could be used to cheat and count cards.

While there may be some old fashioned technophobia at play, many criticisms come from members of a tech generation that embraces smartphones and tablets. So what is it about Google Glass that justify such strong reactions?

Google Glass is out of people's control

People actually feel that Google Glass is out of their control. They are not able to make a decision as to weather they want to be connected through someone else's device. People feel in control when they are using their own device, but Google Glass feel more like an invasive surveillance. People more and more tend to give up on privacy on social networks and through other ways, the choice is their choice. Google glass looks more like an intrusion in people's privacy and even though they want to give up on their privacy, they want to be able to do it on their own terms and conditions.

One of the main concerns people have about Glass is that it is difficult to tell when the device is recording you. When you compare this to a smartphone, it's really easy to notice that someone is recording as he would have to point the phone in the subject's direction and hold up the device. Wearable devices like Google Glass are always pointed and ready to record. Moreover, early users claim that they wear the device everywhere and post pictures of themselves in the shower or in bed - Apps have been developed to record and share your point of view with each other. This goes far beyond sexting and sex scandals when nobody knows wheter or not they are being watched, no matter what they are doing. There is no external indicator light showing that the device is recording, but the current version of Glass wouldn't last more than an hour in a recording mode and it's very easy to find out if the screen is on or off if you want to know.

Another concern is the collection of big data that these devices allow. A massive amount of data can be uploaded from phones and wearable devices to Google services, cloud-based storage or social media. The issue is not the device itself but the ownership and control over the data.

Early adopters say using Google Glass is a literal headache

Recently, some early users admitted not wearing the device anymore, because they were facing skull-crushing headaches.

They all thought at the beginning that it wasn't related to the device, but when they started talking to other Explorers they found out that they were not alone and that the headaches were definitely correlated with wearing the device. Some of them started leaving the device off their face most of the time and realized that they didn't miss it that much or that at least that it wasn't worth the headaches.

As for Google, the company say that the risks of using Glass are no different from getting glasses for the first time, or any other wearable item that changes one's habits. The company has been working with eye care professionals from the very beginning to ensure that the device is safe for use.

Wearable technologies like Google Glass are still in its early stages and manufacturers hope that the devices will be seen as normal and become as common as smartphones. Until then, explorers and early users will have to deal with both positive and negative reactions.

How Google Glass could change the future?

Fifteen years ago, when the first mobile phones were introduced, people were staring at those using these devices and sometimes even laughing at them. What were these large devices with this weird antenna? But years after years, they became smaller and smaller and even more efficient, offering users the ability to call, text, play video games, surf on the Internet, record videos, take high quality pictures, etc.

What I want to say is that today we are facing the same kind of behaviors. Google Glass have recently been introduced, a few lucky people have had the opportunity to test them, but all of them face surprise and weird reactions, while working in the street wearing Google Glass.
We can admit that so far, Google Glass are not the most beautiful accessories, but this will definitely evolve. Google has already announced and designed four stylish glass frames and encouraged the development of an accessories ecosystem to attract more and more people.

I believe that Google Glass are going change our future, just like mobile phones did. For now, only developers can test the Glass in order to develop apps and suggest them to Google. That's a way for Google to improve the device, but that's also an amazing marketing campaign. People can read everywhere articles about Google Glass, look at videos, see ads in the street, but they can't try them and just can't wait to buy their own glasses.

Let's try to go beyond Google Glass basic uses and see what the future will be like.

New ways to advertise

One of the major issues of businesses are to attract and target customers. They are ready to pay hundreds of thousands $ for their product to appear in a movie or millions for a Super Bowl ad. Google Glass are going to change the rules. Indeed, in the future, we can easily imagine that anyone walking in the street will be able to get info on someone's shoes or bag. It's going to be possible to simply look at a product, find out where it's from and even buy it instantly within the blink of an eye.

Companies could also be able to place virtual and targeted ads on walls, which means that two different people could be looking at the same wall and see different ads. In addition, if you like the product that you see, the device can use the GPS to suggest shops nearby.

New ways of filming

Increasing the number of users and making video recording a common use of Google Glass could be an opportunity to fight criminality. Although countries such as the UK highlight their use of CCTV, it looks like they never work when you need it. In the future, videos shot by eye witnesses cold be very useful and efficient proof of evidence.
On a more creative side, people's video could be part of reports and news. Reporters always fight to have unique shots, first images and people's point of view and wearable devices could be very helpful.

New ways of playing

Google Glass definitely offer a whole new playground for games addicts. New apps are being developed and will allow users to play an action game in real world. Just picture the scene : you're in the street, on your way to the office and you receive a mission that you have to complete using the exterior environment.

Some current uses 

That's not all, we can already see many more usages of the Glasses in the future. Many professionals have started using them :

• Virgin stewardesses have been provided with Google Glass in order to improve customer experience and better anticipate their needs. 
• The US Army feel that technology is a major stake in the future and started using Google Glass to reach its goals. However, they believe that they can't totally depend on that technology as technologies can always fail.
• New York policemen have received Google Glass to test its efficiency. They can use facial recognition, access to databases, write reports and add live pictures etc. It could be very useful but this raise privacy fears.
• Real estates companies have started using Google Glass to help people virtually visit a flat. I personally find this very useful, as I've dreamt about that many times while looking for a flat.
• Bankers and brokers can access live data market and place orders thanks to the Glass.
• Surgeons can share their POV and get relevant data about their patient while operating

Some other potential business uses

Healthcare: Glass can make a huge difference in hospitals to increase the efficiency of staff and accuracy of treatment given to patients.

The camera will play a pivotal role - allowing nurses or doctors to scan barcodes and NFC tags to identify patients, bring up medical records and verify the correct medication and dosage is being applied.

Airports: Glass will be used to process check-ins and provide passengers with information about their flight, as well as details of the weather and suggested activities at their destination. It can also aid translation queries. The aim is to improve customer experience.

Augmented reality: Glass can superimpose information over real-world happenings, which will allow the tourism and leisure industry to enhance and support the customer experience.

City and museum tours can be brought to life by overlaying historicals buildings and artwork with key facts or audio descriptions. Users will also be able to take pictures and video and email the files to themselves so they can capture memories hands-free.

Apps could also be developed allowing Glass to highlight the health benefits of foods and any promotions. Retail assistants will be able help customers with their queries on the shop-floor by providing information on products and checking stock levels.

Extreme sports: Google did a great demonstration of Glass at its I/O Developer Conference on 27 June 2012. This blockbuster demo showcased Glass' suitability for uses in extreme sports such as skydiving, biking and abseiling.

Although Glass’ ability to capture and share photos and video can be replicated by products such as Gopro camera, the Google device can share video in real-time via Google’s Hangout feature.

Training, maintenance and monitoring: Industries that require employees to manufacturer and repair products would be wise to investigate the benefits of Glass. Workers will be able to look up how products are assembled or ask for help in real-time if they are unsure what to do in the field. Assessors will also be able to monitor progress of pupils in real-time via Hangouts or by reviewing a recording.

It's just a start and there's no doubt that there will be more in the future. Looking forward to it!

Source : ITPRO