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Running head: Google Begins the Age of S.M.A.R.T. Glasses

Google Begins the Age of S.M.A.R.T. Glasses Nathan Staggers George Mason University
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A computer inside of a pair of optical lenses. Although this sounds bizarre, it is an actual invention. Google has successfully created Google Glass and patented its name. In November 2012, Glass received recognition by Time Magazine as one of the "Best Inventions of the Year 2012", alongside inventions such as the Curiosity Rover.(Many authors). This paper will describe the technical specifications of this device as well as privacy and ethical concerns found through a vast amount of research. Background The idea of google glass started in a group known as Google X. They announced the invention titled Project Glass on Google Plus. Google X consists of four members: Thad Starner, Babak Parviz, Steve Lee, and Sebastian Thrun. Together, Google X has created a project that has begun a new age of technology. No longer will we need to worry about carrying a camera, tablet, or a watch. Google Glass is a smartphone inside of lens. You will be able to access the current weather, set reminders on calendars, use navigation apps, and even record film. Technology Specifications Google Glass operates on Android 4.0.4 and weighs about 50 grams. It has a dual-core processor, 1 GB of RAM, and 16 GB of flash memory of which only 12 are usable. Google Glass explorer version uses what is known as LCoS display. LCoS stands for Liquid Crystal on Silicon which is a field-sequential color display. Its high resolution display is the equivalent of a 25 inch high definition screen from eight feet away.(Google, 2014) The audio system that Google Glass uses is a Bone Conduction Transducer. Bone conduction will help people to listen to Google Glass, while also allowing them to hear outside noises. This device also has a 5 megapixel camera and can create videos in 720 pixels. Google Glass has been enabled to connect

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to Bluetooth, micro USB and Wi-Fi. Additional technical specifications on the Google Glass include: a microphone, an accelerometer, a gyroscope, an ambient light sensor, a proximity sensor, and a magnetometer. A users Google Glass is managed only through a phone application called MyGlass that is available for Android and Apple devices. Google glass is controlled by a touchpad, located on the side of the device. This touchpad allows the user to use the app interface displayed on the screen. Therefore if the voice control is malfunctioning, the user can still use the glasses. There are many potential benefits of Google Glass. Potential Benefits Google Glass is one of the few smart or S.M.A.R.T. meaning Self-Monitoring Analysis and Reporting Technology glasses that have developed. The use of certain smart eyewear can help prevent automobile accidents by eliminating blinding glare; help identify certain things for a person suffering from dementia, and increase safety awareness.(smart-glasses.org) These glasses can also turn the environment around the user into a computer. A user will be able to look at an artifact and a historical text will pop up on the screen of the glasses. Applications downloaded to the glasses will help the user to interact with reality. The applications can be utilized to educate people on driving safety by providing realistic scenarios. Or there can be applications that allow users to pull up business charts and strategies during a presentation (like notecards). There are other smart tools being developed. Smart sunglasses will be equipped with a sensor that detects the sun rays and darkens the glasses accordingly. However, even with these new technologies, Google Glass still has many ethical and public concerns. Legal, Social and Ethical issues There are many social and ethical issues, especially privacy matters, concerning the Google Glass. William Brinkman, a director of computer science at Miami, Ohio, stated You
obviously wont see what they can from the behind the glasses. As a result, you will see

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bizarre body language as people duck or dodge around virtual things.(Bilton, 2012) This can definitely be a safety problem when masses of people arent paying attention to whats in front of them. This LED screen is a major distraction because of its ability to encircle itself with the environment. Brinkman later said. Im really interested in seeing how the

government can successfully regulate augmented reality in this sense. They are not really going to know what people are seeing behind those glasses.(Bilton, 2012) The main problem with Google Glass is that users can record videos, even though they appear to be staring straight ahead. This violates peoples security, allowing private conversations to be discovered. Gary Marshall, a techradar.com journalist, puts it as such, I've said before that privacy is like having curtains: you don't have curtains because you're doing something dodgy, but because you don't want strangers staring at you while you're trying to eat your dinner. With Google Glass, strangers aren't just watching you eat but filming you, uploading the footage to YouTube and getting people to comment on your table manners and home decor.(Marshall, 2013) Problems with Glass A Californian programmer, Jay Freeman, recently realized that Google Glass is capable of being hacked when connected to a desktop computer and commands are ran on it. This would allow the hacker to manage and control Glasss outputs. This means that the hacker would have full control of the users smartphone. Once the attacker has root on your Glass, they have much more power than if they had access to your phone or even your computer: they have control over a camera and a microphone that are attached to your head, explains Freeman in a blog post. A bugged Glass doesn't just watch your every move: it watches everything you are looking at (intentionally or furtively) and hears everything you do. The only thing it doesn't know are your thoughts."(Arthur, 2013). Google needs to figure out a solution to Glass ability to be hacked and controlled.

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Smart glasses are one of the greatest technological advances of this century. It has wowed many consumers and those experimenting through Project Glass. It has received recognition from many top-tier critics. However, like Professor Steve Mann at Univ. of Toronto states, There's a lot that could be done better,"(Anonymous, 2013). From the ability to be recorded anonymously, to the 10 minutes a hacker needs to break into the MyGlass app, there are numerous improvements that need to be made. The 5-megapixel camera isnt necessarily the strongest, especially when compared to todays smartphones. Techradar.coms Matt Swider said it perfectly, But when you think about it, Google Glass is the first of its kind - at least with a major company behind it.(Swider, 2013) So with future improvements to this device, Google Glass will soon be a product available to all wanting consumers.

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References Google. (2014). Tech specs. Retrieved from https://support.google.com/glass/answer/3064128?hl=en&ref_topic=3063354 on 2/23/2014 This website describes the technical specifications that are frequently questioned about. It describes the fit, display, audio, camera, connectivity, storage, battery, charger, and compatibility of the Google glasses. It provides the maximum constraints of the specifications. This article is useful to inform Google Glass users about their devices components. Bilton, N. (2012, Feb. 22). Behind the google goggles, virtual reality. The New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/technology/google-glasses-will-bepowered-by-android.html?_r=0 on 2/21/2014 This article explains how there is more to the Google glasses than people know. The glasses have motion sensors and a GPS. It is also equipped with a built-in camera that will allow for the user to instantly put images and videos on the web. This article states that Google glasses raises privacy concerns though. Since only the user can see the screen, people would never know if theyre being recorded or not. Also, they could easily have their image posted on the web in a matter of seconds. Smart-glasses.org. (n.d.). The benefits of smart glasses. Retrieved from http://www.smartglasses.org/benefits-smart-glasses/ on 2/21/2014 This article discusses the benefits of smart glasses and how they will impact the society. Explains how smart glasses, such as Google Glass, will allow people to interact with the environment through applications. These applications will help users to gather information about the objects and subjects that they are viewing in reality. It also describes how the smart glasses can be used to help people with dementia and protect peoples eyes from bright spots on the sun. Arthur, C. (2013, May 1). Google glass security failings may threaten owner's privacy. theguardian. Retrieved from http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2013/may/01/google-glass-security-privacy-risk on 2/23/2014 This article explains how Google glasses raise security concerns. A Santa-Barbara based programmer, Jay Freeman, discovered that Google Glass can be hacked by installing a rooted version of the software. This would enable the hacker to manage everything the user is doing from their smartphone or computer. Freeman says "A bugged Glass doesn't just watch your every move: it watches everything you are looking at (intentionally or furtively) and hears everything you do. The only thing it doesn't know are your thoughts." Anonymous. (2013, Mar). Google glass is just the beginning. Flare, 54. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1346949500?accountid=14541 on 2/21/2014

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This magazine article describes the benefits of the Google Glass as well as further improvements that could be made. Steven Mann, a Univ. of Toronto professor, stated he had invented computerized glasses in the 1970s. However they were designed to help vision, not to augment reality. This article discusses how Steve Mann sees that there are still more concepts for Google to look upon. Face recognizer, a tool for the blind, and video calling that allows the user to view from the perspective of whom theyre calling. Swider, M. (2013, January 23). Google glass review: Is becoming an explorer worth price of admission?. Retrieved from http://www.techradar.com/us/reviews/gadgets/google-glass1152283/review on 2/21/2014 This article provides a users review on the Google Glass. It describes the specifications thoroughly with opinionated feedback on each component. Everything from its interface, to the battery, is graded by Matt Swider. It also requests future improvements on the Google glasses, such as its camera and focus. And the end of the article, Swider explains his list of pros and cons on the glasses. Many authors. (n.d.). Google glass. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Google_Glass on 2/21/2014 This website provides extensive information about Google Glass. It defines the hardware and software that relates to the Google glasses. It also explains privacy concerns, such as people wearing the glasses to identify strangers and record and stream private meetings. Also security threats are an issue, because researchers have indicated that the glasses can be hacked by a virus-infected QR code. This website lists the numerous places that smart glasses have been banned due to these security threats. Finally, this article discusses the many ways how Google Glass can impact healthcare. It states how a surgeon used it to conduct a PEG procedure and how many surgeons will soon likely buy this product. Marshall, G. (2013, March 1). Google glass: say goodbye to your privacy: Google Glass could bring big changers to the way we live. Retrieved from http://www.techradar.com/us/news/mobile-computing/google-glass-say-goodbye-toyour-privacy-1134796 on 2/24/2014 This article indicates the privacy concerns rising from the Google glass. It talks about how the glasses are designed so that only the user can see what is on the screen, therefore everybody else is clueless to what is on the screen. This can allow people to privately stalk each other. If this occurs, Google Glass could be removed or sued because of this major ethical issue.