By 
If you watched The Daily Show last night, you would have seen a handful of brave Google Glass Explorers who volunteered to appear in a segment called “Glass Half Empty.” The skit focused on the recent trend of Google Glass-wearers being asked to leave certain establishments, and the “discrimination” they face.
The skit starts out like a report on discrimination, but quickly falls off the tracks when the interviewer realizes these people were simply asked to remove Glass. The interviewer asks numerous questions about why they choose to wear Glass, what it does, and why a regular smartphone is not enough for them. It’s very accurate commentary on how the world sees Google Glass Explorers right now.
At one point the interviewer tosses a verbal barb and then boils it down to a legitimate question “Let’s put aside that these glasses are just f***ing stupid. What is it about this (interviewer looks down at his phone) that’s too much for you?” Most people would agree with the interviewer in that a regular smartphone is more than enough. Explorers, however, are not most people. When you are on the bleeding edge of technology you will always run into detractors. Let’s not forget this is the same exact show that poked fun at the camera phone back in the day.
Google Glass is fighting to be accepted, just like every new technology has had to do at one time. One of the Explorers in the video, Cecilia Abadie, even went to court for wearing Glass while driving. We were there to report on her great victory. Some states are already banning Google Glass while driving, while others have ruled it’s fine. Airlines are also up in the air about allowing Glass on flights.
At the end of the day The Daily Show is just trying to be funny. We’re sure many of the writers would agree that Glass will soon be a normal thing. Right now, however, it’s not, and they will surely poke fun at that. What do you think about the skit and Google Glass in general?
Intrusion of privacy. I don’t want to walk in the street and fear being photographed meanwhile without my knowledge.
LOL! While walking down the street you’re on video camera multiple times from businesses, ATM machines, and traffic cameras at every intersection, etc. The difference is Glass users don’t record random people as they’re not that interesting to waste precious battery life on. How often has a security camera recording been posted to YouTube? It happens all of the time.
But I feel there’s a difference between that and someone walking with me along the street and taking a picture without my knowledge.
Anyone can do the same thing with a regular camera or cell phone. You will never see everyone that takes a picture of you.
But there ‘s a virtual difference between blinking your eye and between taking out a phone, aiming it, etc.
CCTV cams record everything to who knows where… every camera has an operator and can do anything they want with the footage.
I personally feel safer knowing cameras are all around… helps keeps bad people from performing crimes public.
If anything then the opposite. With no privacy, and when you go to the street like it’s a reality show, that’s not a very positive direction
Yet there have been people walking around with hidden cameras on them for the last 10 years or so, but thats not an issue? And those cameras only cost like $20 if that.
Not really.
It’s very noticeable to take your phone out, I was texting a friend while holding my phone and some dude approached me wanting to kick my ass for thinking I was taking pics of his truck.
If I had glass on I COULD have been taking pics of his truck and his paranoid arse wouldn’t know ;p
Was it a cool looking truck?
Strangely no, It was a 1980 something clunker that looked beat to hell. After the incident I reflected on it with my co workers and we came to the conclusion he may have had a warrant for his arrest and was hyper paranoid.
And guys sneak glances at women’s chests all the time, but there’s something different about persisting in doing it while the woman is watching.
“People get shot every day! What makes you think you’re so important that someone will want to shoot you?”
But when it gets public and everyone will have Glass… That’s not a place I want to be at
Until you get robbed… then would want the video or pictures from people with wearable technology around you.
Are you serious?…
No, Glass won’t help in case of robberies, unless people film 24/7, and in that case the intrusion is so big…
It’s faster to take a picture or record then getting your camera or phone out. No Glass explorers do not record 24/7 nor does anyone really want to. I feel there is a disconnect on how you interpret the use of Glass. …which I totally get.
Either way.. years to come it will be implanted or in a contact that you won’t see… its inevitable. We are in a “transitional” period with wearable technology.
But that’s what all the “I’ll punch them in the face” trolls say glass does!
Wouldn’t they just take your glass too..? Or stomp on it?
In theory, yes. More likely that cops will be overwhelmed by the data (at least until auto-recognition systems catch up) and it won’t help much at all.
Seriously… looks up the statistics of how much you are on camera per day in public. There is no such thing as privacy if you leave your house these days.
There is a difference between having your anonymous image sucked into a security system to be over-written in a week or so, and having your image posted in with context (location, people) that will let peers, employers or others identify you.
How do you know its getting “over-written in a week or so” ?? Because you believe what you hear ? Good job. Only if you know the people wearing Glass would you be in any “context” , and how exactly would “peers, employers, or others” identify you ? Glass doesnt do that. You seem to need to do research on multiple fronts. Start with not believing everything you hear on news and media about what they do with surveillance. Besides, there are satellites in orbit that can see what youre doing as well, yes theyre pointed at American civilians too, bet you didnt know that. I wonder when that surveillance is “over-written” as you say. I wonder. Stop worrying about things you cant control, live your life, you only got one.
I mean, if you’re wearing Google Glass in the first place, you deserve to get punched in the face just for being a douche, honestly.
I wear Google Glass pretty much all the time. You want to punch me or are you just that angry internet typing guy?
Just curious…
From your comments you seem to really hate Google Glass. This is fine, you are entitled to have your own opinion just like I am. What I am wondering is where do you personally draw the line. Do you have the same feeling for smart watches, fitness gadgets, ear pieces, etc? Are you just saying Google Glass is stupid because it looks dumb (your opinion) or do you just not like wearable technology? Let’s say Glass transitions into a contact lense and now you can even see it. Is it still dumb to you?
I personally could care less what others think I look like while wearing Glass. I actually think Glass looks better than wearing a bluetooth earpiece all the time… you know the people I am talking about.
I hate sporks. If you use a spork instead of a fork or spoon you deserve to get punched. See how insane that sounds?
I hate sporks so much… They aren’t spoons OR forks. You ever tried eating soup with one? How about eating salad? They cant hold stuff on the tines or in the “bowl” part. WHAT IS THE POINT?
Seriously America. Get a fork AND a spoon.
“Wearables” are dumb no matter what they’re called.
Period.
If you remove the camera, it *might* be okay but then you’d still get the idiots who walk around with it in public or while driving.
You don’t have to call me an idiot.
What about wearables for health reasons. If you see someone wearing a wearable that is needed to monitor a health condition… are you going to punch them in the face too?
Faster access to what you need, such as emails or taking pictures.
That’s what smartphones are. Sure, you could pull out your dslr camera when you want to take a picture or run to the nearest library to check your email, but more often than not you pull out your phone. Why? Because it’s faster and easier.
More information from Cecilia here: https://plus.google.com/114375401846819599162/posts/5sLsf3hdhvt
If The Daily Show asked me to go on I would have ran the other way… IMO this was expected and they are very brave for going on. As far as the Sarah chick.. well she was a surprise guest… go figure. I know Steven and Cecillia and they are both great people and awesome explorers only trying to help the Glass program (and wearables in general). In this situation they were clearly mocked but in the end… I think we all know that it’s just what The Daily Show does unless you’re an A-List celeb talking to John one-to-one.
Yeah, I think the Explorers were very brave for doing this. They had to know this would happen.
Even if I was brave enough to go on The Daily Show like they were… the moment they brought out surprise guest Sarah Slocum, I would have ran away.. even faster.
Yeah… she doesn’t deserve more publicity after the stunts she pulled.
“Magellan was an explorer, Chuck Yeager was an explorer, you guys have a F’ing camera on your face” lol. Funny bit though. Glass seems like something people don’t like or are unsure about, until they try it then they are crazy about it.
Brave, or just willing do do anything to see their faces in the media?
^ this
I would say for Sarah, yes. The others, no.
Haha, explorers… I thought he was joking. Any way, that’s not bravery. They’re sitting in a quiet room talking about their gadgets. That’s not bravery.
Wow, that picture just screams “douche-y, privileged white person”.
How much dumber could you get with those stupid things?
It’s comments like these that make me feel sorry for people angry at the world.
And you are happy at the world because of Google Glass? SAD!
You need a life!
Glass let’s me record very cool aspects of my life actually, such as my son and I fishing. I was able to capture him and I reeling in his first fish together. I couldn’t have done that without Glass. These are the types of moments Glass Explorers capture.
Fishing, I laughed. haha.
But your point.. I have some awesome footage of my kids… pictures and videos I would never have had if I never used Glass. That alone makes it worth it to me.
That’s precious
I wondered why she was part of this segment… with all of you. Interesting call, Mr. Producer…
Wow you need privacy in public yes those two words are synonym’s. now people are getting how celebraties feel about paparazzi
*Antonyms.
LOL!!!
Maybe he was being sarcastic.
Yup
I am gigantic tech nerd and absolutely love Google, but all benefits and intelligent points aside, Google Glass looks awful and makes the wearer look like a raging douche.
And the anti privacy argument of “You are on camera all day! There’s no such thing as privacy any more!” is incredibly weak, IMO.
I would disagree with both of your opinions. I don’t think they look that bad at all, other than the large battery pack behind the ear. And you really can be filmed any time anywhere, and are. That point is 100% true so I fail to see how it’s weak.
I understand a lot of people’s reservations albeit their argument is weak. Anyone with a smartphone can easily record other people without them knowing. You could pretend to be doing something else and recording someone all day long because we are used to seeing people with their smartphones. Having said that, I personally have no interest in google glass. I think it looks terrible, same as smart watches. Which brings up another good point, nobody is screaming lack of privacy with the smart watches. That would be so easy to record someone with a smart watch that has a camera.
My employer modified our company policy handbook in the past week and unilaterally banned Google Glass at our place of business.
Sounds like 2003 all over again.
Does your company have a lot of proprietary equipment or information lying around? I used to work at an R&D facility and one of our other sites required people handing in their cell phones too.
In that case, I would think Glass would already be banned due to having a camera. My last job I worked at a defense contractor and they actually went out of their way to order cell phones without cameras.
@RBTGT:disqus was it just a modification for Glass or did they ban all cameras? I mean, I guess they can do whatever they want/need to do but am wondering how they worded it in the policy handbook.
Then you’re company likely already has video recording devices banned or restricted in some form. My company has various areas you can’t even take any device into and we are not allowed to record at all. In fact 8 years ago, phones with cameras were banned until they realized that was pretty much impossible. Now the rule simply states you cannot not take pictures/video. I’m sure GG fits the same rules. You can wear them, but if you get caught recording anything, you’re fired.
Glass will make it as far as the Bluetooth headsets did, Goolroid’s will have to face it sooner than later, it ain’t going to fly.
Bluetooth headsets are still around and popular you know. They just look different and double as headphones.
Was just about to say that. I have a Bluetooth headset. Use it when im driving, because the car i have doesnt have the built in kind.
Yeah I use the LG Tone headset once people at work saw me wearing it at least 3-4 went out and bought one too :)
Gets pretty good sound quality and battery life for the price.
So yeah, hardly a dead tech
I think google glass has a lot of serious potential, the concepts I have seen how it could be used to assist first responders for example were just amazing. I really don’t see what the big deal is though, in today’s day and age, you would have to assume that anything you do outside your house could potentially be caught on film anyway.
The main issue here is that privately owned businesses do not want those glasses worn inside of their place. They are LEGALLY allowed to do this. I too think that GG has a lot of potential, but in a case of a business not wanting them inside, then they can do that. As far as other people not wanting to be filmed, LEGALLY speaking, if they asked not to be filmed, then the filmer is required by law to stop filming, as far as one individual filming another. Security cameras operate under a different law, and are exempt from this. This only applies to one individual filming another without consent.
Ok. So the premise is you’re not a douche if you wear the GG.
But what about the douches who were douches long before GG came along. You know – your standard, regulation douches.
What happens when they put on GG? Are we supposed to suddenly respect that they’re magically no longer douches?
Douches are still douches with or without GG. The problem is many people assume everyone wearing GG is a douche, which I’m sure is far from true.
I am so going to get Google Glass! I had always planned to because I’m a quadriplegic, and they really will be great for accessibility. Now I want them to help make them more mainstream too.
What is it about people that feel the need to put tatoo’s on their body. Is regular jewellery not enough. Same thing!
For the record, it is discrimination, these people are being singled out because of one choice they’ve made.
The problem is that they can take them off, they just choose not too. A person cannot just simply take off their tattoo. Also, as with any privately owned business, they can choose to not let individuals wear these in. They aren’t saying that these people cannot come in in general, but they can’t wear them in. Just like at a movie theater, you can’t bring a camera in, but you can come in without a camera. These people are acting like entitled assholes for thinking that the ‘discrimination’ is a hate crime. If they really want to go to an establishment, they can simply take them off. I have no problem with glass, but I don’t have a problem with business choosing to not allow someone to enter while wearing them.
The term “Glasshole” arose because of how people were acting, not because of what they were wearing. Similarly, it’s how the “explorers” are using GG to disregard the normal social conventions of common courtesy and respecting other’s privacy that’s led to “discrimination” against GG wearers.
As an earlier post mentioned, Glassholes were holes long before Glass came along, but Glass does seem to attract an abnormal number of them. Whining about being asked to behave politely, posting videos of those who don’t wish to be recorded, and calling for boycotts of venues that don’t allow such recording just shows that the critics were correct in their judgment of the Glasshole’s behavior. If the wearers want GG to gain acceptance, they need to make their own behavior while sporting GG more acceptable.
But what makes them entitled to privacy in a public location?
Granted, it’s not the same level of privacy expected in ones home, but people do have a right to expect that they can go about their lives without becoming the subject of some amateur paparazzi’s video showing up on Facebook or YouTube. Maybe privacy isn’t the right word, but people do expect a certain level of separation from their fellow patrons at places like bars, restaurants, etc. where these Glassholes are being asked to show some respect for others.
Just because technology now allows individuals to turn every local hangout into a worldwide stage doesn’t make it right to do so. I expect if these same individuals were subject to the same constant monitoring they are subjecting others to, they would be equally offended. But since they are the ones doing the monitoring and deciding what does or doesn’t get wider distribution, they believe themselves to be wronged when people object.
Legally, being in public opens you up to attack. But the social niceties, required for society to work even if not legally binding, dictate that barring unusual circumstances you respect the anonymity of your fellow public patrons. It would probably be legal to surround your house with cameras and pay a camera crew to follow you everywhere you go (if I were rich enough). That doesn’t make it right to do so.
There’s still a level of expected privacy. No one wants a camera shoved in their face like a zoo animal.
I don’t know that I would call this a “skit?”
This was great.
Blown away by the sheer number of straw men in this skit, the sad thing is a lot of technophobic morons will use it to back up their fear of progress.
The Daily Show is satirical. Anyone watching it knows that.
Theres really no way to defend constantly wearing the device in public day to day life. I get it if its convenient for capturing personal life events and what not. But do you see people in bars or restaurants pulling out there phone while they eat or drink to just record their general surroundings? Its not necessary to record everything from your face. At the end of the day it is an invasion of privacy even though we walk that fine line daily with phone cameras. But being able to record someone without them knowing with a simple glance in their direction is not needed and once people realize what the device is capable of they will be angry.All these things can be done from a phone, yes, but not in such a sneaky manner. Google Glass is just an overpriced device for which they are trying to create a market.
I don’t think many of you understand that this is a satirical program like The Onion or The Colbert Report.
You have to understand social expectations. In today’s society, it is frowned upon when you walk around with a camera attached to your face.