Google Glass: An Apps to "Glassholes" Review; Borglike or Beautiful? Virtual Reality Contact Lenses

A link about a new app by Hyundai got me thinking about Google Glass.

What is Google Glass?

Google Glass is a voice activated computer eye-wear system capable of many voice activated functions such as photography, videos, navigation (better than and easier to use than car GPS systems), hands-free internet, and automatic translation of menus in foreign languages.

Many apps are available and more are coming.

Hyundai released an app for "pre-driving". Google Glass is likely to replace car GPS navigation systems at some point, and it's great car companies are looking in that direction.

The rest of the car manufacturers will follow, and probably are already.

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The product is currently in beta mode, with early users reporting on their experiences.

Some initial users loved it, some hated it or grew to hate it, and some were bored with it after the initial excitement wore off. Still other users complained that people were suspicious of them while wearing Google Glass.

Different arouses suspicion say one "Glasshole" about his trial.

Google Vision

I am an eyeglass wearer which got me to thinking about just plain glass - as in eye glasses. How many people have truly horrific vision, so bad that eye glasses can only offer partial correction?

I have a friend with 20-200 vision after correction.

Could "Google Vision" project an image to a person's eyes in precisely the manner required to overcome whatever extremely poor eyesight one had?

Better than eyeglasses can?

I suspect "Google Vision" could correct for brightness, astigmatism, and severely distorted eye shapes that currently take inch-thick lenses to correct, and then only partially.

For the vision function, an image would have to be projected into each eye, perhaps requiring two photographic lenses, perhaps a single photographic lens and two projector lenses.

Borglike or Beautiful?

If people are treated like Martians, "Glassholes" or Borgs for having  a single Google Glass camera above one eye, what would happen to those with lenses sitting over both eyes (the way vision actually works)?

Yet, as I browse through images of Google Glass wearers, many are far more beautiful than "borglike".

Of course, no matter how people are treated now, if enough people start wearing Google Glass when prices fall (and prices will fall), the stigma of "Google Glass" would likely wear off quickly.

Virtual Reality Contact Lenses

And what if there were no glass at all, just contact lenses?
You would not be able to talk to your contact lenses, but CNet reports Augmented-reality contact lenses to be human-ready at CES

Anyone who has ever dreamed up a sci-fi future in which neon interfaces float in front of us and information exists not on screens, but projected onto our eyes, is likely watching the blossoming wearable technology market with great anticipation. With its iOptik system, wearables startup Innovega has sighted in on that futuristic vision, designing special contact lenses that will read the light from projectors fitted to glasses. In doing so, it's inching closer to a product that may rival even Google in its wearable ambition.

"Whatever runs on your smartphone would run on your eyewear," Willey said in an interview with CNET. "At full HD. Whether it's a window or immersive."

The contact lenses can also serve the purpose of vision correction as normal contact lenses do. That means those already using them -- a growing fraction of the global population that relies on vision correction that also, Innovega claims, includes more than 100 million contact lens users -- can swap them out for prescription Innovega lenses. The company will rely on a partnership with a major contact lens manufacturer, though has not yet disclosed the status of any relationships with any eyewear companies.

In addition to contact lenses, Innovega also has something that looks similar to Google Glass. Here is an image.



Inquiring minds may be interested in some articles and videos about "Google Glass".

• Video: How It Feels Wearing Google Glass
• Video: Google Glass User Guide
• Inventor of 'Winky' App Explains: What It's Like to Use
• Hipster Review: Williamsburg Hipsters Pass Their Own Minority Report
• Hyundai App: Hyundai to Add App for Google Glass Into Vehicles
• Treadmill App: New smart treadmill controlled by Google Glass
• Wedding Experience: Bride Walks Down the Aisle With Google Glass
• “Glasshole” Experience: I, Glasshole, My Year With Google Glass

Final Thoughts

I would like to test out "Google Glass" or the Innovega iOptik System provided I don’t have to pay for the privilege. It would have to fit on top of the glasses I normally wear, but some of the images suggest that is already possible.

User Robert Scoble says Google Glass is Doomed.

I will take the other side of that bet. I can think of all kinds of apps.

Virtual Reality Sharing

What about virtual reality sharing? One person wearing Google Glass can share their experience with a group of others far away. What one person sees, everyone sees, as if they were there, real time. That app alone has numerous possibilities.

Want to know what it's like to climb Mt. Everest? The possibility awaits, and many would pay for the experience, without going through the cold and training of being there. 

I suspect everything I have thought of is already being worked on. Google Glass will evolve in more ways than people can imagine.

Wine Country Conference II

The second annual Wine Country Conference will be held May 1st & 2nd, 2014.

We have an exciting lineup of speakers for this year's conference.

• John Hussman: Founder of Hussman Funds, Director of the John P. Hussman Foundation which is dedicated to providing life-changing assistance through medical research
• Steen Jakobsen: Chief Economist of Saxo Bank
• Stephanie Pomboy: Founder of MacroMavens macroeconomic research
• David Stockman: Ronald Reagan's budget director, best-selling author, former Managing Director of The Blackstone Group 
• Mebane Faber: Co-founder and the Chief Investment Officer of Cambria Investment Management
• Jim Bruce: Producer, Director, and Writer of Money For Nothing: Inside the Federal Reserve 
• Chris Martenson: Reknown speaker and founder of Peak Prosperity
• Mike “Mish” Shedlock: Investment advisor for Sitka Pacific and Founder of Mish’s Global Economic Trend Analysis

In addition, we expect confirmation from a number of other highly respected fund managers and speakers. This year's event is two days and will include additional "break-out" groups.

For speaker bios, please check out Wine Country Conference Speakers.

This Year's Cause: Autism

$100,000 of the money raised last year came from a generous matching grant from the John P. Hussman Foundation.

Some of us in the industry who have done well are making an effort to give something back. John Hussman is at the very top of that list.

One of John's kids has severe autism. This year, all net proceeds will go to support autism programs.

Conference Details

For further details about the 2014 conference, please see Wine Country Conference May 1st & 2nd, 2014

Nothing Like It!

This event is not just another "come and hear someone talk" kind of thing. Attendees and their significant others can expect an educational, fun, and relaxed time.

Last conference, we arranged wine tours. They were a big hit. We will do so again. One of the wine estates we visited had a Bocce Ball court. On a couple of miracle shots, I won both games I played.

Stay an extra day and golf or travel. I did. The conference hotel is a fun place in and of itself.

Unlike many other conferences, you will have easy access to speakers.

Want to chat with me, Steen, John, or anyone else at the conference? You will have an easy chance.

Not only do we have an excellent lineup of speakers, you will have an opportunity to meet with them, have intimate discussions on important investment topics, with a lot of fun on the side, including wine tours and great wine.

There's nothing like it in the investment business. And your money goes to a great cause! What can be better?

Register Now for Discount

We extended our $200 "early bird" discount through January 10, for those who register early. There will be no further extensions. Please Register Now!



Mike "Mish" Shedlock
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com