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Comment by mirz | Hacker News Reader

Google is NOT a pioneer in wearable computing and have really been getting more than their share of praise. This is a space that has been developing for quite some time. Steve Mann, a professor at University of Toronto, is probably the best known researcher that has been developing similar mediated reality technology since the 90s.

Google is just looking to commercialize the space and make sure it's their services that are driving the experience.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Steve_Mann http://eyetap.org/

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Steve was walking around MIT's campus in the 90s looking like a borg with his eyepiece/headgear. It's quite a contrast to see the Google PR with little Miss Eye Candy wearing a slimmed-down version of that.

Short of battlefield operations, I don't see exactly how the masses are going to enbrace this tech. There needs to be some huge value-add.

> "I don't see exactly how the masses are going to enbrace this tech"

PR and Eye Candy would be my guess? Steve really didn't have either of those going for him. Never underestimate the power of good marketing. And never underestimate what the "unwashed masses" will be willing to buy.

Personally, I think it would look less obtrusive if they were built with lenses in the frame (ie. otherwise functional glasses) to make them look more normal. Except one side would have a little extra display area and camera. I think they also need to balance out the weight difference so that one side is not heavier than the other, even if it's just "ballast" counterweight.

In other words, camoed into existing aesthetic rather than something overly different which stands out. It reads more "geeky" than "cool", as they are. Of course, that could change. I used to think people talking into wires dangling from their faces was really odd in the beginning, but then everyone started doing it and it seemed normal after a while.

Touchscreen phones weren't a new idea either. The implementation and how well it works matters a lot more.

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