Smart - A word that has been attached to electronic devices also know as gadgets to make them look like they have some form intelligence or have clever abilities. From smart TVs, smart phones, smart kettles, smart fridges, smart ovens to smart glasses what they all have in common is a feature or features that take them beyond their initial concept.
But how does one define smart and does adding extra features such as connectivity, control options or enhanced functionality actually make the device smart.
We've seen telephones from their infancy in the early days that were wired at home (and still are) to being carried around by everyone and from which we now plan, communicate, record and coordinate our every lives to the extent if the "smart phone" is not with us; we cannot function or we forget what it "used" to be like without having the constant need to record our everyday movements or the check in with what is "happening" in the world.
We're surrounded by smart speakers where we can speak verbal instructions to make things happen. Then because of the smart connectivity with our lights, our appliances and other smart devices just like a magician we can conjure things like lights turning on or music to begin playing out of thin air. If I feel the urge I can switch on my kettle at home in the UK if I am holidaying in Australia at the touch of a button and it all happens at the speed of light; all to prove I can boil a cup of water from the other side of the world. I can turn my heating on or off or up or down or link it to the outside temperature or weather forecast, again because I can. But now I do this because it makes my life easier and I don't have to worry about menial tasks no more.
Smart is all around me, it is the status quo for appliances and my life...... or so I think?
In February 2014, some 7 years ago I bought my first pair of google glasses - wearable technology, an american pair but located in the UK for £1280. These were smart glasses that linked to my smart phone where I could make or receive video or phone calls, play music with the bone conduction speakers, take photos with a wink and they had a heads up display so I could interact with my phone that was still in my pocket.
At this time, Google were just beginning to allow international registrations of the US device with non US nationals. But a few months later Google released an upgrade version which was officially launched in the UK and I purchased at £1000, bought £100s of accessories and paid £100s for prescription lenses. The UK, as the next country on their road map for global release happened to coincide with android wear and the early google smart watches.
Glasses flopped in the UK and within a year, both the project was closed down for consumers, the global release never happened and glass was left consigned and relaunched for enterprises to utilise the glasses within businesses on menial tasks.
For me I ended up with some expensive paper weights and am now more reserved (some would argue this) on what technology I put my money into. But I do not regret my glass purchase, I am saddened it just stopped.
At Google I/O in 2012 - Project Glass was launched with an impressive Sky Dive by Sergey Brin one of the Google Co-founders to demonstrate what the glass was capable of and the potential it had. Over the next 12 months people who joined the project and got hold of their own glasses became known as Glass Explorers.
There has been nothing before like Google glasses from a consumer perspective with a similar technical capability, portability and potential. But the the idea of a wearable camera that no one would recognise nor be aware if you were photographing or recording them did not put the glasses in a positive light.
Google Creeps, Glassholes were all terms created to label anyone wearing the glasses could secretly record activities with the camera without the knowledge of the 3rd party and there was the assumption that only perverts would wear and use these them.
A simple search returns headings like Google Glass advice: how to avoid being a glassholeGoogle Glass advice: how to avoid being a glasshole or stories such as Entitled Creep Secretly Films People With Google Glass . This was all negative press that eventually with the flop of the release in the UK saw their demise and relaunch for the enterprise only.
Now roll on into 2021 and Facebook have launched with Rayban the Rayban Stories - wearable technology which are essentially bluetooth speaker sunglasses like the Bose Frames - smart audio glasses, but with built in cameras so you can record video and take photos. But unlike the Google Glasses there is an LED which is switched on in both scenarios to warn the 3rd party they are being recorded or a photo has been taken. Like the Google Glass they require you to press a button to invoke the recording, but unlike google glass they don't allow you to take a picture by winking.
A big concept of Google glass was to resolve the issue about recording the current moment you are in without actually taking you out of the moment. In other words today if we want to record the fact about the moment we are in, for example at a music concert, we grab for our phone hold it up and take a photo. But the very fact doing this takes us out of the music concert moment as we've had to grab for the phone, open the camera app, align it and the click the shutter. Whereas with google glass you could just wink or press the button on the glasses arm and it would take a photo or video of whatever you are looking at without removing you from that moment.
Rayban Stories aim to do a similar thing and hence have adopted the title of smart glasses, similar to the Bose Frames which are smart audio and allow you to listen to music on you smart phone without the need for head phones. These two devices are from the last 2 years but Google where here first with their glass release in 2012.
Some would argue the Rayban Stories are trying to pick up where Google left off?
Some would argue the Bose Frames are safer as they cannot take photos?
Both of the devices are trying to solve two different problems with two different approaches.
But I go back to my opening statement and the definition of "Smart".
If I physically wear a separate camera on my head with a separate pair of headphones and a pair of normal sunglasses, other than looking ridiculous is that smart?
if it is - which bit?
Because speakers have been crammed into my sunglasses or a camera and speakers have been crammed into my sunglasses does it make it smart?
Or, am I smart wearing smart sunglasses at night when it is dark and I cannot see a bloody thing?.
It is all conjecture.
If I had to baseline this, I would go back to 2012 and Project Glass and would state these recent devices are all dumb and not smart when compare to Glass.
Glass with its technical flaws like battery life had one other major flaw which was not technical - social acceptance but was a result of a technical addition - the camera.
The Glasses were actually smart, they were part of a future that I still want to see today - heads up displays to relay information, the "augmented reality" of combining "big data" with the world around us and allowing me to be in the moment and not outside of it.
For the record I do agree there has to be a solution to show people you are recording/photographing but do not know what is the best way. As a photographer i believe in being courteous and asking permission to photograph to which I know some people would disagree with me and would not even bother.
But each time I wore Glass, as a photographer I would explain to people what I was doing, if I was pressing the shutter button on the arm, why i was winking as a demonstration.
Back to my point - there is an argument "why wear them in the first place" as the fact you having to augment the real world takes you out of the moment and it doesn't enhance the experience.
To which my reply is - until you've actually worn glasses like Google Glass without the need to pull out your phone, where it is giving you real time information and you have used the built in camera to record a moment like walking in the countryside without the need to grab your phone to take a picture is such a release- I will never be able to explain to you how it just works and doesn't ruin nor take you out of that moment unlike pulling out your phone to do the same.
This is not about the perverseness of taking photos of 3rd parties without their knowledge as it is something I do not do nor subscribe to and I have already stated that as a photographer I would ask for permission or explain what I was doing if i wanted to capture a photo.
I've pondered heavily over the Rayban Stories this week and was excited to see their launch but then I had to revisit my definition of smart.
I already own a wearable camera which I only tend to use doing physical activities such as cycling. The technology in the Stories is no better than Glass with it being only 5 megapixels and can only do 30 second videos, whereas Glass can shoot video for 30 minutes plus.
I've a phone with camera and usually carry a more professional camera with me if out. So I find myself concluding, they're not smart like my Glass and like Glass; social acceptance of the glasses with a camera hasn't really advanced as people still associate them with the "creep factor".
So will I ever be able to enjoy being in the moment wearing them and whilst they are not linked to the Facebook app or site directly, people will just not understand.
Possibly it is time to dust off my Google Glass but I am unsure how smart they will be today nearly 9 years on or if indeed they will work.
In reality we as a society have not moved on to accept wearable technology with cameras as a wearable device that we'd happily use.
Google glass was definitely ahead of its time, it is sad to see its demise and being made redundant to the enterprise with menial tasks.
Smart watches have grown in popularity but what do I see people doing today - twitching as they get a vibration on their wrist to then read a message on a 1.5 inch display.
With glass you just glanced at a notification as it tracked your eyes and if you didn't want to interact with it you could just look straight ahead.
Since the pandemic and lock down with more people working at home we have got used to the fact of video cameras invading our homes with video conferencing. Video calls are all the rage and we can now make facetime (audio only) calls from our wrists.
But what if the video call was extended to a potential camera on our wrist in an apple watch liked device.
Samsung back in 2013 did this but would this be socially unaccepted like Glasses?
Would it be classed as "smart"?
Would it be a "smart move"?
Sadly I am unable to answer any of these questions only ponder. I cannot predict what is around the corner but I am yearning for the next "Google Glass" technology that keeps me in the moment, allows me to interact with my surroundings with applications like mapping and navigation, allows me to record the moment without any privacy issues/concerns but overall is exciting like the Google Glass device and how it was launched back in 2012 and something that is unlike the mediocre so called "smart devices" of today such as my kettle, my fridge, my oven, my phone and lastly my new glass replacement......
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