My love/hate relationship with new tech – and why I hate Google Glass

Our environment has evolved far more rapidly than we have. Especially in the two decades since Tim Berners-Lee sparked the Internet into life. In this deeply honest blog, tech blogger Duncan Casburn (right) shares his views about Google Glass – a recent invention that not everyone believes is positive. This reminds me of the reaction to Don Tapscott's books on Office Automation in the mid 1980s when he predicted computers would change the way we approach everything. He was panned by pundits who said it couldn't happen because the masses would never learn how to type. Duncan Casburn is being entirely human when kicking against Google Glass. But shows more of an open mind than most by trying to understand why this is so, and then admitting he may be wrong. – AH     

By Duncan Casburn*

I just read a great article on Mashable called "Why We Hate Google Glass". In spite of the sensationalist title, the article is actually a study in why we often dismiss new tech out of fear of the unknown. And I must admit I have found myself questioning my own hatred of Google Glass.

You see I love new tech. I love my iPhone, I love smart TV's, iPads, Kinect, Cloud, you name it. But I hate Google Glass, and I have to ask myself, 'Why?'

Part of this may be that I have a personal issue with Google. Now I could rant on about privacy and the not-so-great history Google have, but it's a personal argument, and that's not what this blog's about.

In all honesty my relationship with Google is love/hate, because the truth is they're amazing innovators, and will often innovate in spite of the cost, just to see if they can make it work. That is worthy of respect.

So why do I hate Glass?

I had the same reaction the day my father came with his first mobile phone. It was the late 80's and no one else had one. Rather than feel pride as this (at the time) amazing piece of tech was in our lives, I cringed every time he used it. There was just too much of a stigma associated with cell phones. I could read the minds of everyone who saw us use it, and I won't print what they thought here!

Thirty years later, and I'm typing this blog on my smartphone!

Time, as they say, heals all wounds.

So, will Glass be more socially acceptable in 30 years? Perhaps, but I think not. I think more likely it will find a niche use (or uses) and there it will reside. Medics, mechanics, engineers, exam cheats…all I can see benefitting from Glass, but I can't see it (pardon the pun) in everyday use.

You see, when not being used, a smartphone fits into your pocket. It doesn't remain attached to your face while dormant. Mass adoption requires at least some level of discretion.

The problem Is that Glass requires a special kind of person to use it. They have to put function over appearances.

Now that may sound like vanity on my part, but hear me out. Remember Bluetooth Earpeices? 10 years ago people that used them looked ridiculous. 10 years on they still do because their functionality doesn't compare to how silly they look.

To sum up, I guess what I'm saying is this. Google Glass may be the best thing that ever happened to the smartwatch!

But what about other areas of technical advancement – do we dismiss things out of hand simply because we don't understand them. Or do we latch onto certain fears and so miss opportunities?

With Glass, my main concern is privacy…and there are genuinely reasons to be concerned: there are already modifications that allow Glass users to take photo's simply by winking – they even bypass the light so you would never know that your picture is being taken.

But my temptation is to write off the whole of the product because of this one concern. The silliest part is that my photo is taken thousands of time every year without my knowledge – every time I walk into a store I am on a security camera. There are street cameras, ATM cameras, phone camera's – the list is practically endless.

The truth is that Glass is an amazing opportunity for so many different reasons. Sometime soon I have to have a corneal graft. A surgeon will cut open my eye, remove my cornea, and put another in its place. With Glass, the surgeon could be reading my stats as he operates, greatly reducing the risk of complication. That's amazing when you think about it, and mine's a routine procedure…imagine that kind of direct feedback during a heart transplant.

Likewise, Emergency Workers could be receiving real-time updates as they go about their job, immediate communications allowing search parties to stay in constant communication.

Mechanics could work on my car, and get live diagnostics. Imagine the AA being able to patch into my car from the roadside and quickly resolve any issues.

How about guided tours – Glass using Augmented Reality to give me notes and points of interest as I walk around, say, the Louvre? Imagine how much we could learn.

We are now seeing the same sort of thing with Cloud. Where, only a couple of years ago, many feared The Cloud, we are now seeing a massive surge in its adoption because the benefits have become so clear that they outweigh what are, for the most part, unfounded concerns.

Google Glass may or may not catch on, but to dismiss it out of hand simply because I have some concerns reflects poorly on me, because it means that I have, without the proper investigation, written off a product that could save lives and be off massive benefit.

* Duncan Casburn has had a long career in B2B having worked as an organiser on events such as Business 2012 and Apps World. He is currently the Head of BD & Marketing for Flint Hosts, a leading UK Based Managed Cloud Hosting provider. Duncan has been selected as a finalist for the National UK Blog Awards 2014. @dcasburn