How Google designed its wearable Glass gadget (and why)

PALO ALTO, Calif. – Babak Parviz, one of the creators of Google Glass wearable headsets at Google, told an audience at Stanford University why his company embarked on the journey to create wearable computers and what will come next.
When Google set out to create Glass, it was looking for the next big platform for communications and computing, he said in a talk at the Hot Chips engineering conference at Stanford.
The first prototype was not impressive. Smartphones weigh around 135 grams, but the first Glass prototype required a backpack and weighed 3,350 grams — 7.4 pounds.
Glass is a sophisticated computing platform in that it takes pictures and videos, recognizes your speech commands, and delivers sound to you via a bone conduction method. It has a dual-core processor running at more than a 1Ghz. And it has a three-axis gyroscope, a three-axis accelerometer, a magnetometer, and global positioning system location information. These devices give sensor information on your location and positioning.
The device is not symmetric, with two Glass elements covering both eyes, because it’s much more complex. It doubles the weight, increases power consumption, and distracts your other eye from the real world.
“Comfort is very important because we want people to wear it the whole day,” Parviz said.
The device can transfer data via Bluetooth and Wi-Fi radios. At the moment, there is no plan to add cellphone service or a data modem. If there is an overriding mission of Glass, it’s to deliver information fast.
“As I talk to you, this is how fast I can access the computer,” he said. “The camera sees the world through my eyes. It lives with me as I live my life. This device is intimately aware of what I see.”
One of the advantages of the form factor is that you can use it to perform tasks much more quickly than even if you were pushing buttons on your smartphone. It responds to touches or to voice commands, and it delivers sound directly to the bone in your head, rather than into your ears.
Google Glass can also be more immersive, as the screen can be closer to your eye and make you feel like you are immersed in a computing environment. Smartphone screens can do that, but they are already getting too big.
“This is possible now because of you guys and what you enable in the electronics industry,” Parviz said. “We have also take advantage of the smartphone and the infrastructure it created.
He noted smartphone camera resolution has risen from virtually nothing in 2002 to more than 16 megapixels today. That’s a huge leap that paved the way for Glass.
“It produces a beautiful image, and it costs a few dollars,” he said. “That is mind-boggling, and it is an example of why this device was not possible 15 years ago.”
As to why Google embarked on this task in the first place, Parviz noted how it is the next logical step in the expansion of knowledge.
“This device significantly expands my knowledge base,” Parviz said. “This is why we created Google Glass. The answers are just a question away.”
Today, the company is selling its first Google Glass units for $1,500. Over time, that price will come down. Parviz described it as an interesting first step.
“As we released it to a number of people, and they tested it; it was amazing to experience their lives through their eyes,” he said. “We noticed if you have an electronics device all day, it should not impede any of your other senses.” His eyes and ears are still open and hands are free. ”That was very important,” he said. “You can get very rapid access to technology when you need it.”
Parviz said, “Now you use a huge amount of computing power for a fraction of a second. You ask a question, and it gets back to you.
On the road ahead, Parviz wants technology to disappear. That’s why he likes Microsoft’s Kinect motion-sensing system. You don’t even know it’s there.
“It should be the least intrusive,” he said.
He said this will require advances in optics, photonics, miniaturization, transducers, computing power, and ultralow power designs. Since the device is on your body, it can’t generate much heat. That puts a lot of constraints on design.
“We are very excited about this platform, potentially as the major next thing in computing and communication,” Parviz said.
He said the team takes security very seriously. Everything is pushed from the cloud, and an app cannot be installed and run on the device itself. That might change in future versions, and that will introduce implications for security.
Asked what he thought of the privacy issues as Glass technology becomes more invisible in the future, Parviz said, “That’s already an issue with smartphones. Back in the 1880s, when the first camera came out, and it became possible for someone to take a picture of you, it made people uncomfortable. It took some time for society to figure it out. The trajectory for a device like this is something similar.”


Dean Takahashi  @venturebeat.com

How To Select Waterproof Camera

Buying digital waterproof camera can definitely make you envision taking footage during a a lot of different lightweight (literally and figuratively). Today, even non-waterproof cameras are often remodeled into waterproof cameras by means of waterproof housing and casing. extra accessories and peripherals for waterproof photography pave the means for inspiring and fascinating footage you'll capture and share with friends and family.
Today's digital waterproof camera is choked with most technology and new features that you {just} just may become weak with what to seem for. take into account the kind of photography you favor to do first. If it is something you would like to use to capture a lot of casual pictures waterproof, for instance of family and friends swimming at the pool or beach, purchase a camera with face-detection tool. it'll aid you greatly in catching the expression on people's faces waterproof without having to zoom in on them and missing the instant.
Camera models with the faucet technology like the ones from Mt. Olympus are also great to use. It allows users to merely tap the aspect of the camera to shoot the photograph rather than struggling about waterproof for buttons to click.
For a lot of casual footage like family or holidays, a photographic camera with face detection and tap technology ar great to have. These can prove convenient once you ar waterproof holding your breath, and trying to get the expression on your kids' faces when they are swimming waterproof. tap technology, offered in waterproof digital cameras just like some Mt. Olympus styles, is when a camera's aspect are often merely tapped to require photos rather than creating you push innumerable buttons to require a photograph.Your favorite footage should matter a lot once you ar within the marketplace for the best digital waterproof camera for you personally. will you be shooting underneath the surface photographs of your kids as they are learning to swim within the pool? ar you a fresh certified diver UN agency desires to record your first real foray underneath the surface? Or do you merely love the notion of a camera that can be converted into associate waterproof one to be used during out of city trips?
It ought to be also essential to scan au courant the positives and negatives of every model to assist narrow down your decisions. Some could be affordable however provide fewer features compared to similar cameras. instead, a photographic camera may possibly be choked with extras however is also reply of your budget. learn how to weigh the positive and negative aspects of waterproof digital cameras so you'll still get the correct potential deal.
You'll notice variant waterproof cameras and lenses to pick from these days. very cheap line is, you should do some reading before choosing one for yourself. In the end, the digital waterproof camera that can work best for you is the one which will conform to your means of life, preferences, and value vary. whereas you are at it, also take into account helpful features just like fast shutter response, longer battery life, and light weighting in low marine light particularly if you want to shoot ocean flora and fauna after the sun has set.
Owning a digital waterproof camera can drastically amendment the means you are taking photos. several assume this can be a tool merely intended for divers and marine life fanatics.

John Blank @http://goarticles.com

Advantages of Android Tablets Over Apple’S iPad

When it comes to tablets, it is undeniable that Apple’s best-selling iPad takes more than half of its market share slice. The revolutionary iOS tablet has taken the world by storm and has become somewhat a household name for tablets.
However, android tablets exist, and are ready to offer what they claim to be more than what iOS tablets can offer. But does getting an android-based tablet a smart decision when the iOS-based one is the most popular? Here are just some of the advantages in getting an android tablet rather than the usual iOS-based iPad.
Fully Customizable
This is probably the feature that most android users boast about. Android and iOS are different types of operating systems-series of codes that were put together to make the tablets work. But what makes android tablets different from the iPad is that the former’s operating system is based on an open-source system, whereas the latter uses an exclusive one.
How does this make android better? An open source OS allows full customization of the tablet’s features and apps. The stock color theme is too bland for your taste? You could flash a new one. The stock loader is not giving you enough options? Install a custom loader with hundreds of themes and customization options. The list goes on.
This just cannot be done with an iPad. What you see is what you get, and, as the long line of iPads have demonstrated, what you get is something that all of the former tablets have also gotten. Apple rarely strays from its trademark interface, sticking to everything familiar. If it has proven to work before, they are not changing it.
With an android tablet, however, users can change the experience to suit their taste.
Rooting Versus Jailbreaking
The second advantage of android-based tablets is that gaining access to its core functions and program is easy to do-and without any major violations at that. To customize stock themes and interface, the user must gain access to the main codes-the “root” of program, so to speak. This is what is known in android circles as “rooting”-getting into the primal codes and gaining full administrative access.
Similarly, such a thing is possible with the iOS’ iPad. However, it is not as easy as rooting an android tablet. In fact, Apple explicitly advises against rooting their products, warning doers that their warranties will be voided if they do so. This is why the term for iPad rooting is called “jailbreaking”, because it mimics the extremely difficult experience a prisoner has to do to successfully escape from his or her cell undetected.
To get an idea of how difficult it is, Apple releases new encryption codes with each software update… sort of like adding new traps or cell locks the prisoner must evade or pick. Apple purposefully makes it difficult for people to gain access into their system.
For android? The rooting procedure is as easy as installing a new application-and it has stayed that way with every update.
User-based Experience
So, should people get android tablets rather than more iPads? The differences are subtle, but if you want to have a fully-customizable tablet with tons of apps and games you can download for free, then you should definitely go for an android tablet. However, iPads are not that bad, either, and if you happen to be okay with the way they designed the user interface and are okay with paying for most of the apps and games for the iOS, then getting one is not a bad choice, either. In the end, it is all about the best experience each individual wants to have.

by Joy Zhao @ goarticles.com

Different Types of Spy Cameras to Be Used in Different Situations

If you wish to excel in monitoring your employees at work or people at home spy equipments are certainly must to own devices. Spy cameras are chiefly useful if you are a private detective or simply you are a fascinated person about gadgets and spy stuff. Simply speaking, a spy camera is effective only if it is hidden from the common view. There are cameras that can be worn around the body. These cameras are very fascinating and reliable as these can produce high quality videos even when you are in a critical situation. Below are explained some different types of spy cameras that you will find of great value to you.
Spy Button Camera

Now there are so small cameras available that can be included in a button. These cameras really prove to be crafty when it comes to some kind of spy operation. The latest models of spy button camera usually include a sizable battery taped inside your body. If you are doing your surveillance work form a particular distance spy button camera will prove to be very handy and will give you high quality results. On the other hand if you have to perform your surveillance work by getting near to your subject you should opt to use spy cap camera. By using these cameras, you will not get spotted. Such types of cameras are very much used in shows like Punk and on some MTV shows. Spy button camera in Delhi and India are very much used by media people and investigation agencies.
Neck Tie spy camera
If you love to wear suits you would get a James Bond like feeling by inserting a tiny camera on your tie. The tiny spy camera can't be detected specifically when it blends with a tie. The neck tie camera can be very helpful in catching a cheating spouse, you just have to dress up neatly and monitor him or her from a particular distance. In other case if you are supposed to stay near the subject then it would be best to use a spy pen camera. You will just have to put the pen on the front pocket of your shirt and will provide you with the best video footage.
Some other types of spy camera
If you have a spy wireless camera you can hide it easily in Cigarette packs, lighters or in some kind of box that is used to put household things etc. If your work is to capture the evils that go in casino and do frauds, just place your spy camera hidden in your cigarette pack on the table. This way you will instantly know when he starts cheating.
In a spy operation creativity is needed to find the right place where the camera can be fit to use. Try to be different in using your hidden spy camera and avoid the common spy gadgets that everybody uses. However, don't ever intrude in someone's privacy as it is unethical and illegal and can put you in trouble. By just owning a spy camera you do not get a ticket to interfere on the lives of other people. In real terms, we should use the hidden camera to spy on fraudulent persons and persons who tend to cheat and harm other people.

by Ankur Sharma

references : goarticles.com