So, Google Glass is truly the future of…. everything (mobile, entertainment, personal video and photo, etc.)? Possibly, but is it a consumer level product or will it find more application in the verticals like medical, government (military), etc.?

What is the most important to a new product in the consumer space (or any for that matter)?

Yes, it is adoption.

What is specific about the adoption in the consumer space?

It is all about convenience, comfort, ease of use, freedom, and openness.

Now, let’s take a look at What Google Glass does? Do you see an immediate problem?

No?!

• Convenience and comfort: Is it comfortable to always wear glasses? Do all people wear glasses (perhaps with pollution, quality of food, etc. things may change but waaaay…. to long term). The answer is NO.
• Ease of Use: Hmm…. when the thing that’s on my head how can I see what I am pressing? Ok…. maybe I don’t have to… how about running? Is it convenient to run with glasses like this? Of course not! When I run I HATE anything that hangs on me (wires, phones, etc.). So of course it is not easy and not comfortable.
• Freedom and openness: How can I show or share anything with anyone? Hey! Check it out! Wear my glasses!? Would not work well…. Yes, perhaps you could transfer things you’d like to share via some wireless technology to another person using voice recognition that immediately shows the picture (future today it would be with a press of the button), BUT it would be more of a pain. Way to complicated for what it does, NOT worth it.

Am I saying that Google Glass are failure? Of course NOT. It is a very cool technology that makes Universal Solder a reality

BUT are WE trying to be universal solders or is it truly great for the army, medical and other fields where freedom and openness is not a requirement, but immediate feedback/update/status right in your face (literally) is the priority? Likely that’s the case.

Ok, what is my point?

I believe that the future of mobile displays is displaying information on any surface. BTW I am talking about mobile very broadly, since it incorporates and converges phone and media (camera, video and audio reproduction, media content modifications on the device, etc.); entertainment (games, movies, etc.); and finally augmented reality or in other words overlay and mashup of information and content to deliver the necessary/desired information or derive new information.

Is it that far away and not possible? Of course, not. Take a look at MIT’s Sixth Sense

You know what I mean?

As you can see this concept is being embraced, implemented and became quite mature in academic circle, but that’s not it. Companies like DisplAir is catching this wave as well:

Now, let’s go over the earlier mentioned points critical to adoption and therefore success: Convenience and comfort; Ease of Use; Freedom and openness.

• Convenience and comfort: No impact on styles, etc. but the fact that we have to have a device in the pocket that’s pretty much is a nature that we are used to by now. So the device that encapsulates the concept of displaying the content on anything satisfies that.
• Ease of Use: Again, it is in front of your face, but rather on your face. How about running and overlaying the asphalt with the map, speed, and other stats? How about overlaying the driver’s window with the (once again) location, perhaps traffic jam info, weather, speed limits, etc? Opportunities are huge, and no limits.
• Freedom and openness: That’s huge as well. How about playing games with the partners (or not) when game is being projected on the table (putting a new spin to table games)? Using your phone as a projector for movies, business presentations, etc.? Once again opportunities have not limits here as well.

Certainly this technology will have challenges with the picture quality, auto-scaling, surface detection (perhaps to eliminate glare, etc.), BUT that’s all going to be solves as it matures.

Finally and perhaps is less concrete at this point and less proven is a ontological theater of wearing such device “on” your brain. Current studies did not get a lot of resonance because it would cause a lot of issues to the entire mobile industry, however whether you believe it or not, such device just makes it even worth.

In conclusion my question: Does it make sense to limit yourself and look at the world through the prism of glasses while traditionally we bend the boundaries? Or does “The Future Has A Bad Attitude” and we all going to isolate ourselves and interact and live in a completely different world (perhaps less real as we know it today)?

I hope not. What are your thoughts? Drop a note.