Myopic Google glasses

Like any new technology there’s bound to be proponents and naysayers: Cool gadget! Is the tech too invasive? What about privacy? Are they going to roll ads in at some point? The list goes on.

While most people seem to be either spoofing it or focusing on the tech side of Google’s eyewear, I have one comment on the usability. Hands up who’s seen The Jerk? Remember that invention of Steve Martin’s that seems to good to be true but isn’t? I can envision a similar thing happening here: putting a HUD so close to your eyes — even above your eyeline — is going to have long-term health implications.

Fixing your eyes at one focal length for long periods of time leads to lazy eye and short sightedness. The number of people requiring some form of corrective lenses is steadily increasing as our screen-tastic lifestyle ramps up. First it was a safe distance to the cinema screen; then things crept closer with TV; then laptops; then mobile devices; and now we’re advocating putting the screen millimetres from our eyes. One thing’s certain: it’s not going to make the situation any better.

So, for all those people who think Google are going to need to put context-sensitive ads in their glasses: they won’t. They’ll just open a chain of opticians and make their money that way off the back of this invention.