In a TED Talk I found online today, I heard Sebastian Thrun, the creator of Self-Driving Cars, discuss his motivation for working on creating this new vehicle. Apparently, Thrun’s best friend passed away from a car chrash when he was 18 and since then, Thrun had strived to save a million lives each year. While this goal is far off, Thrun believes that his creation of Self-Driving Cars is a step in the right direction. What Thrun discussed, and what I had never really considered, is how incredibly safe Self-Driving cars are. Without the risk of human error, Self-Driving Cars have the capacity to save over 33,561 lives in the U.S. alone each year. While writing about Self-Driving Cars earlier, I enjoyed how the invention captured my imagination. I reveled in how futuristic the car seemed and how fun it would be to feel like one of the Jetsons. What I never considered is how much good Self-Driving Cars could bring to the world. Despite the negative public responses to this new technology, I feel excited and hopeful after hearing Thrun discuss his vision for the cars.
Project Loon One Year Later
Google’s Balloon Internet Experiment, One Year Later
After reading this article, I was became so excited and hopeful about the outcome of Project Loon. After watching the video and researching the project, Loon seems like the most wonderful idea that has captured my imagination and made me excited about what Google X has in store for the future. It is amazing how much Project Loon has improved in the last year from longer air times to higher speed Internet, it was fascinating to hear how Mike Cassidy estimates that Project Loon has a good chance at becoming the exclusive way those in areas without connectivity can access the Internet. I look forward to continuing to follow Project Loon and its expansion into the modern world.
Theater Owners Ban Google Glass
MPAA and National Association of Theatre Owners Ban Google Glass, Other Wearable Tech
Recently, I found an article on The Hollywood Reporter, which claims that the National Association of Theater Owners (NATO) has banned Google Glass in their theaters. According to this article, many movie theater companies fear that Google Glass will promote bringing recording devices into movie theaters and that act goes against prevalent anti-piracy laws. While this article made it seem that the entertainment industry is against technology innovation, NATO stated that they “Have a long history of welcoming technological advances and recognize the strong consumer interest …however, we maintain a zero-tolerance policy toward using any recording device while movies are being shown”. In summation, NATO has taken a strong stance regarding Google Glass because it views such technology as promoting piracy which NATO hopes to avoid in their theaters. While I understand the risk that Google Glass does pose to anti-piracy legislation, I also would argue that allowing Google Glass everywhere at least for a trial period is integral. By figuring out where Google Glass can and will fit into popular culture is important in structuring our already technology filled world. By banning this product, movie theaters and other companies alike are closing themselves off to the possibilities Google Glass holds and shows the everyday consumer that corporations are not as welcoming to new technologies as we once thought.
Google Glass Addiction
Google Glass Addiction? Doctors Report First Case of Disorder
Recently, an article on NBC reported the first case of Google Glass addiction. According to a consulting doctor, the patient experienced withdrawal symptoms from not having on Google Glass, which he reportedly would wear for 18 hours a day. Apparently, when the doctor would ask the patient a question, he would place his finger to the right side of his face as if he was communicating with Google Glass and the patient even experienced dreams in which he was looking through the Google Glass headset. While, according to the doctor, Internet addiction has not been added to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder, he believes it will so as the rate of Internet addiction, and now Google Glass Addiction, continues to rise.
After reading this article, I was shocked that Google Glass addiction has become a reality mainly because the tools seems incredibly limited at this moment. Along with the lack of ability to do much on Google Glass, I was also surprised by the fact that the patient spent approximately 18 hours a day on the device. This was surprising because according to further research, Google Glass only had a battery life of approximately two hours. I believe, though, that what this article highlighted most was not about Google Glass but about how the media is finally starting to pay attention to online addiction through technology whether that be the Internet, video games, or even Google Glass.
The Google Empire 