By George Flynn | Opinions Editor
Google has really taken over the universe. Remember the dark ages of Ask Jeeves and Bing (I don’t think I ever used that last search engine?) It seems that every time I don’t know something, my first thought is to “Google” it. Google has successfully created Gmail, Google Plus, Google phones and even Google TV. Taking innovation to the physical realm, Google is now working on a revolutionary product called Google Glass.
According to Matt Tracy’s article in The Latin Post, Google Glass should be made available to the general public by the end of 2014. Google Glass looks like a pair of glasses but is really an optical computer. New York Times’ writer, David Pogue’s description of Google Glass is that it looks similar to a pair of glasses without lenses. On the right side of the eye is a small chip which is a computer screen. “… the Google Glass is actually almost a full-blown computer. Or maybe like a smartphone that you never have to take out of your pocket.” Pogue said.
Personally, I think these glasses are ugly and could never be redeemed by a nice outfit. However, these might just become the technology of the future. That said, an app created for Google Glass is on the horizon, and it can come with some negative consequences.
The NameTag app is a new way for people to get to know others online while in the real world. According to Mark Prigg and Ted Thornhill’s article from Daily News, apparently Google Glass can identify people by just the flash of a camera from the app. With one picture it can match a face to millions of different images and go through different records. Google Glass will even be able to view past criminal records.
“The user can also cross-reference the photos against more than 450,000 entries in the National Sex Offender Registry and other criminal databases.” Daily News said.
So, what is the problem? Privacy. We already live in a world where privacy has been invaded. We post images of our good times on Facebook and let people know what we are doing on Twitter. Letting a complete stranger find me on the Internet merely by exposing my face sounds slightly terrifying.
I remember when I first learned about Twitter five years ago. I was in the car with my friend’s mom and she told me about the website. She spoke of how people used it to mark their territory, by letting the world know exactly where they were at all times. Why would I want to let anyone know where I was at all times? It seemed like a stalker attracting social media site. I never thought I’d use it, yet here I am with my very own Twitter account.
So, maybe this NameTag app appears to be scary now, but maybe we will come to incorporate it into our lives. The Daily News article marketed NameTag as a new dating app. The creator of the app, Kevin Alan Tussy said that the new application will make meeting new people much easier.
“‘I believe that this will make online dating and offline social interactions much safer and give us a far better understanding of the people around us. It’s much easier to meet interesting new people when we can simply look at someone, see their Facebook, review their LinkedIn page or maybe even see their dating site profile. Often we were interacting with people blindly or not interacting at all. NameTag can change all that,’” Tussy said.
This app might even make online dating or interacting with people virtually more healthy for those who don’t physically interact with people. This app used with Google Glass will help others meet new people and allow them to actually interact with them as soon as they meet in real life.
Although it takes away the concept of getting to know someone through casual conversation, it removes the horrible interactions that usually happen from using a screen, such as iPhones or computers.
The app and Google Glass could possibly be one of the best inventions and hopefully it sweeps our nation. Let’s just hope this invention becomes somewhat affordable.
George Flynn is a senior English major and can be reached at flynng@duq.edu.
