Was requested in this thread, to do an AMA. So, here I am. I picked them up at the Mountain View office, got a tour. Ask me about what I saw, did, first impressions, and anything else.

Edit: Proof

Comments: 452 • Responses: 81  • Date: 

wrathmont128 karma

Have you encountered anyone with a power level of over 9,000? And if so, were you afraid of it exploding once it got that point?

whyisjake86 karma

Yes. Terrified.

OgodHOWdisGEThere61 karma

can you use V.A.T.S.?

whyisjake28 karma

S.H.I.E.L.D. hasn't allowed it yet.

FUCK_THEECRUNCH58 karma

How much better is skydiving now????

whyisjake59 karma

WAY BETTER!

conners_captures17 karma

How snug are they on your head? $1600 glasses plummeting to the ground makes my stomach cringe more than actual skydiving does.

whyisjake15 karma

Pretty snug, but still comfortable. They wouldn't fall off if upside down.

gippered56 karma

Thus might be the first AMA I've seen where every single question gets a reply.

How were you selected to get a pair? I see it was through work, but did you have to apply? Did Google reach out? I'm curious how that went down.

whyisjake53 karma

I signed up last year at Google I/O. Got an email last Friday that I could buy it. Called them up, scheduled an appointment and picked it up yesterday.

ComboBreakerrr55 karma

How many people have just stared at you in public with those things on? Are there any fun AR things yet?

whyisjake101 karma

A bunch of people stare. This may sound ridiculous, but last night, I kinda felt like celebs to with people staring all the time. A bunch of people came up to me and wanted to chat at dinner and a movie.

ComboBreakerrr29 karma

Haha thats awesome!

whyisjake57 karma

A few times, hard a hard time wiping the shiz eating grin off my face.

ComboBreakerrr122 karma

Would anything happen if someone went up to you and screamed "GOOGLE IMAGE SEARCH DIARRHEA OPEN RESULTS IN 9000 NEW TABS"?

whyisjake44 karma

ROTFLOL...

macdaddyswag25 karma

Yes?

whyisjake40 karma

No tabs, cards...

macdaddyswag19 karma

What are cards?

whyisjake30 karma

That's what they call the interface on Glass.

https://developers.google.com/glass/ui-guidelines

whyisjake63 karma

Actually, there is a cool little easter egg. If you go the licenses, there is a cool photosphere of the Glass team. You spin around and you can see the whole room/team.

JoeClem46 karma

The screen that you see, is it clear and easy to look at?

Do you have to LOOK at it to see it or is it just there?

whyisjake52 karma

Yeah, fairly clear. it took a little while to get used to it, but I can see it easily now. I have the tilt back turned on, so when I loop up at about 30° it will turn on. From there you can do voice control, or use the touchpad on the side. (You can also use the touchpad to turn it on.)

JoeClem9 karma

Thanks for the reply! Its definitely an interesting piece of kit.

whyisjake14 karma

I know right!

Wild_Marker9 karma

What other forms of control does it have? Can you say, connect to a Cellphone control App that gives you access to it?

whyisjake24 karma

The MyGlass app has a screen sharing tool. It lets you see what other people are looking at.

l0l_cabbage8 karma

Does it requires a permission from other Glass users, though?

whyisjake10 karma

It only works with the Glass that is tethered to the phone.

Lucretiel3 karma

Like in Portal!

whyisjake2 karma

YESH.

verytroo2 karma

Yeah, I see what you see :) So you don't have to squint your eyes any bit to see the tiny screen properly?

whyisjake4 karma

Nope. You change what your eyes are focusing on, like looking at something close to looking at something further away.

aklidic29 karma

[deleted]

whyisjake57 karma

Nope, not yet... :)

One person thought that it was recording video the whole time. Asked my wife about her thoughts about it in the bedroom...

Flowah23 karma

If we had a portable device that could record video all day, while only needing to be charged once a day....

People are weird man. Our phones barely last a day and they're not even recording video constantly.

whyisjake6 karma

Agreed. I'm sure the day will come, not here yet tho.

nastybastid23 karma

I know very little about these glasses, what would you say are the main features? What's your favorite and least favorite thing about them?

whyisjake24 karma

Camera, that's my fav...

CelebornX3 karma

How do you take pictures? Do you have to say "Google (pause) Take picture"?

whyisjake8 karma

Ok glass, take a picture.

argole7 karma

Do you have to start any voice command with "Ok glass"?

whyisjake6 karma

Yes.

K_reale1223 karma

Is it worth the money?

whyisjake56 karma

Good question. Work paid for it for me, but I would probably pay around $300 or so for my own version. $1500 is steep, but I doubt it will cost that much when finally released.

flingthing765 karma

Where do you work? If you don't mind me asking.

whyisjake12 karma

I work at Make magazine.

Astraea_M3 karma

How do they feel about you advertising this closed source product? Isn't Make all about the "buy it, open it up" ethos? Google Glass on the other hand expressly says that if you let someone else borrow your glasses they will brick them.

whyisjake3 karma

I'd say that I am hardly advertising it, more like a fan that is sharing my experience, both pros and cons. Following the Maker's Bill of Rights, I would say that this falls in line with most of the points. The case would snap open, there is a screw holding the main assembly onto the frame, and it draws power from a micro USB connection. As for software, there is an API, and plenty of documentation. For me, as a software guy, that's what I am looking for, and really happy with Google in how they document their products. Plus runs open source, Android software. What's not to like here? I signed a contract, that is what I agreed to do.

Volpius21 karma

If Google Glass ends up becoming commonplace in our society, what are some basic etiquette tips that should be encouraged here in the beginning phases, i.e. privacy, recording rights, etc?

whyisjake116 karma

Don't be a dick.

flagamuffin21 karma

How fragile are they? Main thing I've been wondering. Closer to sunglasses or regular glasses?

whyisjake47 karma

Nicer then any pair of sunglasses I've ever had. Titanium frames, twist/bendable and go right back to the right shape.

CarlGel30 karma

I broke a pair of titanium frames once. I "slipped and fell on them".

No, I was showing that they don't break. Don't tell anyone that, though.

whyisjake19 karma

Yeah, I'm sure they could break, but pretty solid.

ta19015 karma

Plain titanium doesn't do that. Do you mean "nickel titanium"? I had a pair of NiTi frames, they were awesome.

whyisjake11 karma

Sorry, not a chemist, or mechanical engineer. They told me titanium.

D3s0L20 karma

What's the most "OH SNAP" characteristic of the glasses? where did you use it? please say x-ray vision!

whyisjake40 karma

As soon as you put it on, you can see the screen. That's really wild. People really don't expect to see anything.

CelebornX3 karma

What do you mean exactly by this? Like you can see the HUD in your vision?

whyisjake6 karma

Well, you can see the heads up display, it's pretty awesome.

obscuredreference19 karma

The screen is the thing over your right eye? Is it not too small? How comfortable is it to look at it?

And is it possible to use it with that over either of your eyes, or is it fixed over the right?

whyisjake20 karma

It looks as big as a cell phone being held at arms length. Small, yet plenty readable,

ltjboy0345 karma

I just held out my phone at arms length

whyisjake12 karma

Yeah, now imagine looking through your phone...

whyisjake5 karma

Yeah, has to be used over your right eye.

ErrareHumanumEst19 karma

What is something you absolutely want to do while wearing the glasses that you haven't done before?

whyisjake35 karma

Been pretty to get video of playing with my kids in the first person.

TheGreatJeremy10 karma

You just sold me on these! Awesome idea!

whyisjake16 karma

Yeah, pretty awesome. Keeping it out of their dirty paws, that's been the trick.

Brotherauron14 karma

I myself already wear glasses, do they currently feature an actual pair of glasses built in? Perhaps transition lenses also for those who want non prescription sunglasses?

whyisjake12 karma

Not yet. Probably soon.

jukebox12312 karma

What, in your opinion, is the best thing about Google Glasses? Do you think it will be common for people to wear them in the future?

whyisjake21 karma

It's really cool to be able to get photos and video really easily, and then sharing is a total breeze. As soon as you can hook it up to FB/Twitter, that'll be really cool.

hooshtin11 karma

How do the Glasses connect to the Internet? WHERE'S THE BIG MODEM PORT

whyisjake64 karma

You plug the SCSI port into the modem. From there AOL connects using your home phone line.

whyisjake19 karma

In reality tho, they have wifi/bluetooth. They can be tethered to your phone or connect to local wifi.

Thebigsexyasian12 karma

Dumb question, but can you get these as prescription glasses? I don't need glasses, but my brother has terrible vision, so is this practical for him?

whyisjake18 karma

Nope, kinda tricky. I would assume that that would be an option in the future though.

cecinestpasreddit11 karma

So is there any capability to customize Glass's user interface? Can you specifically designate its "on" function or its "take-a-photo" function?

whyisjake10 karma

Some people have hacked it. There is another launcher that you can run. If you hack it.

administrator_019 karma

Do you think the glass will replace any of our gadgets? If yes which one/ones?

whyisjake16 karma

No, just add to how we use them.

xmusic1239 karma

can you see video on the piece of glass? Is there any color on what pops up on the screen. Other than pictures and videos, does it really seem like a worthy purchase?

whyisjake6 karma

Mine has a slight red tint. Might be from the orange frame.

xmusic1231 karma

but it isn't like google glass has the capability project youtube videos?

whyisjake3 karma

Not yet. I think an app is coming.

plus_7 karma

How is the battary life of the glasses? How frequently do you charge them?

whyisjake18 karma

Not great, but not terrible either. About 4-6 hours of heavy use. I could probably string it out to a full day when the newness wears off.

baldpig7 karma

Would you wear these while driving/ riding a motorbike?

Is the HUD instrusive, and can it be turned off? I think these could be awesome for filming while riding :D

whyisjake5 karma

Yes, did it all day yesterday. Here is a video driving through Chinatown in SF.

https://plus.google.com/104275277001090822077/posts/BPuWHwL4x8g

baldpig11 karma

"post could not be found" =/

whyisjake8 karma

Will open something up soon.

Mrowl77 karma

Is it difficult not being able to manually request something and only being able To use voice command?

whyisjake8 karma

The side acts as a touchpad. If you want to search or something you would need to use voice. All of the other functions work from the touchpad.

davidrab6 karma

does glass only work if it's connected to your phone? does it have its own 4G connection? If so, what carrier?

whyisjake7 karma

It can be run over bluetooth to a phone, or use the onboard wifi.

fedoross6 karma

What is your favorite feature, and is there any dangerous, or uncomfortable design flaws that you've found?

whyisjake2 karma

I really like the camera/sharing abilities. I have been taking a ton of pictures/sharing them. Pretty cool...

OriginalityIs5 karma

Do you get dizzy using it? I feel like it would kinda mess up your focus.

whyisjake6 karma

Nope. Not staring at it constantly tho.

Komotaxy5 karma

Blue pill or red pill?

whyisjake13 karma

Red pill.

Komotaxy3 karma

Real question now. What is your favorite feature of the glasses?

Also, do you think these will lead to over-surveillance within society? As in, every little thing somebody does can and will be recorded by somebody for personal or legal use.

EDIT: I grammar good.

whyisjake4 karma

Camera is my favorite. Hoping for a Twitter/FB bridge...

dogcrazyjen5 karma

Does it bother you that someone could hack into your glasses and then know exactly what you are doing at any moment?

Does it distract you from being present with the people you are around?

whyisjake28 karma

No, I don't live my life in fear like that...

And, distracting like any new gadget I suppose.

courtFTW5 karma

How were you able to get one?

How do you plan to use it?

How have you used it so far, and how has it affected your life?

whyisjake12 karma

How were you able to get one?

I signed up last year at Google I/O.

How do you plan to use it?

Skydiving, trapeze acts, etc... ;)

How have you used it so far, and how has it affected your life?

Driving, taking pictures, etc. It's been pretty cool so far.

obiden5 karma

does the glass have google goggles feature ?

whyisjake5 karma

Nope, not yet. I here an update is coming tomorrow to bring some new features.

pyr0n1c5 karma

Since you got them has anything changed?

whyisjake7 karma

Nope, but I hear an update is coming tomorrow.

yooder4 karma

Are you doing this AMA via Google Glass?

whyisjake3 karma

Nope. Via my laptop.

xkevinx774 karma

Are you allowed to let other people wear them?

whyisjake14 karma

Yeah, I've let at least 20+ people try it on.

obiden4 karma

did you test doing a hangout with the glasses ? how it was ?

whyisjake7 karma

Yep, worked pretty well. Doing some more tomorrow too.

RedditorManIsHere4 karma

So are you a programmer?

How is the quality of video recording? How many hours? Sure beats the quality of dash cams I presume.

I was wondering how awesome it would be as a cop that I would be able to record pulling people over, fights with suspects and do searches via face recognition if they had a outstanding warrant (murder, most wanted etc). I think being able to record gives a cop more accountability instead of unleashing a firestorm.

whyisjake2 karma

Pretty good.

I'd just get a GoPro if that's what you want.

TheSkyMichael4 karma

Do they currently work on iphone? Is a app they sync to?

whyisjake6 karma

If you enable Bluetooth tethering, they just act like another phone/device.

whyisjake3 karma

Also, they'll also work on wifi by themselves. You don't need to be tethered to a phone.

internetuser013 karma

[deleted]

whyisjake7 karma

Nope, said elsewhere that I work for MAKE magazine. I am developer, pretty open with the privacy.

BlueberryRagamuffin3 karma

What do they do?

How much do they cost?

whyisjake8 karma

Cost $1500. $1631 with tax.

POOPING_BUTT_FACE3 karma

Why is that kid in the background of your picture wearing a green shirt?

whyisjake23 karma

Compliments his eye color.

POOPING_BUTT_FACE7 karma

I have to wear an eyepatch but my eyes are green. People make fun of me when I wear a green shirt, they say, "Look at the pirate in the green shirt!".

whyisjake15 karma

I think the parrot on your shoulder is a dead giveaway.

sirnoah273 karma

What is your middle name?

whyisjake18 karma

md5 hash: edfdc0fa5e2ae6e3c6d7156f3b2ce00c

SeductiveSloth3 karma

Do you prefer apples or oranges?

whyisjake67 karma

Golden retrievers.

Aszolus2 karma

What are the three best things about Google Glass? What are the three worst things about Google Glass?

whyisjake2 karma

Good things:

  1. Love having a camera so easily accessible. And hands free
  2. Google now integration is really nice. Love having email/sports scores, driving directions just a swipe away.
  3. Sharing photos/videos is really easy.

Worst Things

  1. I would love to be able to share to Facebook/Twitter.
  2. I know that the camera is small, and strapped to my face, but we are so spoiled with fairly decent cell phone cameras, that it would be great if there was better low light resolution.
  3. Placing calls is limited to only ten people. (I hear this is changing...)

And one more...

It's ok that right now you can only share to G+, but it would be great if you could share to public/all circles. Right now you can only share to one circle at a time.

KickedBalkothsAss2 karma

Are they that noticeable on your face?

whyisjake7 karma

Yes, they are bright orange. Very noticeable. :)

scrash2 karma

do u have a gf?

whyisjake56 karma

I have a wife. She's like a gf, but she loves me unconditionally.

txgi3554 karma

unconditionally you say

whyisjake10 karma

Yes, to have, and to cherish.

scrash2 karma

how long have you been together? when did you realize she was the one?

whyisjake17 karma

Eight years, and after about four months of dating.

Lighting2 karma

It takes about 15 years to discover what heath effects are caused by new things (chemicals, CRT screens, cell phones, etc). Any concerns about having a radiation device strapped next to your brain all day?

whyisjake35 karma

Nope.

That_Naked_Guy2 karma

What's your YouTube channel?

whyisjake8 karma

Lykenx1 karma

Can you have lenses put into the frames? I.e. if you are short sighted you can have google glass with your prescription lenses as well?

whyisjake2 karma

I'm sure that something will work eventually. Nothing right now.

seyal11 karma

What is the sole purpose of this impressive device OP? and Does it have X-ray vision?

whyisjake4 karma

Hands free interface to Google services that are output to a heads up display.

bobblitzkrieg1 karma

What is so great about it? People are mostly telling about the camera, but you could like... buy a camera or use your phone..

whyisjake4 karma

Both of those take using my hands...