from the one-of-us!-one-of-us!-google-goggle!-google-goggle! dept.
Google announces a new $999 Glass augmented reality headset
Google has announced a new version of its business-focused Glass augmented reality headset, which it's now designating an official Google product instead of an experiment. The Glass Enterprise Edition 2 costs $999, although, like its predecessor, it's not being sold directly to consumers. It's got a new processor, an improved camera, a USB-C port for faster charging, and a variety of other updates.
Google still isn't positioning Glass as a mainstream product. But it seems to be expecting greater sales of the Glass Enterprise Edition 2. The device has been moved out of the Google X "moonshot factory" and into the main Google family of products, letting Google "meet the demands of the growing market for wearables in the workplace," according to a blog post.
See also: Google unveils new $999 smart glasses for businesses, undercutting Microsoft's HoloLens on price
Google's next-gen Glass eyewear lasts longer and runs on Android
Glass graduates from Alphabet's X as it scores new hardware update
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Two Harvard students recently revealed that it's possible to combine Meta smart glasses with face image search technology to "reveal anyone's personal details," including their name, address, and phone number, "just from looking at them."
In a Google document, AnhPhu Nguyen and Caine Ardayfio explained how they linked a pair of Meta Ray Bans 2 to an invasive face search engine called PimEyes to help identify strangers by cross-searching their information on various people-search databases. They then used a large language model (LLM) to rapidly combine all that data, making it possible to dox someone in a glance or surface information to scam someone in seconds—or other nefarious uses, such as "some dude could just find some girl's home address on the train and just follow them home," Nguyen told 404 Media.
This is all possible thanks to recent progress with LLMs, the students said.
[...] To prevent anyone from being doxxed, the co-creators are not releasing the code, Nguyen said on social media site X. They did, however, outline how their disturbing tech works and how shocked random strangers used as test subjects were to discover how easily identifiable they are just from accessing with the smart glasses information posted publicly online.
[...] But while privacy is clearly important to the students and their demo video strove to remove identifying information, at least one test subject was "easily" identified anyway, 404 Media reported. That test subject couldn't be reached for comment, 404 Media reported.
So far, neither Facebook nor Google has chosen to release similar technologies that they developed linking smart glasses to face search engines, The New York Times reported.
[...] In the European Union, where collecting facial recognition data generally requires someone's direct consent under the General Data Protection Regulation, smart glasses like I-XRAY may not be as big of a concern for people who prefer to be anonymous in public spaces. But in the US, I-XRAY could be providing bad actors with their next scam.
"If people do run with this idea, I think that's really bad," Ardayfio told 404 Media. "I would hope that awareness that we've spread on how to protect your data would outweigh any of the negative impacts this could have."
(Score: 2) by CZB on Tuesday May 21 2019, @04:39AM (5 children)
Glass was their only innovative piece of hardware. I don't expect to ever buy one, but it was lame that they quit trying to sell the things. Maybe someone at Google realized they can shape public perception if they need to.
(Score: 4, Interesting) by takyon on Tuesday May 21 2019, @05:07AM (4 children)
They are just doing what everyone else did when they saw the Glasshole fiasco. Sell it to business customers, hospitals, etc. Years down the line, someone will make a consumer version that takes off, with far better hardware than Glass 1.0.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 21 2019, @06:37AM
Body-dash-colonoscopy cam, on your face! What's not to love? Other than, "Where has this been?"
(Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Tuesday May 21 2019, @04:19PM (2 children)
the medical aspect of the glasses scares the pants off of me. anything google that is forced on us regular little people with no way to opt out... anyway
doctors are not known for their IT security skills. If anything, they are worse than regular users, because god damn it, they are the doctor and you're the stupid support people, make the password simple and don't let it fucking expire or you're FIRED!
unless the glasses electrocute unknown users like a mechwarrior helmet might, i dont think there will be any real security with the medical uses for the glasshole stuff except for commercial profit off patient data that likely never was permitted to be shared with google anyway, but someone shared it for them.
i wonder what legal recourse is available for stuff like that? hard to prove as a patient and i expect doctors to circle the wagons around a convenience like that.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Tuesday May 21 2019, @07:17PM (1 child)
My somewhat more realistic concern is this isn't going to help bedside manner very much.
At least when a phone-addict plays with their phone, its obvious and they can be avoided.
(Score: 2) by takyon on Tuesday May 21 2019, @09:13PM
If someone with AR smartglasses is staring at you intently, they probably have the nudity filter on. Check for signs of boner/arousal.
[SIG] 10/28/2017: Soylent Upgrade v14 [soylentnews.org]