Tag: ai

Reaction GIFs are no longer cool? A.I. has already taken over; Snapchat AR Glasses are here

Posted on by Perfectporridge in Robots Took Our Jobs, Social Signals: Weekly Newsletter

You are reading Greg’s weekly email about creative, digital, social, and cultural signals worth noting, and sometimes a dumb viral video worth sharing with your friends. Today’s email was written to Greg’s 7-hour “Get to Work” playlist on random. Follow @gregswan on Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

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I have bad news, friends. Apparently, reaction GIFs are no longer cool (or maybe were never cool), and I truly love reaction GIFs. It’s going to be hard to quit them..

I asked my 10-year-old, and she said this isn’t a thing. Reaction GIFs are neither cool nor lame. They are ambivalent. So maybe there’s hope for me and my social habits. Time will tell.

ROBOTS HAVE ALREADY TAKEN OVER

There’s a pretty common notion (joke? saying? trope?) about the robots taking over that is so realistic it’s not even a funny or unique Hollywood film plot anymore. Specifically, right this minute artificial intelligence (A.I.) is powering the stock market, traffic flows, manufacturing, shipping, healthcare, and the vacuum in my living room.  But there’s also a problem there, which is human error, bias, and our lack of understanding of the long-term implications to our short-term coding decisions.

In an interview published by The Guardian, Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman shared his expert take on the battle of man and machine quite succinctly, “Clearly AI is going to win [against human intelligence]. It’s not even close… How people are going to adjust to this is a fascinating problem.”

Kahneman’s new book is actually focused on human bias and the impact of noise that impacts our decisions, but I really appreciated his comments about humanity’s widespread inability to grasp the basic idea of exponential growth and understand the future of our decisions as it directly relates to A.I. (and the machines taking over before the masses truly understand what’s happening): “Exponential phenomena are almost impossible for us to grasp. We are very experienced in a more or less linear world. And if things are accelerating, they’re usually accelerating within reason. Exponential change [as with the spread of the virus] is really something else. We’re not equipped for it. It takes a long time to educate intuition.”

What do we do about it? 1) Insist on ethical A.I. 2) Educate ourselves and our kids. 3) Educate our parents. 4) Look to Hollywood for the worst-case scenarios and try to avoid them. 5) Try to learn from how human’s reacted to the exponential change of the pandemic — good, bad, and forever changed.

ICYMI: I had some news at work last week.

This week I also learned Substack has a Reader view similar to Google Reader, which is good because my newsletter subscriptions are growing out of control in my email inbox. With that said, if you have a favorite right now, leave a comment, and share a reco!

Here’s what else I’m tracking this week…

Microsoft Teams for the Whole Family: If you didn’t already spend enough time on MS Teams each day, now you can spend your nights and weekends using the team platform for friends and family connections (finally!). It features free 24-hour video calls for up to 300 people, so you can even use it for your summer family reunion. 

older man posting for photos wearing cool clothes
Source: @jaadiee

Boomer Digital Migration: According to a Pew Research Center 2021 study, those aged 50-64 use Facebook more than the age groups just above or below them. Baby Boomers feel that social media has had a positive effect on their lives, and—perhaps surprisingly—are influencing and gaming with a fervor approaching that of their younger counterparts. Our friends at JWT have further analysis (including my new favorite account, Grampstagram) here.https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/lu_tsHcA33E?rel=0&autoplay=0&showinfo=0&enablejsapi=0

Snapchat = Shopping! AR Glasses, and Organic Content? This week’s Snapchat Partnership Summit brought big news including the introduction of Snap’s AR Glasses, the addition of Gifting to let Snapchat users pay creators, and the news that business profiles are moving out of beta for brands with Shopify accounts. Last summer, the beta prompted a lot of conversations about brands starting to post organic content on Snapchat, so we’ll be keeping a close eye on this.  

a woman holding her hand up and viewing it through her phone
Source: Google

Google I/O Recap: This week’s big announcements at the Google I/O keynote include: Google’s Project Starline, which features a magic mirror-style video call system that increases the sense of place and presence beyond a Zoom window. A camera that’s more inclusive of skin tone and natural hair styles. Google Photos making animated photos from stills and creating password-protected locked photo folders. New ways to change your password. Google Maps updates to Liveview AR and new use of A.I. to identify “situations that cause you to slam on the brakes, such as confusing lane changes or freeway exits.” Digital car keys so you can unlock your car with your phone. A new health tool that lets you use your phone’s camera to detect and diagnose skin conditions. And a lot more! Here’s a 16 min video recap worth watching.

Photo of linoleum floor pattern
Source: Reddit

The Most Popular Flooring Product on the Internet This Week: Armstrong Flooring model 5352 is the single most popular linoleum pattern installed in midcentury America. There’s a 100% chance you’ve been in a house with this design if you lived between 1930 and 2000. Maybe you even played with toys using the pattern as a kid. 5352 was designed by Hazel Dell-Brown, who also is credited with introducing the first color advertisements. And this week #ZillowSocial was buzzing about the nostalgia of the design and its reintroduction that is capitalizing on the mid-century modern craze.  

Google Workspace (aka G Suite) is Getting a Massive Overhaul: After years of stagnation, look for some big changes coming to Google Workspace intended to help the search giant better compete with Microsoft Office. You’ll be able to start a Meet video chat directly within Docs or share your Doc directly into a Meet call with a button in the doc. There will be assisted writing to help you sound your smartest. Emoji reactions in Docs in addition to traditional comments. A new timeline view in Google Sheets for improved project management, and a new “pageless” view in Google Docs that does away with the assumption that your document is meant for an 8.5 x 11 piece of paper. More here.

Reads of the Week: 1) The Next Steps For The Quantified Self Are Context and Coaching; 2) How ‘Shrek’ Achieved a Strange, Perverted Online Afterlife; 3) The Gentle Guy Internet is Real and The Best of the Gentle Guy Internet; 4) Why Roblox is fast becoming one of the most important media businesses of the future; 5) Rich people are heading to space and they’re changing what it means to be an astronaut; 6) A Divided Nation Flocks to Partisan Brands

Quick Hits:

See you on the internet!
Greg

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Alexa Glasses: Amazon Echo Frames

Posted on by Perfectporridge in Artificial Intelligence, augmented reality, Technology, Wearable Technology

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We’re all going to be wearing smart glasses. Someday. 

Based on patent filings, leaks and acquisitions, it’s evident that some of the biggest tech companies – Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, Snap, and Facebook – are all working on new technology and innovation that will change how we think about wearables, hearables, and an A.I.-assisted lifestyle. Just this week, Mark Zuckerberg presented Facebook’s plans for smart glasses in 2021, with augmented reality glasses coming soon after.

This week Mark Zuckerberg said many companies are taking shortcuts when it comes to building AR glasses by basically showing some heads-up information. He said: “I call that ‘putting an Apple Watch on your face.'” Well, today we can at least get an Alexa assistant on our faces.

Yes, I wore Google Glasses. Yes, I wore Snap Spectacles. Yes, I desperately want a pair of Nreal Light Augmented Reality Glasses I tested at CES. Yes, this is a review of the new Amazon Echo Frames. Yes, I will buy the Facebook glasses and cannot wait for Apple’s rumored glasses to come out. That’s all on brand for me, right?

But if you know me, you know I love experimenting with these near-term innovation products NOT BECAUSE I’m dying for technology on my face. Rather, it’s because I’m fascinated with these small steps leading to the killer, smart, face-mounted device we will all use in the future. 

Think of all the smart phones that existed before the iPhone was introduced in 2007 and changed the paradigm of what a phone would be by 2020 and how our education, work, and lifestyle would revolve around these black mirrors.

So that’s how I view today’s smart glasses experiments… they are baby steps to a paradigm shift I believe is coming. Disclaimers aside, let’s chat about Amazon’s new smart glasses!

Amazon Echo Frames

Amazon’s Echo Frames are the most affordable, effective, and consumer-facing look around the corner of where smart glasses trends are headed. They look good. You can’t tell they are smart unless you’re told. And they are a remarkable step forward for getting our faces out of our phones and wrists in daily life. 

Available to consumers through Amazon’s invite-only Day 1 Editions program, Amazon Echo Frames are pre-priced at $179 (full retail will be $249), plus the cost of prescription lenses (~$100, depending where you order them). So not exactly Zenni prices, but certainly cheaper than Snap Spectacles ($380) and Google Glass ($1500). 

Frames have Alexa built-in, plus Siri or Google Assistant, and rely on a bluetooth connection to your phone for data. Similar to other Eco devices, Alexa is always listening for the ‘wake word,’ which then triggers A.I. assistant to spring into action and give you complete access to Alexa’s wide range of Skills, calls, drop-ins, and more. Or with a simple temple press, access Siri and its native access to your entire iPhone, testing, calls, apps and more. Same with Google Assistant on Android devices.

With four microspeakers and two beamforming microphones embedded in the stems, the audio quality is excellent except in heavy winds.For music, they are a little tinny. But the microphones are excellent for voice. I have to imagine Amazon’s engineers are exploring bone conduction audio for future iterations. But as long as you have the volume set low enough, they are pretty private.

In fact, the other day I was having a discussion with my wife and listening to a podcast at the same time. I’m a super nice husband. And I will not make that mistake again.

No screen! No camera!

The immediate initial questions I get asked about Echo Frames are: 1) Are you looking at me through a screen right now, and 2) Are you recording me? 

No! Frames are hearables in the purest sense. A small light inside the frames tells you when you’ve activated Alexa by voice or the backup stem button, but otherwise there is no visual display to look at or through (these are not augmented reality glasses) and no camera.

As for the audio side of “Are you recording me?” – well, that’s a stickier answer. This is an Amazon product, after all. 

Google Glass missed their PR window to educate consumers about privacy and use of its camera. Snap Spectacles attempted to inoculate privacy concerns by its placement of bright circling lights when they are recording.   

This 1st edition of Echo Frames doesn’t include any forward-facing indicator when the microphones are “listening” or sending audio to your phone, but I assume that’s intentional — the microphones aren’t facing outward and aren’t designed to record.

However, there are valid concerns about how Amazon stores and uses all of its Alexa-based data and recordings. That same scrutiny can be applied to Frames. And like all Echo products, there is a manual “mute” button with red light indicator that it is not listening. 

So after a month wearing Amazon Echo Frames off and on, how am I using them?

  • “Dropping in” on my kids while they’re doing school in their rooms. We have Echo Dots in each room of the house, and it’s pretty great to quickly be able to call them down for lunch or ask how school is going. 
  • Talking on the phone, texting, listening to music and podcasts, and recording Marco Polos – as a supplement to my AirPods.
  • Asking random factoids and information, like how many ounces are in a gallon – as a more intimate supplement to normal Echo requests. 

Of course, this test period is taking place during a global pandemic. So practical use in “normal” times, including during a commute, working from an office, or doing extra curricular activities has yet to be fully flexed. I more or less never leave my highly-connected home, where I can count eight always-listening Echo devices, plus Google Home and Facebook Portal. And my Echo Loop smart ring. So they are a tad bit duplicative in this season of life.

My biggest issues?

Battery life. Man, these batteries are not good. Maybe 3-4 hours battery life, depending on how much you’re using them. There’s nothing like wearing dead smart glasses for hours at a time in the afternoon. So the trade off of Echo Frames not being bulky and obnoxious is you are trading battery life.

You also MUST have your phone around to use them. Just like the Apple Watch’s evolution, you can imagine future iterations of Frames having their own data plan. Leave your phone at home and just head out with your Frames. It will happen.

And lastly, I do think there are valid privacy issues to anticipate with the mainstreaming of hearables, particularly as people become more educated on surveillance and sousveillance as it pertains to audio recordings. Where Google Glass dropped the ball on proactive PR, others need to learn and start working ahead on normalization and privacy controls.

BONUS: Now when my phone rings my laptop, phone, Apple Watch, Echo Loop ring, and Echo Frames glasses all ring! The future is amazing, you guys! I’ll never miss a telemarketer spam call again.

Should you buy Echo Frames?

Probably not. They aren’t necessarily intended for general public consumption. However, they are the highest quality, most affordable, best looking smart glasses I’ve worn. 

In fact, I genuinely like them. It took me a couple weeks to get prescription lenses, and now that I’ve got them I will wear them regularly.

On the other side, I mean… just look at these cool folks at the official Google Glass Meetup at SXSW in 2014…

Group photo from Official Google Glass Explorer Meetup at SXSW 2014

So Echo Frames Edition 1 are not the must-purchase, but they are a step to where we’re headed.

Where are we headed?

 As mentioned in the intro, I’m pretty bullish on smart glasses coming into the mainstream. When? It’s safe to say the next 10 years, although I predict it will be sooner. 

I’m fascinated with the promise and value of smart glasses, including new uses we can only start to imagine, including…

  • Notifications: Screenless and heads-up 
  • Real-time translation: via visual displays and/or audio
  • Smart lenses: dynamically changing prescription, focal length, blue light, and UV protection
  • Anticipatory A.I.: moving beyond notifications, reminders and lookups to offer proactive information, scheduling, and more
  • Standalone data: We could conceivably not need to carry a phone at all by 2030.
  • Augmented Reality: opening the digital layer of our world to its wearer for work, play, and daily use. Of note, Nreal is advancing this quickly.

Will the future look like Keiichi Matsuda’s short film, Hyper Reality (2016), experienced through smart glasses? We’ll find out soon enough. 

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