Former Glass head says Google’s wearable not the “definitive answer”

Google X director and former head of Google Glass Babak Parviz said at the Wearable Technologies Conference that the company’s product is “one answer” but “not necessarily the definitive answer,” reports CNET.

Parviz, who last month stepped aside from leading the Glass team in favor of the more fashion-focused Ivy Ross, described the product as a first step in the right direction.

This is a nice first step to where we want to go. We can see glimmers of how this might work out …

Parviz said that Google’s original motivation for developing Glass was to speed up the time needed to carry out a web search.

A Google search will give someone a reasonable answer to almost any question in about 10 seconds, he said. The goal for Glass was to “significantly shorten that time.” “Can we make it three seconds? One second? A fraction of a second?”

Parviz was also mindful of the potential for Glass to get in the way of ordinary social interactions.

As these technologies set in, some of the humanity comes out. There’s a balance between what technology allows and what technology takes away.

While Parviz is now involved in a project to use contact lenses to measure glucose levels in those with diabetes, we shouldn’t get too excited by visions of Glass functionality embedded in our eyes just yet.

My guess is, 15 years from now, walking down the street, there will be people walking around with something on their head.