2013 - Lost Year in Tech?

As the old year winds down, included among my favorite traditions are the retrospectives, both in broadcast and print (online). Who died, what were the top movies and books, and what were the best photos? We can find many examples like these, and I tend to enjoy them all, even if I don't agree. I am even producing one myself for publication on my other blog, blogspot.jimlyonsobservations. com, on the Year in Mobile Printing. It should be up tomorrow (New Year's Eve - nothing like a deadline!).

Regarding tech-industry milestones for 2013, a provocative year-end summary from Quartz and writer Christoper Mims titled "2013 was a lost year for tech"), has stirred the proverbial pot over the lost few days. Responses from many have followed, including two notable tech voices, Om Malik (see "Dear Quartz, maybe it’s you that needs new glasses and a map. 2013 was not a lost year for tech") and John Gruber (see "2013: The Year in Apple and Technology at Large") who beg to differ with Mims.

Specifically regarding Google Glass (which was featured as the lead illustration for the Quartz piece), Mims lumps "wearables" generally as a "letdown". Specific to Glass, he actually makes a very reasonable point, that Google "couldn’t hide the fact that Glass is a technology in search of an application..." but goes on with a conclusion to the solution-seeking-a-problem statement ("...unless that application is invasions of privacy") that I simply don't agree with.

Malik, after leading with the argument that Mims is too consumer-focused in his judgments, also fires back on Glass, with more very reasonable points (which means I agree with him).

Quartz bemoans Google Glass and labels it the standard bearer of disappointment in tech in 2013. Google Glass might earn you the sobriquet “glasshole,” but the reality is that in the future we will have a much improved derivative of Google Glass in our lives. It might not even look like Google Glass, but the wearable computing and personal compute fabrics will be a reality in the not-too-distant future.

I will leave my readers to read more, from all three pieces as well as others, and wish everyone a Happy 2014. My next post should include an update on my new-and-improved Glass, being exchanged this week!

Adventures in Glass

I've enjoyed taking pics of the holiday decorations #throughglass, and the enhancements through Google+

The last few weeks have brought about many interesting Glass-related adventures and developments. I'll recap as many as I can remember here.

I traveled with Glass, first to Las Vegas and the Business imaging Expo, and then in the same week, to Miami and an Analyst Day hosted by Nuance Communications. On both stops, I enjoyed showing my Glass to friends and colleagues, providing many people with a chance for a little up-close-and-personal experience. 

I also am in the waiting stage for the mailer that will allow me to get my new Glass hardware from Google (should be here any day per the emails), and in addition to trying the "new and improved" version and its "winking" capability (more on this to come), I'll be glad to be rid of my current unit and its janky charge/battery situation, which I have been working around since the beginning (mid-August).

On the software front, I've just downloaded the XE12 version of the Glass OS, and also, only today, grabbed the iOS Glassware app. I should also add my proficiency with the Android version has increased significantly. 

So lots to report with more pending, but I would be amiss to not include a scary "misadventure". My Glass unit, snugly packed in its carrying pouch, was temporarily abandoned in the seat back pocket of one of the many airplanes I have been aboard recently. Fortunately, I realized it was missing from my gadget-laden backpack after a few minutes, and a quick stroll back to the gate, along with trusty help from a UAL agent, helped me get it back. Whew!!!

Back in Glass Again

As of last week, my Glass has returned home to its original home in Boise, ID. It had been on loan to some app-developer friends who are getting their solution ready for the broad consumer release of Glass, thought to be sometime in early 2014.

I am up to Operating System version 11 (XE11), and enjoying some new and improved features on Glass. Stay tuned!