I wondered how long it would take for questions to arise about the danger of wearing Google Glasses.  Can wearing a computer that close to your eyes all day have some short term or long term consequences?   How secure is the information from hackers?

Google Glass and Eye Health

Google has now banned children under age of 13 from wearing Glass because, just like when wearing regular glasses, one might experience eye strain and headaches, but for children, wearing the glasses might also impact their developing vision.  Google has also offered to give a refund to customers who struggle with health issues.  With this in mind, how safe can this product be for the general consumer over the age of 13?  There are also concerns about lasik surgery patients.  There is no denying that there are growing concerns over the physical results of looking at a tiny screen all day.

However, Dr. Eli Peli, a professor of ophthalmology at Harvard Medical School, has been a consultant throughout the development of the Google Glass. Dr. Peli stated that “internal tests have given it no cause for concern.  However, it is something we’ll continue to watch carefully.”  Dr. James Salz, a clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology, told NBC News the experience for Google glass wearers was similar to reading a small print book.   He claims that “other than feeling a bit uncomfortable or getting a headache from this…there’s no evidence that this would do permanent damage to your eye.”

Hackers See What You See

Health concerns were not much of an issue until after it was revealed that Google’s Glass wearable computer had been hacked so that video and audio could be transmitted online to anyone.    Some hackers claim that they have been able to remotely watch and hear everything the wearer does.  Glass does not go on sale to the public until next year but the attack on initial product developer tests raises major security and privacy questions.  Not only can the hackers watch your every move, it also watches everything you are watching and hears everything you do.  About the only thing it doesn’t know are your thoughts.

Might I suggest that wearing your Google Glass in the bathroom or shower in front of a large mirror be an activity to avoid?

These same issues have plagued Andriod software where hackers also have access to passwords and every device you interact with.  Think about it….it takes pictures of your keys, what you write on paper, what you type in on your computer or at the ATM machine…..Nothing would be safe once you have been hacked.

It seems that maybe we are not yet ready for this futuristic device until many details about security and privacy issues have been resolved.  Until then, I think I’ll stick to my laptop and my comfortable firewall!

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Sources:  dailymail.com