Privacy Concerns – How To See If Someone Is Using Glass

When it first appeared, Google Glass came with a whole new baggage of features, for which people were not prepared for yet. The fact that it could be commanded so easily, almost without being noticed, and that it could make videos and take shots at a simple gesture led to a lot of disputes. If the wearer would command it through simple gestures, such as eye-blinking, or the touchpad, no person that is not accustomed with the technology would know that. Even the voice command could go unheard if they’re far enough from the Google Glass owner. So, the main concern of the majority is not to get filmed or photographed without approval, using a Google Glass device.It’s understandable, but everything you can do with Glass, you could also do with a smartphone, or even better, a professional spyware camera and gear, considering the price of $1,600 you’d pay now to get a Google Glass. And even after the release, when the price will go down, the spyware camera would do a better job and save you more money. And after this, the second problem would be that everything recorded with Glass could instantly be posted on social media pages like Facebook or Google+.

We must say, people should be concerned about their privacy, but when it comes to wearable devices, the Glass can’t do more harm than a smartphone. In order to help erase some of these concerns, we will give you some answers on the most asked questions, and teach you how to tell if a Google Glass is on, recording or taking shots. It’s very easy, and after you’ve seen these signs once, you’ll know exactly what we mean. If you know people that own it, we recommend you to try it out and you’ll understand why the Glass is not a danger to your privacy, or at least not more than your regular smartphone.

How do I know when Glass is on?

Located in the upper right corner of Glass, there’s the prism display. If it’s illuminated, then the device is on, but the light coming from it doesn’t necessarily mean that Glass is also recording or taking shots.

How do I know when Glass is recording or taking shots?

As mentioned above, the signs could be pretty well disguised if you don’t know how Glass works. For instance, when Glass users take photos or record videos with the Glass camera, have to lower their heads, or to place the prism screen in eye sight. This happens because the prism usually sits slightly above the eye, and in order to take a shot has to be looking straight ahead. But if you’re close enough to the user, you could easily see what he’s up to, because you could see the timer counting up on the display and the recording sign.

How good is Glass’s camera?

Well, not so good. The image quality when recording is 720p, on 5 mbps, and the audio recording separately at 96 kbbs. You will see that the device is bad with exposure and that the focus is also limited. So, unless people recorded are standing right in front of the user, the faces in the videoclip cannot be recognised, especially when there’s a reasonable distance between them. So, these are the three main answers that should help you understand why Glass isn’t a real threat to your privacy. However, if you still can’t tell if you’re being recorded or not, just ask and you’ll get your answer on the spot.