How Google Is Becoming an Extension of Your Mind 154
An anonymous reader writes "An article at CNET discusses Google's ever-expanding role in search, and where it's heading over the next several years. The author argues it's becoming less of a discrete tool and more an integrated extension of our own minds. He rattles off a list of pie-in-the-sky functions Google could perform, which would have sounded ridiculous a decade ago. But in 2012.. not so much. Quoting: 'Think of Google diagnosing your daughter's illness early based on where she's been, how alert she is, and her skin's temperature, then driving your car to school to bring her home while you're at work. Or Google translating an incomprehensible emergency announcement while you're riding a train in foreign country. Or Google steering your investment portfolio away from a Ponzi scheme. Google, in essence, becomes a part of you. Imagine Google playing a customized audio commentary based on what you look at while on a tourist trip and then sharing photo highlights with your friends as you go. Or Google taking over your car when it concludes based on your steering response time and blink rate that you're no longer fit to drive. Or your Google glasses automatically beaming audio and video to the police when you say a phrase that indicates you're being mugged.'"
Be afraid. Be very, very afraid. (Score:5, Interesting)
Tons of augmented reality uses for stuff like this (Score:5, Interesting)
Augmented reality HUD glasses combined with a few other devices for analyzing the environment around you and then connected to any massive and fast database would yield some interesting things.
The least of which would be facial recognition and connections to people's public information - a nightmare for privacy/anonymity.
On the less evil side, analytical tools for first responders - air sniffer that scans for various substances and then can issue warnings tend alerts, echo-location type devices that will help map out a disaster site and pinpoint where human type noises are coming from. Real-time traffic re-routing to get people out of the way, etc. and so on.
The next 25 years are going to be fascinating in the evolution of gadgetry.
Would be great (Score:5, Interesting)
I just don't think I could put that amount of trust into any corporation. With the massive amount of password leaks lately and just the general track records of greedy corporations, they would need a HUGE incentive to get me on board.
For instance, if they were transparent with their security protocols, showed that they followed them, and held themselves to a much higher standard then just the bare minimum that most corporations seem to.
Even Google which has been a pretty great company has begun it's decline and is losing it's grasp of the "Don't Be Evil" slogan. I guess they are getting to big for their own good and probably won't change their path (eg. the removal of the option to remove their tracking data on your google account, the almost forced use of G+, and the discontinuation of Google Labs).
One step away.. (Score:5, Interesting)
Or your Google glasses automatically beaming audio and video to the police when you say a phrase that indicates you're being mugged.
Or to the secret service when you are criticising the government. Or to the RIAA when you make an open invitation to come and watch a video at your house (an unlicensed public performance).
Re:We lost the ability to read analog clocks first (Score:5, Interesting)
"Then ubiquitous calculators eroded arithmetic skills."
Really? Perhaps you're simply aware that most people don't do math very well and having calculators around has made this more visible. People who are math inclined often do the numbers faster than it takes to even reach for a calculator never mind punch in the digits. Most people were never like that. Astonished me when I found out.
Side-loading (Score:5, Interesting)
Cyborg theory (Score:2, Interesting)
There's a lot of doom-and-gloom being thrown around here... about how Google is going to destroy us, that we're becoming less intelligent, that we'll stop learning and thinking and Google, like some benevolent tyrant, will answer all our questions, and our thinking faculties will atrophy and wither away.
No.
Google is a tool, like a pencil is a tool. And from the very first human, we have been integrated with our tools. Are we the lesser for our use of pencils to store our information? Are we the lesser for using cars to convey us places our feet cannot? Ask any expert craftsman, driver, programmer - the tool becomes an extension of who we are and what we are.
As with many things, how it's used will be key (Score:4, Interesting)
I'd have no qualms with these scenarios if they only were ever used to aid the people. But the problem is that as has been pointed out, this is unlikely. It will be used as a vehicle to monetize people, and the government and various entities will want unrestricted access to it for the most trivial of "offenses" if they can even be stretched to fit the definition of the word. Big Brother and Big Business would love nothing more than to be able to get inside your head.
Kind of sad that some of the greatest ideas and inventions cannot come to fruition or likely won't see widespread use because of the ways they could be abused far outstrip the legitimate and helpful uses.
Re:Ehrm (Score:4, Interesting)
You're in a park and a some mother lets a toddler run around naked in the fountain.Your going past and on hearing the child have fun and laughing it catches your attention and you turn and look - takes a few seconds for you to find the source and BAM!
When I'm in the park and have my own kid with me, I never know where to look when other people do let there kid run around naked. Men in the west have been made mental by the media with worry of accusations of being a peado.