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GeekNights Monday - Google Glass First Look

edited August 2013 in GeekNights

Tonight on GeekNights, Scott has Google Glass and we discuss some first impressions. In the news, John Carmack is now the CTO for Oculus VR (maker of the Oculus Rift), big cell phones aren't better, and dark email providers are biting the dust.

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  • Also, our ancient Xenyx 1832FX appears to have died mid-show. Had to re-wire and use the Firestudio direct for the second half to avoid some clicking.

    Time to buy a new mixer...
  • You should probably 100% confirm it is the mixer that is busted. It could be any number of other things. It could be a bad cable somewhere. It could be some interference from something that was nearby. I know you just love to break things, so you have an excuse to buy new ones Mr. DS PHAT.
  • Wait, is it even possible to break a DS Phat?
  • edited August 2013
    I'm actually with Scott on this one. The old Xenyx mixers are pretty invincible, even if some tit drops a Morantz on it.

    Still, idle ribbing aside, if you can't find the problem easily, or fix it easily, might as well buy a new one. After all, judging by how long the Xenyx lasted you, you'll get your money's worth.

    And I'll have you know that my DS Phat is still in perfect condition.
    Post edited by Churba on
  • Wait, is it even possible to break a DS Phat?
    I believe the story was that he dropped it under a car and the top screen stopped working.
  • edited August 2013
    EDIT: Misread something.
    Post edited by lackofcheese on
  • Breaking a DS Phat is hard. Breaking the little hinge connecting both parts is easy and is pretty much guaranteed to happen if you drop it. Thereafter, it will be functional and ugly.
  • I'm pretty sure it's function and ugly before you drop it, too ;)
  • I like big phones because I like carrying the minimum number of devices. I'm getting the Note III as soon as it's available. Then again, I use a bag rather than pockets. I only carry my wallet at pocket length.
  • I like big phones because I like carrying the minimum number of devices. I'm getting the Note III as soon as it's available. Then again, I use a bag rather than pockets. I only carry my wallet at pocket length.
    I also carry a minimum number of devices, and that's why I have an iPhone. An Android phone of any size is nearly useless as a media player. An iPhone is also an iPod. If I had an Android phone, I would need an iPod mini or some such.

    Also, making the phone bigger does not increase the number of devices it replaces. Only adding features does that. All the phones have pretty much the same features, just different specs.
  • I like big phones because I like carrying the minimum number of devices. I'm getting the Note III as soon as it's available. Then again, I use a bag rather than pockets. I only carry my wallet at pocket length.
    I also carry a minimum number of devices, and that's why I have an iPhone. An Android phone of any size is nearly useless as a media player. An iPhone is also an iPod. If I had an Android phone, I would need an iPod mini or some such.
    Nah, you wouldn't. Google Play works fine.

  • I like big phones because I like carrying the minimum number of devices. I'm getting the Note III as soon as it's available. Then again, I use a bag rather than pockets. I only carry my wallet at pocket length.
    I also carry a minimum number of devices, and that's why I have an iPhone. An Android phone of any size is nearly useless as a media player. An iPhone is also an iPod. If I had an Android phone, I would need an iPod mini or some such.
    Nah, you wouldn't. Google Play works fine.

    How about that Google Listen, OH WAIT.

  • Why would you need an iPod to go with an android phone? Do you think android phones can't store and play music?
  • Why would you need an iPod to go with an android phone? Do you think android phones can't store and play music?
    They do a shit job of it with a shit user interface.
  • Why would you need an iPod to go with an android phone? Do you think android phones can't store and play music?
    They do a shit job of it with a shit user interface.
    Amazon Media Player on an Android phone makes it into a badass mp3 player. Even stock options are slightly doable with the help of a few apps.

  • Oh yeah, I guess the Amazon Cloud Player does have an Android app, but that doesn't help you too much when you have no service in the subway tunnel. It also doesn't do podcasts.
  • edited August 2013
    Oh yeah, I guess the Amazon Cloud Player does have an Android app, but that doesn't help you too much when you have no service in the subway tunnel. It also doesn't do podcasts.
    a) You can, and probably should, download some songs locally.
    b) You can use a different app for podcasts.

    While that is somewhat annoying, there are options for an Android phone and there is really no reason or necessity to have a separate device for music if you have an android phone.
    Post edited by chaosof99 on
  • Oh yeah, I guess the Amazon Cloud Player does have an Android app, but that doesn't help you too much when you have no service in the subway tunnel. It also doesn't do podcasts.
    a) You can, and probably should, download some songs locally.
    b) You can use a different app for podcasts.

    While that is somewhat annoying, there are options for an Android phone and there is really no reason or necessity to have a separate device for music if you have an android phone.
    Name the app for podcasts that doesn't suck.
  • Oh yeah, I guess the Amazon Cloud Player does have an Android app, but that doesn't help you too much when you have no service in the subway tunnel. It also doesn't do podcasts.
    a) You can, and probably should, download some songs locally.
    b) You can use a different app for podcasts.

    While that is somewhat annoying, there are options for an Android phone and there is really no reason or necessity to have a separate device for music if you have an android phone.
    Name the app for podcasts that doesn't suck.
    I use BeyondPod, it indeed does not suck and has some features that Google Listen did not have.
  • I use Beyond Pod, which is fine. Not amazing, but solid enough.

    In any case, your declaration that you would need an iPod if you were an Android user is ridiculous.
  • If I play a podcast in beyond pod, then sync it with my computer will the podcast play on my PC at the point where I left off on the phone?
  • No clue. Do not use this. Better question is, why the fuck would you sync your podcasts with your PC? There is absolutely no reason to do that.
  • No clue. Do not use this. Better question is, why the fuck would you sync your podcasts with your PC? There is absolutely no reason to do that.
    Get on subway to go to work. Play podcast. Get to work. Plug in phone to work PC. Switch to work PC headphones. Continue podcast where I left off. Work day ends. Plug back into phone, continue podcast where I left off for the subway ride home. Get home. Continue podcast where I left off on home theater.

    iPod has had this feature since they added podcasts with the iPod nano in 2005.
  • Sounds like an overly complicated routine for next to no value. Why not just continue using your earbuds on your phone?
  • No clue. Do not use this. Better question is, why the fuck would you sync your podcasts with your PC? There is absolutely no reason to do that.
    Get on subway to go to work. Play podcast. Get to work. Plug in phone to work PC. Switch to work PC headphones. Continue podcast where I left off. Work day ends. Plug back into phone, continue podcast where I left off for the subway ride home. Get home. Continue podcast where I left off on home theater.

    iPod has had this feature since they added podcasts with the iPod nano in 2005.
    For podcasts and audiobooks I use this position-remembering synch all the time between my iphone, itunes and my ipod nano. It's awesome, and I never understand how anyone can be happy tying their audio listening to a single device.
  • edited August 2013
    Sounds like an overly complicated routine for next to no value. Why not just continue using your earbuds on your phone?
    This.

    I use Pocket Casts on Android and it is just as good, if not better, than Downcast, which was definitely the best podcasting app on iOS when I left the platform. I cannot imagine synching podcasts w/ my computer. New episodes just download to my phone while I sleep and I don't have to think about it.

    I do agree with Scott though that Android BLOWS as a media player. Very poor interface and playback control, especially lock screen playback control. Windows Phone was great at this. If I paused a song or a podcast, the lock screen would remember the last thing I played for DAYS and let me resume at any time. It was built into the OS. For android, I'd have to mount a widget for each media playback app onto my lock screen and it still might not work. Sorting through stuff in Android also blows, whether it be song titles, artists, or even your contacts. Much better in Windows Phone and iOS.

    Post edited by Matt on
  • Sounds like an overly complicated routine for next to no value. Why not just continue using your earbuds on your phone?
    Very poor interface and playback control, especially lock screen playback control.

    Both BeyondPod and Amazon Media Player handle this nicely and intuitively, plus amazon media player doesn't require an account so you can use it to just play local music if you desire.
  • A wall of text on my experience with Glass, in the context of this episode's discussion:

    I have made some complaints, such as the speaker quality, but it really is worth restating how impressive the device is from a weight/feel standpoint. They really hit a home run. This is not a trivial accomplishment, and I only expect the device's form factor to improve with time.

    Also, even though the speaker is crap for anything other than beeps and bloops, the microphone does a good job of picking up my speech even in noisy environments.

    There are several gesture functions that they don't teach you when you pick up the device, and you'd only learn if you read the pdf documentation: tap and hold to jump right into a google search, swipe forward or backward without waking the device up to skip right into cards.

    I don't seem to have the same problem as Scott w/ Twitter. I only get @ replies pushed to Glass, not random tweets from people.

    As for the external charger device, if you've seen any of the videos of Sergey Brin doing the Glass demo on stage, he has it plugged in with a cord running down his neck, right alongside his microphone wire. It can definitely be done!

    The MyGlass app is very useful b/c it gets you GPS and text messages. The GPS is walking directions and is incredibly helpful in urban environments. I have been going to NYC at least one per month for over a decade, and I will make no claims of knowing every street. Fuck, I don't think people who live there for decades could claim that. Step out of unfamiliar locations, "ok glass, get directions to " BOOM, start walking the optimal path.

    When I wear Glass, it's because I'm out and about doing something. I only want to be distracted if it's important, and I can't understate how awesome it is that Google filters out the non-important communication directed at me. It filters my texts down to my pre-loaded Glass contacts, and emails to my contacts and/or "important" flag. You do not ever take the phone out of your pocket. If it vibrates and does not push to glass, it was almost definitely some junk email or a text you don't need to reply to right now.

    I have actually kept Glass on when computing sometimes, and I wind up being hyper-focused on whatever I am working on. No tabs, no twitter or gmail open on the side. If something needs my attention, Glass will tell me. Otherwise: focus!

    MyGlass is coming to iPhone at some point, and I would hope Google Apps support will too. It's too bad Scott can't user either at the moment, because text/email through Glass has been awesome.
  • Sounds like an overly complicated routine for next to no value. Why not just continue using your earbuds on your phone?
    Very poor interface and playback control, especially lock screen playback control.
    Both BeyondPod and Amazon Media Player handle this nicely and intuitively, plus amazon media player doesn't require an account so you can use it to just play local music if you desire.
    I am new to Android. I actually bought a Nexus 4 just b/c of Glass (if I'm already spending $1500, I might as well switch and get full value), so thank you for the tip! Will check it out. All of my music is synched up to Google Play but I guess I would do it all over for a better interface w/ Amazon, or move local songs over for something like BeyondPod.

  • That is another thing. The Pebble Watch can somewhat control the music on your phone via Bluetooth. Pretty sure that is using the AVRCP profile. There is no reason Glass shouldn't have that.

    The number one failure of Bluetooth is that you will have two devices with bluetooth that can potentially do awesome things in conjunction with each other. Yet, one or both of the devices have not implemented the necessary profiles fully in software. Developers. If you make a device with Bluetooth, provide software for as many profiles as possible.
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