Google Glass Banned from Seattle Bar; Dev Kit Hits eBay
A bar in Seattle has banned Google Glass while a "tangerine" unit has popped up on eBay for $8000.
Hey! We don't serve their kind here!A Seattle, Washington-based bar, 5 Point Café, has already banned Google Glass, the search engine giant's augmented reality specs donning a front-facing camera. The owner has taken to the bar's Facebook page to state that "ass kickings will be encouraged for violators", and has undoubtedly become one of many to outlaw the specs in fear of privacy concerns.
“I’m a thought leader,” said 5 Point Café owner Dave Meinert. "First you have to understand the culture of the 5 Point, which is a sometimes seedy, maybe notorious place. People want to go there and be not known … and definitely don’t want to be secretly filmed or videotaped and immediately put on the Internet."
He added that the Facebook warning was partly a joke to get a reaction. But he's also serious about the Glass ban, as the bar already doesn't allow people to film or take pictures under its roof. They're unwanted, he said, and that the bar is a private place that people visit.
"It’s OK if you wear them, I just don’t want them worn inside," he added, acknowledging all the "tech geeks" that wander in from nearby Amazon offices.
Meanwhile, a Google Glass developer kit has landed on eBay, costing a rather hefty $8201 USD. Naturally the seller is banking on the inability to purchase the specs until (possibly) later this year for around $1500 USD, and has already reeled in 36 bids. The listing is based out of Russia and sports a "tangerine" model that was likely acquired through one of the Glass Foundry development workshops.
"This is a new product, but the box a little crumpled in transit," the listing reads. "This item does not cost $ 80! If you want to buy, you have to pay $ 8000! Russia to limit sales in the month. I can not sell the product for more than $ 80. If you want to buy the product now, then you have to pay $ 8,000 or to participate in the auction. In the presence of two sets of glass Google."
The seller currently has a 100-percent positive feedback, so it's possible the lucky customer will receive the real deal. But there's no indication how "izoterika" acquired the specs, or if they even work at all (could be defective units thrown in the trash). That said, interested customers may want to wait until Google coughs up the actual product later this year.
Still, the auction ends on March 13 for anyone willing to gamble over $8000!
What about Democrat fundraiser...you might be suprised
It is actually perfectly sane.
It's a story because someone is trying to sell a "development kit".... Things like this get banned in K-12 schools due to child privacy and safety, which is a major concern in most schools. Once a release date is announced, I'll be petitioning my local school board to issue a ban on these as well, if it hasn't been done already.
Sorry for the double post. Not sure what happened there. Anyway, I encourage you to do so. I'll be doing exactly the same thing.
Privacy in cities is already a joke, anyways.
So you pay $1,500 for this thing and then after you have to ask yourself, so where can I actually safely wear it?!
In any case, the owner is actively encouraging violence against perpetrators, which is a big no-no in my book.
I fully respect his rights to set out rules for his business, but threats of violence are a bit much - while drunk people can get a bit unruly or out of hand, I don't think this is going to happen with the clientele that can buy $1500 glasses.
Point is, there will be some changes in the final product that will allow one to easily tell whether or not the camera is ON. People are making too much out of this.
LOL
J/K
I certainly wouldn't pay $1,500 for a pair of those but I could see wealthy stock investors that couldn't possibly go to lunch without them so they can always keep an eye on stock prices.