When I saw Google had somehow forgotten to include any ads in their Project Glass promotional video I just couldn't resist fixing that oversight for them.
So here is my slightly more realistic version of Google's augmented reality glasses - now featuring contextual Google Ads!
Of course I'm exaggerating a bit here for visual effect to mimic the modern web browsing experience. Google will probably not be this obvious with their interface but there's no question that the company will be gathering a massive amount of extremely personal data based on what you look at and for how long. The company may use this data mining to build even more detailed consumer profiles and/or sell über targeted ads. Because let's face it, Google is really just a massive advertising company at heart.
Fun Fact: All of the AdWords used are actual Google ad returns found via Google searches based on the dialog, situation or setting in the original video. Yes "Music, Stop!" does actually return an ad asking if you would like to listen to music.
Google really can't be too annoyed at this remix because after all I'm just putting Google Ads overtop of a Google video on Google's owned video hosting service.
See the original Google video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c6W4CCU9M4
UPDATE: This remix appears to have gone viral with over half a million views in 5 days. I'm happy the video has been part of the changing media story around Google's "augmented reality" product from the initial uncritical view to a slightly more skeptical frame that at least raises concerns about privacy, personal data mining and "targeted" advertising.
FURTHER READING:
Back in February 2012 Sebastian Anthony wrote about the then-rumored Google glasses on Extreme Tech saying - "Remember, Google is ultimately an advertising company, where eyeballs directly translate into money — and it's hard to get any closer to your eyes than a pair of augmented reality glasses. When you look at a car dealership, Google will be able to display ads from a competitor. When you sit in front of a computer, or TV, or stare through a shop window, the glasses will be able to track your head movements and report back on the efficacy of display ads. Perhaps most excitingly, when you read a newspaper or book or other static medium, Google could even overlay its own, interactive ads."
Here is a link to that article:
http://www.extremetech.com/computing/119375-android-powered-google-glasses-the-augmented-reality-hud-dream-is-coming
FAIR USE NOTICE:
This transformative remix work constitutes a fair use of any copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US copyright law. "ADmented Reality" was remixed by Jonathan McIntosh and is licensed under a Creative Commons BY-NC-SA 3.0 License permitting non-commercial sharing and remixing with attribution.
