Google Glass is back!

Typically, they look like goggles but are not. They are the light weight wearable computers which bring information into your line of sight that too with a transparent display. This is nothing but GOOGLE GLASS. Google released this technology a few years before. But it left the entire company with a miserable failure. But now, Google made many changes in the technology and unveiled the same as GLASS ENTERPRISE EDITION. As it has applications in many fields, healthcare too captured a few of them.

What were the reasons the first attempt failed?

No doubt..! Google glass is an outstanding idea in the technological point of view. But it dropped in many areas while getting into the market. Some of the major concerns are discussed below

1. Its technical specifications are not so good. It provides a little battery life which stands as a major havoc for sustaining in the market.
2. Confused about the product. People are in confusion that the product is an initial prototype or a finished product.
3. Frustrating features. The product would feel very responsive during navigating menus or apps. They jump from one to one unwantedly. In certain events like a firmware update, it stops working for sometimes.
4. Its appearance was not so cute. The old version doesn’t look natural as regular spectacles. The people wearing it look different in a group which makes them embarrassed. Instead, some of them are also nicknamed as “Google glass explorers.”
5. The major drawback that it had faced was the security and healthcare concerns. As the product seems to be very near to the eyes and brain, it may emit carcinogenic radiation continuously. Another one is safety, in which you may be in danger that anyone (stranger) may capture your movements unknowingly.
6. Bad marketing is also one of the causes. The product was not directly released into the retail stores. Instead, they were sold to a group of people for $1500. Unfortunately, they are journalists and tech geeks, who are not beneficial with the product.
7. The last one is that the company had ignored the product development principle. Before creating a product, one should find the need for it and the practical problems solved by it. Considering the possible problems solved by Google Glass is hard.

What changed in contrast to the old Google glass?

GOOGLE X designed Google glass, a division of Alphabet focused on Experimental Moonshot Project. After its Failure during Initial market release, Google’s parent company, ALPHABET has focused more on this Technology and released Glass Enterprise Edition (GEE) to attract different Audience for its smart glasses. The company almost worked for two years with more than 30 Expert partners and built Software for GEE. They have also focused on its Features and made it Light-Weighted. Unlike the previous, now its battery life is also better. So, People can use it all the day. Also, Google said that the Price would vary.

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What are the potential apps for health care?

GEE is a useful Hand-Free device for its users to look up Checklists and Instructions. Moreover, it has a positive impact on Healthcare.

Some of its Major Applications are given as follows

1. Augmedix introduced a Remote Scribe Application for GEE. By utilizing it, California-Based Dignity Health, San Francisco said that Healthcare Providers could have more direct contact with their Patients. They also mentioned that this Technology has almost reduced 33% of time spent by Clinicians on Administrative work to less than 10%.
2. Sutter Health, Sacramento, California also shared its views on this Technology in enhancing lives of its Providers. Clinicians said that they had decreased 2 hrs of time that they have to focus on Patient record keeping.
3. A California-Based Electronic Medical record company from Mountain View has developed an app in which Doctors can record a Surgery or Consultation with Patients Permission. They are stored in Patients EMR and can also be shared with the patient on request.
4. Doctors Sebastian Mafeld and Phil Haslam stated that this Technology has the Potential to improve Operator comfort, Procedure Efficiency, and Patient Safety in the field of Interventional Radiology.
5. It can be useful in Ambulances, Operating rooms, General practice, A Trauma helicopter and Home care as well as the use in public transportation for physically or visually impaired.
6. Google Glass can also assist fistulaplasty and a Liver Biopsy.
7. GEE can also be used for new mothers to nurse their baby and other Breast feeding issues. They can call a lactation consultant by using a secure Google hangout and can know about Latching on, Posture, etc.
8. Glass Fundoscopy is one of the techniques used in this technology to acquire images of a patient’s retina.

This Technology can be majorly utilized to provide training for the Medical students especially in certain typical areas such as surgery and so on.

How are the chances for success now?

Google Glass has an unexpected failure on its initial release. But now, during its second step, it is expected to be that there is a chance of success. This time, the company has majorly focused on manufacturing and health care markets. Today, this newer version is said to be used by more than 50 businesses. Many Health systems such as Trihealth, Cincinnati, Colorado-based Catholic health initiatives, Delaware-based Christiana care are using GEE. By viewing these results, we can’t judge the future of the product. As Google has made many changes in the product, it also left many issues such as Emitting radiation, Closeness to Eyes and so on. This is the reason why GEE stands back in certain areas. Moreover, there is also Competition for this product. There are some rumors that Apple is working on Smart Glasses. Snapchat’s parent company, SNAP also launched Smart Glasses at 130. So, the fate of Google Glass depends upon the Technology that it will get into the product once again and the chances for Success are now Unclear.

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