Android By Russell Holly Jan. 21, 2014 5:47 pm
It looks as though certain movie theaters will soon be asking patrons to remove their wearable computers before entering the theater, after an event in Columbus Ohio involving a Google Glass wearer, the MPAA, and Homeland Security.
Google Glass makes a lot of headlines right now because it is exciting, undefined technology available to a limited group of people for a price tag that is more than most people would consider paying for it. The high profile attached to the hardware creates an elitist air that makes for great stories, but the truth is Google Glass is one of several pieces of technology right now that are in need of rules befitting the category they reside within. The wearables space is growing at a rapid pace, and the people that make rules need to either treat them as a separate category and issue new rules or treat them with the same rules that already exist for other devices.
AMC Easton 30 in Columbus Ohio recently called the MPAA, who then called Homeland Security, to escort a man wearing Google Glass out of the theater. The assumption was that this man had been recording the film, but after a thorough interrogation it was revealed that the man had powered down his Google Glass before entering the theater. Since his Google Glass had prescription lenses baked in, he would need to resort to a secondary pair of glasses in order to see while in the theater. When it was confirmed that he had not recorded any video, the man was offered free tickets to compensate him for his time and stress.
Movie theaters are strange places filled with odd expectations. We go to the movie theater because that is where the new movies appear, and the expectation is that we as customers are being provided a service in exchange for money. In most theaters, however, the cinema experience is a hostile agreement. The theater exists for you to come and watch as long as you pay your money, sit quietly, don’t bring food, and follow all of the other rules. This isn’t unreasonable as long as everyone is on the same page. When everyone isn’t, and someone walks into a theater with a powered-down computer on their face, the experience ends and you are at the mercy of the theater.
You don’t see a movie in a theater anymore without at least two different warnings to put your phone on silent or power it down. In most places, it is preferred that you power your phone down. The Glass wearer in this situation treated Glass the same way he treated his phone, but the people running the theater did not.
Judging by the reaction, there’s a good chance none of the people involved in this situation had ever used Google Glass before. If they had, they might have realized that the 5MP sensor and subpar microphone designed for phone calls would not have been the preferred technology for capturing a film illegally. Glass also keeps the display on while recording video, so it would have been a dead giveaway by the glow in the prism display that he was using the device when approached by Homeland Security in the middle of a crowded theater. There’s also battery life to consider, as Glass can only record video for about 35 minutes on a full battery.
Instead, AMC released a public statement against Google Glass and devices of a similar nature. “Wearing any device that has the capability to record video is not appropriate at the movie theater.” was the specific language used. AMC has decided not to treat Google Glass the same way they treat phones, and prefers that they not be in the theater at all. This incident has, so far, been limited to a single theater. Personally, I have worn Google Glass with friends who also have the hardware into several AMC theaters and not had an issue. After today, I suspect that is going to change dramatically.
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Google Glass makes a lot of headlines right now because it is exciting, undefined technology available to a limited group of people for a price tag that is more than most people would consider paying for it. The high profile attached to the hardware creates an elitist air that makes for great stories, but the truth is Google Glass is one of several pieces of technology right now that are in need of rules befitting the category they reside within. The wearables space is growing at a rapid pace, and the people that make rules need to either treat them as a separate category and issue new rules or treat them with the same rules that already exist for other devices.
AMC Easton 30 in Columbus Ohio recently called the MPAA, who then called Homeland Security, to escort a man wearing Google Glass out of the theater. The assumption was that this man had been recording the film, but after a thorough interrogation it was revealed that the man had powered down his Google Glass before entering the theater. Since his Google Glass had prescription lenses baked in, he would need to resort to a secondary pair of glasses in order to see while in the theater. When it was confirmed that he had not recorded any video, the man was offered free tickets to compensate him for his time and stress.
Movie theaters are strange places filled with odd expectations. We go to the movie theater because that is where the new movies appear, and the expectation is that we as customers are being provided a service in exchange for money. In most theaters, however, the cinema experience is a hostile agreement. The theater exists for you to come and watch as long as you pay your money, sit quietly, don’t bring food, and follow all of the other rules. This isn’t unreasonable as long as everyone is on the same page. When everyone isn’t, and someone walks into a theater with a powered-down computer on their face, the experience ends and you are at the mercy of the theater.
You don’t see a movie in a theater anymore without at least two different warnings to put your phone on silent or power it down. In most places, it is preferred that you power your phone down. The Glass wearer in this situation treated Glass the same way he treated his phone, but the people running the theater did not.
Judging by the reaction, there’s a good chance none of the people involved in this situation had ever used Google Glass before. If they had, they might have realized that the 5MP sensor and subpar microphone designed for phone calls would not have been the preferred technology for capturing a film illegally. Glass also keeps the display on while recording video, so it would have been a dead giveaway by the glow in the prism display that he was using the device when approached by Homeland Security in the middle of a crowded theater. There’s also battery life to consider, as Glass can only record video for about 35 minutes on a full battery.
Instead, AMC released a public statement against Google Glass and devices of a similar nature. “Wearing any device that has the capability to record video is not appropriate at the movie theater.” was the specific language used. AMC has decided not to treat Google Glass the same way they treat phones, and prefers that they not be in the theater at all. This incident has, so far, been limited to a single theater. Personally, I have worn Google Glass with friends who also have the hardware into several AMC theaters and not had an issue. After today, I suspect that is going to change dramatically.
More...
