It was bound to happen: A developer claims that he built the first Google Glass app designed for sex. No, not porn — sex. Sex With Glass is designed to let partners share their point of view with each other to "experience sex like never before."
The idea is that both parties will don Glass for the encounter, and the app will send a live video stream to the other person's display upon the command, "OK, Glass, it's time," letting them see what they see in real time. You stop the stream with the words, "OK, Glass, pull out," according to the app's website.
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The site claims the app will also be able to dim room lights and play mood music, presumably with home automation, as well as suggest new sexual positions with the words, "OK, Glass, give me ideas."
The developer is also working on an accompanying iPhone app called Glance, which will let users switch the point of view to the iPhone's camera to see the "whole picture." After the encounter, Sex With Glass will automatically create a video from the footage on all three devices that users can view later. Not that much later, though — it self-destructs after 5 hours, Snapchat-style.
Sex With Glass appears destined for a niche audience within a niche audience: Google Glass isn't even for sale to the public yet, and for those with access, the price tag is $1,500 a pop. This app presumes a couple has two of the device. But even if you disregard the issues of price and availability when Glass is commercially released (likely later this year), the idea of both parties wearing an awkward connected headset while having sex will probably have limited appeal.
Add to that concerns about privacy. By its nature, Google Glass reduces the amount of friction between capturing and sharing; it's incredibly easy to accidentally send a photo or video via Glass to any of your networks. And although the app isn't available yet (meaning there isn't a way to assess its safeguards), it's already clear that Google Glass is hackable. Sex With Glass would represent the ultimate target for creepy hackers with a peep show fetish.
Still, those concerns may be premature, as Google hasn't had the opportunity to weigh in. It's possible Sex With Glass may suffer the same fate as Tits & Glass, the so-called first Google Glass porn app, which was banned shortly after its release. In its aftermath, Google updated its content policy for Glass, which now includes the provision, "We don't allow Glassware content that contains nudity, graphic sex acts, or sexually explicit material."
While that might seemingly lock a virtual chastity belt on Sex With Glass, the developer is optimistic.
"We’ve designed the app to be beautiful, minimalist and seamless," Sherif Maktabi, one of the three designers involved in the project, said in an email. "None of that is sexually explicit or pornographic. The iPhone app will not have the words 'sex' or 'Google.'"
The team behind Sex With Glass has already shown a willingness to adapt. Maktabi says they removed a sentence from the website that read, "That's for all the ladies out there," in reference to the five-hour time limit on the video — presumably assuage women's fears about revenge porn. He also said this critical commentary from The Verge had a point, and that the team might implement A/B sites so that the "he" and "she" perspectives will alternate.
Representatives for Google had no comment about the forthcoming app.
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The virtual screen that Google Glass shows you through the prism appears to be a display floating a few feet in front of you. Although it's obviously very tiny, Google says it's the equivalent of a 25-inch screen seen from 8 feet away.
The message screen "ok glass" is the most common one you see, since it activates whenever you tap the side or tilt your head up. The screen lets you know Glass is on and actively listening to your voice.
The most recent sports scores are just a single swipe away.
The screen is big enough to display a single sentence or simple text feedback extremely well. The font gets smaller for longer results, although it maxes out at about two sentences.
Although photos don't look great on Glass, you can easily discern the content, and they look much better when exported to other displays.
Most notifications involve both a headline and a photo, as with this one from Reddit.
The multicolor "spectrum" effect isn't visible to the eye -- it appears in this photo because it was taken outside and some sunlight was refracted.
The New York Times' notifications tell you how many articles are waiting. You can see them in a manner similar to the Reddit headlines by tapping the touchpad on the temple.
Here's what you see when you want to share something via Twitter. GlassTweet is a third-party app.
When you ask for directions, Glass first confirms the address.
Here's the UI for navigating with maps. The arrow moves as you turn your head.
Navigation in 2D gives you a bird's-eye view of the map.
Error messages are very clear.
The main settings screen lets you know if you're connected to Wi-Fi and how much battery power is left.