The 2013 national Doodle 4 Google winner was 17-year-old Sabrina Brady from Wisconsin.
Put on your inventor’s helmets and break out the fancy Prismacolors, kids, because the Doodle 4 Google contest is back with a new doodling prompt: “If I Could Invent One Thing to Make the World a Better Place…” (Magical video glasses is probably too on the nose).
“Our theme this year is all about curiosity, possibility, and imagination,” notes Google, which has run the annual competition since 2008. Students in kindergarten through twelfth grade in U.S. schools are invited to complete that sentence in the form of a redesign of the Google logo. The winning doodle will be animated and featured, for one glorious day, on the search giant’s homepage, and the lucky doodler receives a $30,000 college scholarship and a $50,000 technology grant for his or her school. Among this year’s illustrious guest judges are artist, designer, and author Christoph Niemann (pictured) and Rhode Island School of Design interim president Rosanne Somerson, who are joined by the likes of Lemony Snicket, LEGO robotics designer Lee Magpili, and Phil Lord and Christopher Miller, directors of The Lego Movie. Start dreaming and doodling now, because all entries must be received by March 20.
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Interview: when designer Isabelle Olsson joined the secret Google X lab in 2011, Google Glass looked like a cross between a scuba mask and a cellphone. In this exclusive interview, Olsson tells Dezeen how she turned the clunky prototype into something “beautiful and comfortable”.
Sketch of Glass with frames from the Glass design team
“When I first joined I had no idea what I was going to work on,” she said, speaking via a Google Hangout video link from New York. “Then I walked into a room full of engineers wearing a prototype of the glasses. These were very crude 3D-printed frames with a cellphone battery strapped to the legs. They weighed about 200 grams.”
She was given her first brief, which was “to make this beautiful and comfortable”.
“My initial goal was: how do we make this incredibly light? I set up three design principles; if you have something that is very complex you need to stick to some principles. The first was lightness, the second was simplicity and the third scalability”.
The original Google Glass frame, launched in 2013, designed by Isabelle Olsson’s team
“We would first start by sketching by hand,” she said. “Then we would draw in Illustrator or a 2D programme. Then we would laser-cut these shapes in paper.”
“After many iterations the team would start to make models in a harder material, like plastic. And then we got into laser-cutting metals. So it was an intricate, long, back-and-forth process.”
This painstaking, craft-led approach was essential when designing something that will be worn on the face, Olsson believes.
Google Split frames
“A 0.2mm height difference makes a complete difference to the way they look on your face,” she said. “What looks good on the computer doesn’t necessarily translate, especially with something that goes on your face. So as soon as you have an idea you need to prototype it. The next stage is about trying it on a couple of people too because something like this needs to fit a wide range of people.”
She now leads a team of less than ten designers at Google X, including “graphic designers, space and interior designers, design strategists and industrial designers but also people who work in the fashion industry”.
She says: “The funny thing is almost nobody on the design team has a technology background, which is very unusual for a tech company. But the great thing about that is that it keeps us grounded and keeps us thinking about it from a lifestyle product standpoint.”
Google Edge shades
With Glass, she was keen to ensure the product was as adaptable and accessible as possible, to ensure it could reach a wide range of potential users. “From the very beginning we designed Glass to be modular and to evolve over time,” she said.
“We’re finally at the beginning point of letting people wear what they want to wear,” Olsson said. “The frames are accessories so you detach the really expensive and complex technology from the style part: you can have a couple of different frames and you don’t need to get another Glass device.”
Images are courtesy of Google.
Here’s an edited transcript of the interview:
James Pallister: Can you start by telling me a little bit about how you started designing Google Glass?
Isabelle Olsson: Two and a half years ago I had a very simple, concise brief, and it was to make this [prototype of Google Glass] beautiful and comfortable. When I first joined I had no idea what I was going to work on. I just knew I was joining Google X and working on something new and exciting.
Then I walked into a room full of engineers wearing a prototype of the glasses. These were [very crude] 3D-printed frames with a cell-phone battery strapped to the legs. They weighed about 200 grams.
James Pallister: What were your initial design intentions?
Isabelle Olsson: My initial goal was: “how do we make this incredibly light?”. I set up three design principles; if you have something that is very complex you need to stick to some principles. The first was lightness, the second was simplicity and the third scalability.
The first thing that made me nervous was not how are we going to make this technology work but how are we going to be able to make this work for people; how are we going to make people want to wear the glasses? The first thing that came to mind is that when you walk into a glasses store you see hundreds of styles.
From the very beginning we designed this to be modular and be able to evolve over time. So in this version that you have probably seen already, there is this tiny little screw here and that is actually meant to be screwed off and then you can remove this frame and attach different kinds of frames.
Screenshot from Dezeen’s Google Hangout with designer Isabelle Olsson showing how wearers can attach different frames to the Glass
James Pallister: You’re launching new prescription frames and sunglasses which fit the Google Glass you launched in 2013?
Isabelle Olsson: Yes. What is really exciting is that this is our first collection of new frames. The frames are accessories so you detach the really expensive and complex technology from the style part: you can have a couple of different frames and you don’t need to get another glass device. So we’re finally at the beginning point of letting people wear what they want to wear.
James Pallister: How many people were on the team who refined the clunky prototype into what we see today?
Isabelle Olsson: The team started off very, very small: it was like a little science project. As we started to transition it into something that you could actually wear we have grown the team. Our design team is still really small. So in the design team I can count them on my 10 fingers.
James Pallister: What kind of people do you have on your team?
Isabelle Olsson: I really believe in having a mixed team: graphic designers, space and interior designers, design strategists and industrial designers but also people who work in the fashion industry. The funny thing is almost nobody on the design team has a technology background, which is very unusual for a tech company. But the great thing about that is that it keeps us grounded and keeps us thinking about it from a lifestyle product standpoint.
Screenshot from Dezeen’s Google Hangout with Isabelle Olsson showing the prototype of Google Glass, which Olsson’s design team developed into a sleek design
James Pallister: Is that one of the strengths of the team, that you are not too obsessed the technology?
Isabelle Olsson: There’s often the view that designers and engineers have to fight; that there should always be a constant battle. I don’t believe that. I think that view belongs in the 1990s.
James Pallister: Are the glasses manufactured by Google?
Isabelle Olsson: They are made in Japan. They are made out beautiful titanium that is extremely lightweight and durable.
James Pallister: With the spectacles and sunglasses, how did you choose which styles to develop?
There actually aren’t that many styles out there, so we looked at the most popular styles and condensed then into these really iconic simplified versions of them. Bold for example is great for people that would normally prefer kind of a chunky, square style. Curve, which I’m wearing, is perhaps a little more fashion-forward. And Split is for those who like almost rimless glasses or ones which are lighter on your face. Then Thin is this very classic traditional simple style that doesn’t really stand out.
James Pallister: Had you ever designed glasses before?
Isabelle Olsson: I have designed glasses and jewellery. So it wasn’t completely new but we did spend a long time refining these. We wanted the shape to be absolutely perfect. A 0.2mm height difference makes a complete difference to the way it looks on your face. Prototyping was absolutely crucial. We also cut paper and used laser cutting and used 3D printing.
James Pallister: Could you explain the design process?
Isabelle Olsson: We would first start with sketching by hand. And then Illustrator or a 2D programme, then we would laser-cut these shapes in paper and do many alterations [iterations?]. Then we would go into a harder material, like a plastic.
Once we have the icons, then we got it into 3D. And then 3D print that. Then we got into laser-cutting metals. So it is a long, intricate, back-and-forth process.
Google Classic shades
James Pallister: So it was quite a manual process? It wasn’t so much using models and computers?
Isabelle Olsson: Yes. What looks good on the computer doesn’t necessarily translate, especially with something that goes on your face. So as soon as you have an idea, you need to prototype it to see what is broken about it. You can then see what looks weird. It can be completely off – too big or too nerdy and you look crazy! It can be a case of a couple of millimetres.
The next stage is about trying it on a couple of people too because something like this needs to fit a wide range of people. That is what I think is most exciting is that everyone on our team uses Glass. We gave them prototypes early on. It was interesting to get feedback from them and it was also valuable for me to see people walking around with them everyday.
James Pallister: What do people pay to get the device?
Isabelle Olsson: So the Explorer edition [the version of Glass released last year] is now $1500 then this new prescription glasses accessory is going to be $225.
James Pallister: Did you have to build different software to cope with the curvature of the lens?
Isabelle Olsson: No, it just works for the regular device. What’s great about it is that our existing Explorers can buy the accessory, which is just the frame part, and then attach it to their device.
James Pallister: How long do you think it will be before wearing Google Glass becomes a normal, everyday thing? Five years? Ten years?
Isabelle Olsson: Much sooner than 10 years I would say. The technology keeps on evolving. That’s the critical part about the Explorer programme [the early adopters who have been given access to Glass], to get people out in the world using Glass in their daily lives. Once more people have it, people are going to get used to it faster.
Even with the original edition or the base frame, after half an hour people say that they forget they are wearing it. When you put it on, it is so lightweight; you can personally forget that you are wearing it. Then it is about other people around you getting used to it. It takes maybe three times that amount for that to happen.
James Pallister: Have you heard of any unexpected uses of Glass?
Isabelle Olsson: I mean personally I was hoping for these cases so when anything comes up I am more excited than surprised. The artistic use of it appeals to me as a designer, when people use it to make cool stop-motion videos or in other arts projects. But also there is this firefighter who developed this special app so he can see the floorplan of a building, so it could help save lives. The more people I see using it, the more exciting it gets and the more diverse it becomes.
Google Thin frames
James Pallister: Some people are predicting that wearable technology is just a stepping stone towards cyborg technology, where the information is fed directly into the brain. What do you think of that notion?
Isabelle Olsson: I think the team and myself are more interested in what we can do today and in the next couple of years, because that is going to have an impact and be really amazing. You can speculate about the future but somehow it never ends up being what you thought it would be anyway. When you see old futuristic movies, it is kind of laughable.
James Pallister: It seems that we are getting closer and closer to a situation where we can record every situation. Does that ever worry you from a privacy viewpoint?
Isabelle Olsson: I think with any new technology you need to develop an etiquette to using it. When phones started having cameras on them people freaked out about it.
Part of the Explorer programme is that we want to hear how Glass is working and when it is useful and in what instances do you use it. We are also interested in the social side, how people react when you are wearing it. What are peoples concerns, fears, issues and hopes for it.
We hope that Glass will help people to interact with the world around them, really quickly process information and move on to the conversation they were having.
James Pallister: What do you think is the next stage for Glass?
Isabelle Olsson: Tight now we are definitely focused on slowly growing the Explorer programme, making sure that people get these frames in their hands – or on their faces should we say. We are really excited about that and obviously we are working on prioritising feedback and also creating next generation products that I can’t talk about!
James Pallister: Are there any types of technology that you think Glass will feed into in the future?
Isabelle Olsson: I think a lot of things. It is hard for us to speculate without revealing things but the focus is to make technology a more natural part of you and I think any type of services that does that. Glass is going to feed that.
News: spectacle-wearing tech fans will soon be able to use Google Glass for the first time after the tech giant today unveiled four designs for frames to hold prescription lenses (+ slideshow).
The tech giant has also unveiled two designs for shades and five new colours for the original Glass product, giving a total of 40 different combinations for the high-tech device.
“It’s our first collection of new frames,” said Isabelle Olsson, lead Glass designer at Google’s secret Google X research lab.”We’re finally at the beginning point of letting people wear what they want to wear [when using Glass].”
Google split frames
The move sees Google positioning Glass as a customisable lifestyle accessory for the first time, as well as making it available to people who already need to wear glasses.
“This is the next step in the evolution of our design and truly gives wearers the opportunity to make Glass one’s own,” said the company. “This announcement also allows us to serve a new demographic (people with glasses) and starts a new area of the eyewear industry, ‘smart eyewear’.”
Google thin frames
Olsson’s team developed four different spectacle frames based upon popular contemporary designs, which they refer to as curved (pictured top), thin, split and bold. The small display sits above the user’s right eye as in the regular Google Glass. They also developed two sunglasses styles, called classic and edge.
The frames, which will cost $225, are sold separately from Glass, which costs £1,500. This means they can be worn with or without the clip-on high-tech element.
“The frames are accessories,” Olsson told Dezeen. “You detach the really expensive and complex technology from the style part. You can decide to have a couple of different frames so you don’t need to get another Glass device.”
Google bold frames
Google was prompted to launch the spectacles following feedback from its 10,000 “explorers”, the initial cohort of bloggers, coders and others who were chosen by Google to try the product. Some of these people called for a version of Glass that would work for those who require prescription lenses and who could not wear the product over their existing eyewear.
Google edge shades
Manufactured in Japan and made of titanium, the spectacle frames will be available in a range of styles and three colours. Lenses will be supplied by the user’s own optician. Google has also partnered with VSP, the insurance firm that oversees 80 percent of the US for eyecare and vision insurance.
Google classic shades
“There actually aren’t that many styles [of spectacle frames] out there – perhaps about eight,” Olsson said. “We looked at the most popular styles and then condensed them into these really iconic simplified versions of them.”
Olsson joined Google X in 2011 and has led development of Glass from early prototypes, when the product was “still a phone attached to a scuba mask”. She previously worked at industrial design company Fuseproject.
Google active shades
Glass users can send texts, read email, take photos and gain directions from the small screen that sits in front of the right eye. These functions are activated by the user tapping the glasses legs or saying out loud “OK Glass”. They can then toggle through functions using the voice-activated operating system.
Google Glass is not yet available on widespread consumer release. After the rollout of the explorer program in the USA this year, the firm plans a consumer launch in the USA toward the end of 2014. There is no planned release date yet for the UK.
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News: scientists at the Google[x] research facility in California are working on contact lenses containing tiny electronics that could constantly monitor glucose levels in the tears of people with diabetes.
“We’re now testing a smart contact lens that’s built to measure glucose levels in tears using a tiny wireless chip and miniaturised glucose sensor that are embedded between two layers of soft contact lens material,” said Google in a post published on its official blog.
The contact lenses would be able to generate a reading every second, making it possible to instantly identify potentially dangerous changes in the patient’s blood sugar levels.
“We’re also investigating the potential for this to serve as an early warning for the wearer, so we’re exploring integrating tiny LED lights that could light up to indicate that glucose levels have crossed above or below certain thresholds,” the company explained.
As well as minuscule chips and sensors, the lenses could also incorporate an antenna thinner than a human hair that would communicate with apps so patients or doctors could view the measurements on a smartphone, tablet or computer.
Diabetes patients are currently required to test their blood sugar levels at regular intervals throughout the day by pricking their finger to draw a tiny amount of blood that can be analysed. The process is painful and time-consuming and can discourage people with diabetes from checking their blood glucose as frequently as they should.
“The one thing I’m excited about is that this is a device that people wear daily – the contact lens,” project co-founder Brian Otis told the BBC. “For us to be able to take that platform that exists currently, that people wear, and add intelligence and functionality to it, is really exciting.”
Google stressed that the technology is at a fledgling stage in its development but added that it will be seeking out potential partners who could help it refine the hardware and software required to turn the concept into reality.
“It’s still early days for this technology, but we’ve completed multiple clinical research studies which are helping to refine our prototype,” Google claimed. “We hope this could someday lead to a new way for people with diabetes to manage their disease.”
News:Google has announced it is poised to acquire domestic technology firm Nest for $3.2 billion, a move that will increase the tech giant’s presence in the home.
Google made the announcement yesterday that it is to pay $3.2 billion (£2 billion) for Nest, which was founded in 2010 by former Apple executives Tony Fadell and Matt Rogers. The company produces network-enabled home infrastructure such as thermostats and smoke alarms that can be controlled from smartphones.
The acquisition is the second largest in Google’s history, after its takeover of Motorola Mobility in 2011. The move suggests Google is rushing to achieve the creation of a connected home, where objects and appliances monitor residents’ behaviour and communicate with each other to adjust the domestic environment.
Integrating such a system in homes before rivals like Apple would force subsequent products to rely on Google’s technology and protocols.
Despite Google’s ownership of the Android operating system, Nest assured its users that the technology will remain compatible with Apple’s iOS software and other web browsers in statement on the company’s website.
After the acquisition, Nest will continue to be led by Fadell under the same name and branding. The closing of the deal is subject to conditions and approvals, but it is expected in next few months.
Nest Protect smoke alarm
The Nest Thermostat (main image) is designed to learn what temperatures a resident likes their home to be and builds a personalised schedule by picking up on routines. The thermostat can be adjusted using a smartphone app, allowing home owners to control their energy usage remotely.
The firm’s recently launched smoke alarm Nest Protect can also detect carbon monoxide, gives an early warning using lights and speech, plus can be silenced with the wave of a hand. It too connects with smart devices to alert the user when it is activated.
“[Nest is] already delivering amazing products you can buy right now – thermostats that save energy and smoke alarms that can help keep your family safe,” said Google CEO Larry Page. “We are excited to bring great experiences to more homes in more countries and fulfil their dreams.”
“With [Google’s] support, Nest will be even better placed to build simple, thoughtful devices that make life easier at home, and that have a positive impact on the world,” said Fadell.
News:Google has joined up with automotive manufacturers including Honda, Audi, Hyundai and General Motors to integrate its Android smartphone operating system into cars.
The news could bring Google into fresh conflict with Apple, which is understood to be working on similar plans and hopes to make its iOS operating system the industry standard.
They claim the system’s openness, customisation and scale will allow carmakers to easily incorporate cutting-edge technology, but will also create opportunities for developers to create new experiences for drivers and passengers.
“The car is the ultimate mobile computer,” said Jen-Hsun Huang, president and chief executive officer of NVIDIA. “With onboard supercomputing chips, futuristic cars of our dreams will no longer be science fiction. The OAA will enable the car industry to bring these amazing cars to market faster.”
Google will bring Android apps to car dashboards later this year
“They’re working with all the world’s major automotive companies to bring iOS to cars,” he told Dezeen. “That could be a huge deal for them because that’s where most people listen to music.”
The first vehicle equipped with Google’s Android technology is due to roll off the production line later this year, bringing the 700,000 existing Android apps to the dashboard. Open Automotive Alliance is inviting more carmakers to join in the hope that Android will become the dominant platform for in-car computing.
“Millions of people are already familiar with Android and use it every day,” said Sundar Pichai, senior vice president of Android, Chrome and Apps at Google. “The expansion of the Android platform into automotive will allow our industry partners to more easily integrate mobile technology into cars and offer drivers a familiar, seamless experience so they can focus on the road.
Google a dévoilé, comme il est désormais coutume chaque année, les termes les plus recherchés en une jolie vidéo appelée Google Zeitgeist. Une création permettant de revivre l’année 2013 passée en moins de deux minutes. L’ensemble est à découvrir en images et en vidéo dans la suite de l’article.
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Put on your inventor’s helmets and break out the fancy Prismacolors, kids, because the Doodle 4 Google contest is back with a new doodling prompt: “If I Could Invent One Thing to Make the World a Better Place…” (Magical video glasses is probably too on the nose).
