Is Apple Inc. (AAPL)’s Tim Cook Wrong About Google Inc (GOOG) Glass?

To be sure, a computer worn near the eye is bound to be more closely tied into our everyday lives than a watch, but that’s exactly what’s making people nervous about Google Glass. After all, though many people are arguably too-often connected to their digital lives through smartphones at present, Google Glass takes those electronic interactions to an entirely new, more intimate level.

Worse yet, privacy concerns had surfaced even before the device was released to 2,000 beta testers last month, even as Google had added simple safeguards like a voice command requirement for taking pictures. Unsurprisingly, hackers quickly released an app — appropriately dubbed Winky — to enable users to simply wink to snap a photo.

As another example, if you have a habit of ducking away from awkward conversations before people see you, you might hate that a San Francisco-based tech start-up named Lambda Labs is set to release a Facial Recognition API for Google Glass in the very near future.

Foolish final thoughts
In the end, Tim Cook may be right in saying Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG) Glass isn’t ready for commercial adoption on a wide scale, but it’s not for the reasons he thinks.

On one hand, Apple may be better off if they enter the space by unveiling a smart watch of their own, but Cook will have his work cut out for him if he wants to convince consumers they absolutely cannot live without an Apple device strapped to their wrists. Google Glass, on the other hand, certainly boasts that “wow” factor, but Big G took such a huge leap forward with their tech that they might be scaring consumers away.

For what it’s worth, this technology isn’t exactly Google Inc (NASDAQ:GOOG)’s first long-term oriented project to freak people out; it’s safe to say the company’s driver-less cars have attracted a fair amount of skepticism so far. In addition, chairman Eric Schmidt did say last month the commercial release of Glass is still “probably a year-ish” away, so they’ve got at least some time to iron out the details before their prime time debut.

But what do you think? Is the world ready to accept Google Glass? Share you thoughts in the comments section below.

The article Is Tim Cook Wrong About Google Glass? originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Steve Symington.

Fool contributor Steve Symington owns shares of Apple and Universal Display. The Motley Fool recommends Apple, Google, and Universal Display. The Motley Fool owns shares of Apple, Google, and Universal Display.

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