The Life of Cyborg Steve Mann - The Something Awful Forums

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Tip: Mar 21, 2006; Your move, creep.

Steve Mann has spent his life working on wearable computing and he was the first to do "lifecasting", which means that he streamed his everyday life live onto the internet. Thankfully while he's been recording everyone, he's been recorded right back. This thread is for images of Steve Mann just living his cyborg life.

Here is his senior yearbook photo:

If you think he didn't lifecast his wedding you're crazy, those tiny sunglasses are somehow a computer!

And of course everyone remembers the time he wandered onto the set of Star Trek and no one noticed.

# ? Feb 25, 2013 02:37

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# ? May 19, 2013 00:08

GIMMEL: Jan 24, 2005

I wonder if Google Glass will make him commit suicide.

Seriously, check the video out for them, it was all actually recorded by the device itself:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jhN8ZTDw8uA

Hearing from trial users the voice detection can be a bit funky, but once that gets sorted out.. yeah. Good bye Steve Mann.

GIMMEL fucked around with this message at Feb 25, 2013 around 02:53

# ? Feb 25, 2013 02:50

YouDummy: Jun 24, 2005

That's edbassmaster, isn't it?

# ? Feb 25, 2013 02:56

Scut: Aug 26, 2008; Such a hard working little power suit!

Wouldn't it be fair to say that Steve Mann did a lot of the groundwork that made Google Glass possible? I remember watching a video of him from like a decade ago where he had already incorporated facial recognition and adblocking (billboards) into his rig.

# ? Feb 25, 2013 02:58

Khanstant: Apr 5, 2007

Scut posted:

Wouldn't it be fair to say that Steve Mann did a lot of the groundwork that made Google Glass possible? I remember watching a video of him from like a decade ago where he had already incorporated facial recognition and adblocking (billboards) into his rig.

Hoooly poo poo, is ad-blocking really a feature in these things? It seems absurd to believe that an ad-dependent thing like Google would incorporate such a feature into a device I'm sure will itself send me ads. The lack of ad-blocking in reality is one of my biggest complaints about it. I'm also curious as to how it blocks them, I could see it being dangerous to obscure vision especially since it's quite possible to look somewhere and only see advertising.

# ? Feb 25, 2013 03:49

Tip: Mar 21, 2006; Your move, creep.

Who can forget his videogame, Steve Mann: Humann Revolution?

# ? Feb 25, 2013 03:50

Verizian: Dec 18, 2004; The spiky one.

Khanstant posted:

Hoooly poo poo, is ad-blocking really a feature in these things? It seems absurd to believe that an ad-dependent thing like Google would incorporate such a feature into a device I'm sure will itself send me ads. The lack of ad-blocking in reality is one of my biggest complaints about it. I'm also curious as to how it blocks them, I could see it being dangerous to obscure vision especially since it's quite possible to look somewhere and only see advertising.

It'll be an app within hours. Sadly Google glass is just a tiny screen above one eye but one day there will be a full visor that blurs out billboards and superimposes an animated gif with a small text ad below it in their place.

If the advertising companies play nice they can pay the developer of the app and include a QR code on each billboard that makes sure the text ad is for the same product as the real billboard, otherwise it will be based on known interests and locations.

# ? Feb 25, 2013 03:56

simplefish: Mar 28, 2011; So long, and thanks for all the ~~fish~~ gallbladdΣrs!

# ? Feb 25, 2013 05:01

Selavi: Jan 1, 2010

Oh god, those Bluetooth headsets were annoying enough.

# ? Feb 25, 2013 15:58

Lumberjack Bonanza: Feb 27, 2011; I'LL CUT THAT POST TO PIECES!

simplefish posted:

I fully expect to see this on conspiracy blogs in the near future.

# ? Feb 25, 2013 16:32

MoraleHazard: Aug 21, 2012; It's Zoidberg, John Fucking Zoidberg!

All proper cyborgs need an exoskeleton....and claws. Yup, definitely claws.

# ? Feb 25, 2013 16:55

Iacen: Mar 19, 2009; Si vis pacem, para bellum

# ? Feb 25, 2013 17:05

Mr. Haunt: Jun 5, 2003; Before everything, there was just the hate.

MoraleHazard posted:

All proper cyborgs need an exoskeleton....and claws. Yup, definitely claws.

I think you might be thinking of a street samurai.

# ? Feb 25, 2013 17:07

Zack_Gochuck: Jan 3, 2007; Stupid Wrestling People

My favourite article about Steve Mann:

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/14/t...-unplugged.html

# ? Feb 25, 2013 17:07

Warpigeon: Aug 8, 2002; The pigeon says, Moo.

Zack_Gochuck posted:

My favourite article about Steve Mann:

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/14/t...-unplugged.html

I wonder if hate crimes apply to Cyborgs

# ? Feb 25, 2013 17:21

Apparition: Dec 21, 2005; I am the stone that the builder refused...

Zack_Gochuck posted:

My favourite article about Steve Mann:

http://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/14/t...-unplugged.html

He really sounds quite whiny and insufferable. I can understand being furious about damaging my equipment or hassling me, but to claim you're "dizzy and disoriented" without your navigational gear is silly. And the whole "tripping into a pile of fire extinguishers" thing make him sound crazy.

# ? Feb 25, 2013 17:33

Iacen: Mar 19, 2009; Si vis pacem, para bellum

Apparition posted:

He really sounds quite whiny and insufferable. I can understand being furious about damaging my equipment or hassling me, but to claim you're "dizzy and disoriented" without your navigational gear is silly. And the whole "tripping into a pile of fire extinguishers" thing make him sound crazy.

I think the last thread about him established that his eyes have been damaged by all his experiments, so I guess he could be disoriented when you take away what's essentially his seeing aid.

# ? Feb 25, 2013 17:35

Experto Crede: Aug 19, 2008; _{Mod Secrets #281 - FrancisYorkPatty is the one who bought most of those frog avatars}

MoraleHazard posted:

All proper cyborgs need an exoskeleton....and claws. Yup, definitely claws.

They need you to hurt them.

# ? Feb 25, 2013 17:37

Angela Christine: Oct 4, 2008; LIL CUTIES

Iacen posted:

I think the last thread about him established that his eyes have been damaged by all his experiments, so I guess he could be disoriented when you take away what's essentially his seeing aid.

Yeah, if somebody loses a single contact lens they may be disorientated for a little while until they adjust. A brand new pair of glasses with a slightly different prescription than your old pair can be weird for a few minutes, it can even make the ground look a little tilted or just a bit off. Emotional distress or outrage over having your poo poo broken could intensify the effect. And then being a drama whore would make it worse each time you talk about it.

# ? Feb 25, 2013 18:00

Velvet Sparrow: May 15, 2006; 'Hope' is the thing with feathers, that perches in the soul, and sings the tune, without the words, and never stops--at all.

Apparition posted:

He really sounds quite whiny and insufferable. I can understand being furious about damaging my equipment or hassling me, but to claim you're "dizzy and disoriented" without your navigational gear is silly. And the whole "tripping into a pile of fire extinguishers" thing make him sound crazy.

It's called 'Perceptual Adaptation' and is very interesting, especially when they put people in glasses that flip everything upside down, after a time their brain adapts and flips their view upright.

Fun with loving with your brain!
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perceptual_adaptation

So I can see where he'd be disoriented at first after wearing the dumb thing for 20 years.

Edit: VVVV Shh, you weren't supposed to notice that.

Velvet Sparrow fucked around with this message at Feb 25, 2013 around 19:19

# ? Feb 25, 2013 18:23

Morally Inept: Mar 5, 2012; Can't post for 29 days!

Tip posted:

Here is his senior yearbook photo:

Why is he between Wegener and Wehrlen?

# ? Feb 25, 2013 19:11

Greyhawk: May 30, 2001; I CHOO-CHOO-CHOOSE YOU

Morally Inept posted:

Why is he between Wegener and Wehrlen?

His real name is Wegeta.

# ? Feb 25, 2013 19:22

Lasher: Aug 13, 2003; It's time to rise up, man up, get back up. Never been and won't be broken. Dust off and then come back for more.

I will only wear those Google Glasses if I can get them with red and green tinted lenses.

# ? Feb 25, 2013 20:10

Tip: Mar 21, 2006; Your move, creep.

Morally Inept posted:

Why is he between Wegener and Wehrlen?

He paid off someone on the yearbook staff so he wouldn't have to be on the same page as a bunch of micks. He hates the Irish.

# ? Feb 25, 2013 20:17

Bleusilences: Jun 23, 2004; Be careful for what you wish for.

Is that guy is in the same league as Micheal Jackson, as he modify himself over the year? I also wonder how he his in day to day life, he have a wife and kid so maybe he is living a normal life?

# ? Feb 26, 2013 00:31

simplefish: Mar 28, 2011; So long, and thanks for all the ~~fish~~ gallbladdΣrs!

The climax (if you'll pardon the pun) was to be an on-air conception. Does Mr. Mann have a recording somewhere, do you think? Life imitating art, or art imitating craziness?

# ? Feb 26, 2013 00:35

KimT: Nov 8, 2009

I'll buy Google Glass if it lets me see who is a goon just by looking at them

# ? Feb 26, 2013 00:46

simplefish: Mar 28, 2011; So long, and thanks for all the ~~fish~~ gallbladdΣrs!

KimT posted:

I'll buy Google Glass if it lets me see who is a goon just by looking at them

# ? Feb 26, 2013 00:49

Cojawfee: May 31, 2006; THE CLAMPS!
or clamp like device

Is that picture with all the electrodes on his head real? I knew he had that dumb camera over his eye, but to cover his head with that poo poo is just creepy.

# ? Feb 26, 2013 01:09

simplefish: Mar 28, 2011; So long, and thanks for all the ~~fish~~ gallbladdΣrs!

Yeah, it's something he invented called MindMesh, to control a computer with brain waves.

# ? Feb 26, 2013 01:18

Captain Pancakes: Jul 30, 2004

KimT posted:

I'll buy Google Glass if it lets me see who is a goon just by looking at them

Sadly, I bet people will look up someone's Facebook the moment they meet someone and get their name. Pretty soon we won't have to talk to people to learn about them, we can just look-up people the moment we meet them. I bet within a decade facial recognition technology will be advanced enough that such a feature could automatically identify any new face you saw. Finally, people will be able to filter out the people they'd rather avoid when looking for prospective friends or partners.

Honestly, if that doesn't give you a gloomy outlook on how anti-social technology is making us, then you're not a human being.

Cojawfee posted:

Is that picture with all the electrodes on his head real? I knew he had that dumb camera over his eye, but to cover his head with that poo poo is just creepy.

If that's what he looked like when he went to McDonald's, well, I think he should expect some sort of friction when walking into an establishment like theirs wearing all this crazy looking stuff on his head. And at an airport? What was he thinking? Did he really think with all the terrorism fears that he wouldn't be stopped and searched while wearing all these crazy gadgets and wires?

Captain Pancakes fucked around with this message at Feb 26, 2013 around 01:34

# ? Feb 26, 2013 01:28

Slo-Tek: Jun 8, 2001

Captain Pancakes posted:

Sadly, I bet people will look up someone's Facebook the moment they meet someone and get their name. Pretty soon we won't have to talk to people to learn about them, we can just look-up people the moment we meet them. I bet within a decade facial recognition technology will be advanced enough that such a feature could automatically identify any new face you saw. Finally, people will be able to filter out the people they'd rather avoid when looking for prospective friends or partners.

Honestly, if that doesn't give you a gloomy outlook on how anti-social technology is making us, then you're not a human being.

If that's what he looked like when he went to McDonald's, well, I think he should expect some sort of friction when walking into an establishment like theirs wearing all this crazy looking stuff on his head. And at an airport? What was he thinking? Did he really think with all the terrorism fears that someone wouldn't search someone wearing a bunch of crazy looking wires and gadgets?

I'm really looking forward to that. The current incarnation of google glass doesn't look too exciting. Being able to check my e-mail without getting my phone out of my pocket? that is...underwhelming. A constant HUD of the current time/date/temperture and IM box is not something I need cluttering my vision.

I just don't pay enough attention to people. However if my eyepiece can do facial recognition, tell me where I am supposed to know them from, and a little auto-precis of our last several conversations, I would be thrilled, and able to simulate attention and social aptitude pretty well...except for the big dorky glasses on my head.

I also want a universal reverse image lookup. If I look at a leaf, I want a little 'would you like to know more' that will tell me that that is a Red Oak leaf with a link to wiki. Or look at a car and have it tell me that is a 1984 Saab 900 (and look at the licence plate to see who it is registered to), or look up at a contrail in the sky, and have it tell me that is a Boeing 757 Delta Flight 207 from SEA to DTW estimated arrival 6:30pm (78% on time). That would be worth wearing stupid glasses for. Otherwise, I'll just read my e-mail on my phone.

Obviously a lot of this stuff is a long ways out, and a lot of it will not work very often even when it arrives. But that is the kind of Augmented Reality I'd pay for.

Though I would also consider avoiding people I knew were recording everything.

Slo-Tek fucked around with this message at Feb 26, 2013 around 01:44

# ? Feb 26, 2013 01:40

Pochoclo: Feb 4, 2008; I like bread

I am not on facebook. In the future, I will be invisible. A secret faceless agent doing work for the shadowy megacorporations. Just like that Zelazny story, I am Legion or something like that.

I'm all for replacing my brain with a computer but gently caress people using future tech to look you up on facebook, seriously.

# ? Feb 26, 2013 02:08

Cojawfee: May 31, 2006; THE CLAMPS!
or clamp like device

You could always just set your facebook to be private.

# ? Feb 26, 2013 02:11

Mystery Steve: Nov 9, 2006

Slo-Tek posted:

I'm really looking forward to that. The current incarnation of google glass doesn't look too exciting. Being able to check my e-mail without getting my phone out of my pocket? that is...underwhelming. A constant HUD of the current time/date/temperture and IM box is not something I need cluttering my vision.

I just don't pay enough attention to people. However if my eyepiece can do facial recognition, tell me where I am supposed to know them from, and a little auto-precis of our last several conversations, I would be thrilled, and able to simulate attention and social aptitude pretty well...except for the big dorky glasses on my head.

I also want a universal reverse image lookup. If I look at a leaf, I want a little 'would you like to know more' that will tell me that that is a Red Oak leaf with a link to wiki. Or look at a car and have it tell me that is a 1984 Saab 900 (and look at the licence plate to see who it is registered to), or look up at a contrail in the sky, and have it tell me that is a Boeing 757 Delta Flight 207 from SEA to DTW estimated arrival 6:30pm (78% on time). That would be worth wearing stupid glasses for. Otherwise, I'll just read my e-mail on my phone.

Obviously a lot of this stuff is a long ways out, and a lot of it will not work very often even when it arrives. But that is the kind of Augmented Reality I'd pay for.

Though I would also consider avoiding people I knew were recording everything.

This is those first major steps to bio-technology, 20-30 years down the line this will be packed into a contact lense or a bionic eyeball I imagine brainwaves will have been mapped by then, so tasks will no longer be voice activated simply thinking about it will make it happen, having a phone conversation with someone without actually speaking aloud for instance, I can see a lot of good uses for this tech especially for disabled people but it's so close to going into Black Mirror territory that I don't think I could buy into it, but then I said I'd never buy a mobile phone but here I am booking plane tickets on the shitter and watching tv on the fly. Scary stuff.

I'm surprised he hasn't been mistaken for a suicide bomber yet that's quite an IED looking fanny pack he's rocking, just imagine those screams from aiport security and hearing Steve's muffled breaths over the live feed as he runs away then sudenly watching his guts fly out in front of him in those final last seconds. The future is glass.

# ? Feb 26, 2013 02:33

CPL593H: Oct 28, 2009; I'd buy that for a dollar!

Cojawfee posted:

You could always just set your facebook to be private.

In the future there will be no privacy settings on Facebook. Also Facebook will have cameras in your shower and everyone will be able to see you naked all the time.

# ? Feb 26, 2013 02:41

Cardiovorax: Jun 5, 2011; CARDIOVORAX BELIVES A POLICEMAN WHO GROPES A WOMAN SHOULD LOSE HIS JOB, AND DO A HUNDRED HOURS OF COMUNITY SERVICE UNDER THE PAIN OF GOING TO PRISON IF HE BREAKS HIS PAROLE

Captain Pancakes posted:

And at an airport? What was he thinking? Did he really think with all the terrorism fears that he wouldn't be stopped and searched while wearing all these crazy gadgets and wires?

Considering that he's a researcher, has documentation from his physician proving that he requires the gear to function normally and he cleared the whole thing with Air Canada beforehand (which he usually does) then yeah, I guess he did expect that he wouldn't get 500,000 dollars worth of equipment ripped off his head by a minimum wage grunt.

# ? Feb 26, 2013 06:34