THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2013
TECHNOLOGY
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Woman fights ticket for driving with Google Glass
Cecilia Adabie wears her Google Glass as she talks with her attorney outside of traffic court Dec. 3 in San Diego. When Adabie was pulled over on suspicion of speeding in October, the officer saw she was wearing Google Glass and tacked on a citation usually given to drivers who may be distracted by a video or TV screen. She pleaded not guilty to both charges on Tuesday.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
LOS ANGELES — A California woman pleaded not guilty Tuesday to what is believed to be the first traffic citation alleging a motorist was using Google's computer-in-an-eyeglass.
The technology will not be made widely available to the public until 2014, but defendant Cecilia Abadie was one of about 10,000 "explorers" who received the glasses earlier this year as part of a tryout.
The device, known as Google Glass, features a thumbnail-size transparent display above the right eve.
Her case touches several hot button issues, including distracted driving, wearable technology that will one day become mainstream, and how laws often lag behind technological developments.
Abadie was pulled over in October on suspicion of going 80 mph in a 65 mph zone on a San Diego freeway. The California Highway Patrol officer saw she
was wearing Google Glass and tacked on a citation usually given to people driving while a video or TV screen is on in the front of their vehicle.
Abadie, a software developer and tech true believer, pleaded not guilty to both charges in San Diego traffic court.
Her attorney, William Concidine,
told The Associated Press that she
will testify at a trial scheduled for
January that the glasses were not
on when she was driving, and
activated when she looked up at the
officer as he stood by her window.
The device is designed to respond to a head tilt by waking itself up.
Concidine also said the vehicle code listed in the citation applies to video screens in vehicles and is not relevant to mobile technology such as Google Glass.
The California Highway Patrol declined comment on Concidine's assertions.
"This has to play out in court," spokeswoman Fran Cladder said.
At the time of Abadie's citation,
the agency said anything that takes a driver's attention from the road is dangerous and should be discouraged.
The lightweight frames are equipped with a hidden camera and tiny display that responds to voice commands. The technology can be used to do things such as check email, learn background about something the wearer is looking at, or to get driving directions.
Legislators in at least three states — Delaware, New Jersey and West Virginia — have introduced bills that would specifically ban driving with Google Glass.
Chris Dale, a spokesman for the tech giant, said he was not aware of any other tickets issued for driving with Google Glass.
PAGE 3
Google's website contains an advisory about using the headgear while driving: "Read up and follow the law. Above all, even when you're following the law, don't hurt yourself or others by failing to pay attention to the road."
Egyptian government gained momentum and violence flared. With no security, Ghazali's work was dangerous.
EGYPT FROM PAGE 1
On one occasion, Ghazali was mugged while conducting interviews in a cemetery with her mother.
--an attorney and certified counselor for Legal Aid Society of Palm Beach County.
"You're on your own and you're taking a big risk in terms of going to do the research," Ghazali said.
Ghazali said it can be difficult to understand a revolution happening across the world.
However, she also pointed out that the uprisings in Egypt tie into the beginning of the United States' democratic establishment. She said her lecture will hopefully help people understand what the struggle for democracy in Egypt looks like and make it relevant to students at the University.
Ghazali will be speaking in the Malott room on the sixth floor in the Kansas Union tonight from 6 to 7:30 p.m. The lecture is open to anyone and admission is free.
Edited by Kayla Overbey
NATIONAL
Updated healthcare.gov receives mixed reviews
ASSOCIATED PRESS
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.
0
Counselors helping people use the federal government's online health exchange are giving mixed reviews to the updated site, with some zipping through the application process while others are facing the same old sputters and crashes.
The Obama administration had promised an improved shopping experience on healthcare.gov by the end of November. This is the first week users can test the site.
More than one million people visited the site Monday and 380,000 browsed the site by noon Tuesday. Thanks to the technology fixes, response times dropped to one second and error rates were under one percent, according to figures from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
In South Florida, John Foley and his team of navigators were able to successfully enroll one of a handful of return applicants before glitches started, including estimates for subsidy eligibility.
"These are people that have policies going away, who have health problems. These are people that are going to be very persistent," said Foley,
It's not clear if the site will be able to handle the surge of applicants expected by the Dec. 23 deadline. Many navigators also say they're concerned the bad publicity plaguing the troubled website will prevent people from giving the system another try.
Federal health officials acknowledged the website is still a work in progress. They've also acknowledged the importance of fixing back-end problems as insurers struggle to process applications. Even when consumers think they've gone through the process, their information may not get to the insurer without problems.
In less than an hour on Monday, Starla Redmon, 58, of Paris, Ill., was able to get into a health plan with help. Redmon, who juggles two part-time jobs and has been uninsured for four years, said she was surprised the website worked so well after hearing reports about its problems.
"Everything she typed in, it went through," said Redmon, who chose a bronze plan and will pay about $75 a month after a tax credit. "It was the cheapest plan I could go with."
With the holidays fast approaching, many Jayhawks are making travel plans. Check the KU Info homepage for a list of shuttle services between Lawrence and the KCI Airport.
POLICE REPORTS
Information based on the Douglas County Sheriff's Office booking recap.
- A 26-year-old male was arrested yesterday on the 2300 block of Murphy Drive on suspicion of domestic battery and criminal damage to property. No bond was posted.
- A 22-year-old female was arrested Monday on the 700 block of 2nd Street on suspicion of driving with a suspended, revoked or cancelled license and no insurance. A $200 bond was paid.
— Emily Donovan