While it’s only a patent application at this stage, Google’s idea of a contact lens with a tiny camera embedded will no doubt have a bead of sweat forming on the brow of many a privacy campaigner as they contemplate a world where secret snappers and discreet filmmakers roam the streets unhindered.
As you would expect, the Mountain View company sees the gadget as a force for good; technology that could one day prove beneficial to many members of society.
Google’s application, filed last month with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, explains that its futuristic device could, for example, flag hazardous objects in the path of a wearer and even extend his peripheral vision.