An alumnus of ours Ayelet G. has been promoting a kickstarter project for a protective case for Google Glass. It seems that the original bag that Google Glass comes in doesn’t offer enough protection befitting such an expensive carry-around piece of equipment, and this is a neat, custom solution.
Click here to see the product concept and promotion for yourself. It’s a Kickstarter project, looking for early investors.
Two things about this product caught my eye (OK, sort of a pun about Google Glass):
1) Google Glass is hardly out with their own product, yet external vendors like Mr. Pierce of Rochester are already coming up with ready-for-market ideas of how to protect it! This isn’t as if everyone on the block already has Google Glass but people are already looking for ways to protect it. It’s about being ahead of the curve, taking initiative and being proactive. You might think of protection as an afterthought, after-market product, but here it is – long before the product hits stores.
2) This design only protects the key components of the product and the most fragile or vulnerable sections. Why not encase the whole thing? Because that would make it more cumbersome and less convenient. Google Glass is meant to be used on the go, so ease of use is crucial to the success of this case.
On a Jewish note: Protection is important. We need to take steps and put systems in place to protect our Jewish identity, the integrity of our traditions and observances. This is what the sages meant in the opening Mishnas of Ethics of Our Fathers “Make a Fence Around the Torah.” It needs a protective case. This is the rationale for the laws of Muktzah on Shabbos. If we’re not allowed to write on the Sabbath, Muktzah says, don’t even touch the pen. It protects the Mitzvah observance.
On the other hand, too much protection can be counter-productive. Too much protection may be cumbersome and stifling. We need to protect those areas most vulnerable that need the protection yet allow enough openness and flexibility so that the law can be enjoyed and appreciated. Like this Case for Google Glass from Rochester NY.
Shabbos House is in the Judaism business, and is not in the business of endorsing particular products or services. But we did find this protection balance interesting and relevant. And we’re inspired by the forward-thinking, practical business model of an entrepreneurial spirit from upstate NY who sees a need, recognized a void and looks for the opportunities to fill it. Who knows? Maybe it’s so cool that Google will buy it off him! Hope they do… but first he needs to get this Kickstarter off the ground.