What may be the world's first cybernetic hate crime unfolds in French McDonald's (http://io9.com/5926587/what-may-be-the-worlds-first-cybernetic-hate-crime-unfolds-in-french-mcdonalds)

http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/17t3htj9df4ikjpg/original.jpg

Steve Mann, the "father of wearable computing," has been physically assaulted while visiting a McDonalds in Paris, France.

The Canadian university professor was at the restaurant with his family when three different McDonalds employees took exception to his "Digital Eye Glass" device and attempted to forcibly remove it from his head. Mann was then physically removed from the store by the employees, along with having his support documentation destroyed.

This may be the first ever recorded assault of a person instigated by the prominent display of a Google Glass-like wearable computer.

(i09.com (http://io9.com/5926587/what-may-be-the-worlds-first-cybernetic-hate-crime-unfolds-in-french-mcdonalds) and more at Steve Mann's own blog (http://eyetap.blogspot.ca/2012/07/physical-assault-by-mcdonalds-for.html))

Disgusting...

Why would you attack somebody over this?

If I saw somebody with the digital glass I would be more curious about it, and while I may stare would rather ask questions than attack him...

I wonder what kind of vision he has with out it?

Special tools to remove it from his skull? Sounds painful, not quite like Star Trek...


Sent from my iPhone

Why would you attack somebody over this?

i'm guessing they were concerned about being recorded or being under surveillance without their permission.

not that it's any type of excuse for the conduct of the McDonalds thugs, but it does raise an interesting question about this technology going forward in the future. This technology is coming (in certain ways is already here), and society is gong to have to deal or mitigate with some people being capable of having recordings over private or intimate conversations at all times.

Probably Parisienne fashionistas expecting cybernetic gear with a little more panache.

Just disgusting. Steve's a really nice guy and I think this is just another case of him being ahead of his time. His hardware does tend to push the boundaries of what people are used to or feel comfortable with but the reality is that he raises some pretty important questions that aren't just going to go away by ignoring them or smashing things.

this his second time in his life this happened.
the first with Air Canada.. - they did the same thing..

Why are people so judgmental? would you remove a blind mans stick or shades?
I hope he sues them and the employees get charged.

i met him once at Idea city .. I thought he was a nice guy..too bad people are idiots and don't understand him.

I think he is an innovator