Last week, a recent report has glimpsed for the future.

Google Glass, the much anticipated computer eyewear that lets you skim e-mail and shoot video.

 There's no question that these devices will be used extensively, particularly in vertical markets for specific types of applications where hands-free computing has distinct advantages, such in the medical and military fields, as well as in breaking news reporting.

But products like Google Glass will face numerous adoption challenges because they present issues in any number of social situations where privacy or desire to be "off the record" is most cherished.

One might ask, why are privacy issues with Glass any different than any other device that can record, such as a smartphone or a miniature tablet?

They are absolutely different. Today, even with cameras on smartphone handsets, recording in certain areas is frowned upon, but at least there is time for the object of the recording to raise an objection and ask for the device to be put away. 

Because Glass is being worn, and might eventually be integrated into prescription eyewear, it's a "stealth" recording device. The object of the recording may not know they've been captured on video until it is too late. And, the device's ability to transmit that footage to the public-viewable cloud nearly instantaneously with a 4G or Wi-Fi connection will make it much more feared than a simple camera with localized storage.

In the "Explorer" edition of Google Glass that has now shipped to celebrity early adopters and developers, there is no indication whatsoever that the subject is being recorded.

So what's the big deal? It feels like the future.

Google Glass uses a miniature projector, touch controls and voice commands that sit on your eyes and ears like glasses. That setup allows Glass wearers to interact and engage with information and the world around them without having to pull out a phone.

Right now, there are a handful of core actions you can perform with Google Glass: basic searches, capture photos and video, follow turn-by-turn GPS directions, receive news and notifications from services like The New York Times and Google Now, and communicate with friends via voice, text, email and social network Google+.