What amount of storage capacity should Google provide for a contact lens that captures HD videos and saves them in the cloud?

This is a challenging and intricate question that requires the candidate to engage in both creative and logical thinking. The interviewer is evaluating your skills in assessing and analyzing hypothetical scenarios that may not be realistic. Here are some steps to keep in mind while formulating your response: First, estimate the storage required for an HD video. HD video can range from 720p to 4K, so clarify your assumptions. Generally, a minute of HD video (1080p) typically takes up about 200 MB. Next, consider the duration of the videos and the frequency of filming. Will the camera continuously record, or only when activated by the user? Also, assume a reasonable daily usage time. Lastly, calculate the total storage needed on a daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly basis, and then multiply that by the projected number of users.

Let’s consider a scenario where the contact lens captures 1080p HD video, which approximately consumes 200 MB per minute, and the typical user records 1 hour of video daily. This amounts to 12 GB each day, or around 360 GB per month. If Google were to accommodate 1 million users utilizing this technology, it would require 360 petabytes of storage on a monthly basis. However, this is a simplistic calculation; a realistic system would need a far more detailed and thorough evaluation to account for aspects such as data redundancy, backup, encryption, and the anticipated growth in the number of users over time.

Let’s make a cautious estimate. If the contact lens captures just 30 minutes of 1080p video each day, it would use approximately 6 GB of data daily. This amounts to about 180 GB over the course of a month. Now, assuming the product gains popularity and reaches a user base of 500,000, the total storage needed would be around 90 petabytes per month. Keep in mind that this is a straightforward calculation, and actual storage needs may differ depending on factors such as video resolution, usage patterns, the number of users, and requirements for backup and redundancy.