Google Glass – the end of the experiment – Republic

Participants in the test have to pay for glasses $ 1500 / Wikipedia, Dan Léveillé

Source: Wikipedia

This is the end of smart glasses Glass – at least in its current form. Google stops selling the device. But ensures that we are working on the next version of the gadget.

That nobody expected. Arousing great interest – and not less controversial – glasses enable you to use the Internet services were the most promising wearable gadget category. This type of electronic devices that we carry on itself, making it easier merging them in daily life.

Google has even launched Explorer program – for the first eyeglass and software producers. Participants were able to buy a special version of the gadget for approx. $ 1,500. The program began in 2013, recently the rules of participation in the program was loosened – glasses can buy virtually any.

This step was widely regarded as the entrance to start selling final – consumer. Instead, the Internet giant has decided to suspend the sale. The development of the next version of the gadget will now be dealt a new team, a new division of the company. Innovative glasses were originally developed by a “laboratory for special tasks” Google X. Now, the whole team goes to the branch dealing with … home automation (among others is part of producing smart thermostats Nest – the company which Google bought a year ago ).

Google does not preclude the introduction of a similar device in the future to sell. There also intends to leave the existing users and developers. It is not known what exactly does mean.

The official statement Google, placed Google+ website spurts but optimism. “Looking ahead, we concluded that he grew up in our lab, it became too small for us. That’s why officially” we qualify “Google X and assume his own band. We are glad, because it means that we move from design to reality. “

Google Glass is a product that as few electronic gadget also aroused interest and outrage. The interest, as an innovative form and opportunities faced far beyond what they offer smartphones. It was a “wave of the future” – the intelligent assistant that displays maps, reads the message and allows you to make calls. All this with virtually no hands – and a less intrusive than when using smartphones.

But the same features made the Google Glass aroused concern. Camera and voice recording can be activated unnoticed, which meant that a lot of restaurants, bars, clubs and cinemas has banned the use of similar devices. The reason was the threat of copyright infringement and privacy. In some cases ended up processes. Glasses at some point become even taunted – like wearing them on the nose Explorer program participants.

It is not known whether this has led to protests by the resignation of the current version of Glass. I do not really even know how the promise of work on the new version is true – or just about rhetorical treatment of public relations, which has a slightly weaken the meaning of this decision.

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