Google pools doors on Google Glass commercial production; Google Glass is finally deadishEnd of Google Glass
If there is any consolation, the team behind Google Glass said that this is not the end of Google Glass. In a Google Plus post, the team said they are graduating from Google Glass (sic).
End of Google Glass
The Google Glass Explorer program was launched in US in 2013 and in UK last year was expected to be a game changer in the wearables market. It was supposed to revolutionise the tech market the same way iPhone and Android devices had done in the smartphone category. As part of this transition, we’re closing the Explorer Program so we can focus on what’s coming next. January 19 will be the last day to get the Glass Explorer Edition. In the meantime, we’re continuing to build for the future, and you’ll start to see future versions of Glass when they’re ready. (For now, no peeking.) Thanks to all of you for believing in us and making all of this possible. Hang tight—it’s going to be an exciting ride. Conceptualised by Google c0-found, Sergey Brin, Google Glass Explorer was originally touted as the first of its kind wearable tech item. Google Glass promised to deliver multiple, revolutionary hands-free applications. But truth was something else. Except for tech buffs and geeks, the Google Glass didnt find favour in the world wide tech market. Maybe the price of $1500 was inhibitive or maybe the technology was much more futuristic for now. The modest sales were compounded by concerns over privacy from various quarters including being banned in theatres across United States for the fear of film piracy. Google has appeared to admit that it hasn’t quite cracked Glass, as the tech giant announced that it would halt sales of its high-tech specs. The company said it remained committed to launching a consumer version of its smart eyewear, Google Glass, but would stop making the headset in its current form. Google said it would still offer support to companies that already use Glass. Surprisingly Google’s announcement comes days after Tesco became the first major UK retailer to launch a Glass app, Tesco Grocery, which lets shoppers browse supermarket shelves and make purchases hands-free. Last year, Reuters surveyed 16 Glass app developers, nine of whom admitted they had stopped work on their apps, due to the device’s technical limitations or lack of popularity. Speaking to an audience in Bogota, Colombia this week, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg appeared to suggest another reason for Glass’s failure to take hold in the public imagination: the device just looks “weird.” Weird it may have been but its sad to see such a good technology die a untimely death.
