It looks like the new and highly publicized Google Glass wearable device is sliding down into the depths of failed technology. It joins these other failed products like the Segway, which failed due to low consumer demand and the Hewlett Packard TouchPad which failed due to incompatibility. Nine of the 20 or so Glass app developers have left the project altogether. The Glass Collective, the venture fund which was backing the creation of apps is now gone and the website redirects you to the main Glass page. In addition, three key Google employees have been pulled from the project. Currently, it’s not looking like we are going to see a lot of fanfare with this new product going forward.
Admittedly, it was almost doomed from the start. Back in early 2013, Google Chairman Eric Schmidt said that talking to Glass out loud in public would be “the weirdest thing” and also said there would be “places where Glass are inappropriate”. Bluntly we have to say, DUH! Companies with sensitive data, physician’s offices, movie theaters and many other locations would have to ban the use of Google Glass.
There is still some hope for Glass. Facebook and OpenTable are still two of the 100 official apps on the Glass marketplace, but Twitter has withdrawn their support. With all of these issues, Google has pushed back their full launch of the device until 2015. They are still launching it,however, with the hope their millions of research and development dollars have not gone to waste.
Don’t misunderstand; it is a very interesting device with a lot of potential. But, as a consumer market device, it is probably not going to work quite as well as they had hoped.
Security and law enforcement, for instance, would have a great use for Glass. The heads-up nature of Glass could record point of view,audio, and display information right in front of the officer without really distracting them. They are a tad expensive with a $1,500 price tag, but the benefits would be outstanding.
Segway is a personal transportation company based in Bedford, NH
Hewlett Packard is technology company based in Palo Alto, CA
OpenTable is a restaurant reservation company based in San Francisco, CA
