Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

Jewish Business News

Business

Major Kinks, Internal Entanglements Shattered Google Glass: Report

Numerous issues led to demise of search giant’s Explorer project, but Glass development continues

Amanda-Rosenberg Google Glass Sergey Brin

The abrupt cancellation of the high-profile first version of the Google Glass last month was a result of functionality issues, differences among developers, and even marital infidelity by the search giant’s co-founder Sergey Brin, a report said.

Google Glass Explorer was the one of the most awaited projects from Google and given that Brin was seen roaming everywhere with Glass, many in the tech industry assumed that it would only be a matter of time before the device would be made available to the public, tech2.com said.

Please help us out :
Will you offer us a hand? Every gift, regardless of size, fuels our future.
Your critical contribution enables us to maintain our independence from shareholders or wealthy owners, allowing us to keep up reporting without bias. It means we can continue to make Jewish Business News available to everyone.
You can support us for as little as $1 via PayPal at office@jewishbusinessnews.com.
Thank you.

The Explorer was a computer built into the frame of a pair of glasses with a half-inch display that could be used to take and share photos, video-chat, check appointments and access maps and the Web, according to Time.

 

Prince Charles Google-Glass

 

Google did not sell the first version of Glass in retail stores, but instead limited it to a select group of geeks and journalists who paid $1, 500 for the privilege of being an early adopter.

In January, Google announced it would halt the sales of the Explorer edition, saying in a blog post that, “Well, we still have some work to do, but now we’re ready to put on our big kid shoes and learn how to run.” It added that further Glass development would take place behind closed doors.

The New York Times published a detailed story highlighting the decline of the Explorer project, saying intense publicity, the hype around the product and to some extent Brin’s affair with Glass marketing manager Amanda Rosenberg all played a big role.

The Times said even within the “Google X” development lab there were issues on how Glass should function, whether it should be worn at all times or for “specific utilitarian functions”, saying that “nearly everyone at X was in agreement that the current prototype was just that: a prototype, with major kinks to be worked out.”

Jenifer lawrence-Rahm emanuel wearing Google Glass

However Google’s co-founder Brin took a completely different view and decided that they should take the idea public and ask regular users for their opinion on the prototype to help improve Glass.

This plan didn’t exactly work, given that Explorer was slammed by critics, particularly due to poor battery life and privacy issues. What made matters worse was that after Brin’s affair with Rosenberg got out, “he too stopped wearing Glass in public, ” said the report.

However, Google hasn’t stopped working on Glass. The project is now headed by veteran marketing executive Ivy Ross and Tony Fadell, who played an instrumental role in the design of Apple’s iPod.

Following its unveiling in 2012, Google Glass was considered the top gadget, yearned after by everyone from nerds and chief executives to chefs and fashionistas. Time Magazine named it one of the “Best Inventions of the Year.” The device was worn by various heads of state from around the globe as well as such notable figures as Prince Charles, Oprah Winfrey, Beyoncé and Jennifer Lawrence, the New York Times said.

 

Newsletter



Advertisement

You May Also Like

World News

In the 15th Nov 2015 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:   ·         A new Israeli treatment brings hope to relapsed leukemia...

Entertainment

The Movie The Professional is what made Natalie Portman a Lolita.

Travel

After two decades without a rating system in Israel, at the end of 2012 an international tender for hotel rating was published.  Invited to place bids...

VC, Investments

You may not become a millionaire, but there is a lot to learn from George Soros.