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Google Glass lives large in the memories of many, probably because it was a technology just a bit ahead of its time.
When Google first tried to pitch us on the concept of smart glasses it was 2013, which was the same year the movie Sharknado premiered… just to remind you where we were at as a society.
At the time, the glasses, which were intended as a kind of hands-free smart device, faltered mainly due to concerns over privacy because the devices could be used to record people without their knowledge or permission. Google officially ended the consumer-facing project in 2015 but moved on to enterprise applications and, since then, the devices have found use in industrial and medical environments.
But Google’s latest acquisition has some tech enthusiasts wondering if Google Glass might find its way back into the hands of consumers. Alphabet, Google’s parent company, recently announced that it has acquired North, the makers of Focals smart glasses, which feature a holographic display inside frames that look a little more like standard specs.
According to Google, “North’s technical expertise will help as we continue to invest in our hardware efforts and ambient computing future.” Though Google doesn’t say much more, we do know that the company probably won’t be adding Focals to its catalog of hardware, as North is “winding down” support of its first version and no longer shipping the second version… if there are Focals to even support or ship, as it’s being reported that North has actually sold very few and was running short on cash.
But that doesn’t mean the technology is no good, and Engadget points out that Focals had a lot of nifty features that made the smart glasses more usable than previous iterations by other companies, including a ring where the wearer could control the glasses without having to touch them constantly and, perhaps, attract unwanted attention to the more discreetly designed spectacles.
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