Relaunching Google Glass

A historical view of why something like Google Glass,  emerged and failed, but is said to about to rise again.  We folloswed it for several business applications. With new players like Amazon rumored to enter the field.  Why? And how can we learn from this? And how different is it from VR and AR Hype?

The Unexpected Rebirth of Google Glass   In ProductHabits

Few products in tech have drawn as much ridicule or outright laughter as Google Glass. But that wasn’t always the case. Back in 2012, Sergey Brin showed off a prototype of Glass at Google’s I/O conference:

A screen behind Brin projected a live stream chat between Brin and two Google engineers in a plane. Suddenly, one of them jumps out of the plane, parachuting onto the roof of the stadium where the audience is sitting. The entire event is broadcast live through the Google Glass he’s wearing. ... Glass elicited an awe-inspiring response at the conference and in the press—at least initially. People were excited about it because, like the recently announced Apple Watch Series 3, it promised them a new, post-mobile way of communicating.

The tide began to turn after the Google Glass pre-release in 2013. Beyond the planned stunt, there was little that hinted at a real use case, let alone ecosystem, behind the new product. And the bad PR mounted.

Headlines like “Google Glass getting to grips with ‘geek aesthetics,’” “Google Glass will make you manly, says Sergey Brin,” and “Google Glass is always listening, assuming you have a hack” emerged to disdain. Robert Scoble famously wore them in the shower. By 2015, no one wanted to be seen wearing a pair.

But, Google Glass is about to relaunch this year—and that begs a few questions:

Given its potential and technology, why wasn’t Glass the spectacular success many expected it to be the first time around?   Why did it fail so dramatically?

What made Google decide to relaunch the product, and what are they doing differently this time around?

Let’s dive deeper into the hype, death, and rebirth of Google Glass.  .... "