Google Glass to ship to developers 'this month'

Google Glass set to ship this month, gets an investment arm
How is this less emasculating than a smartphone?

The first Google Glass Explorer Edition glasses are expected to make their way to developers this month, the company confirmed to TechRadar today.

"We will hopefully this month start shipping to developers," a Google spokesperson told us.

Other outlets have previously reported that it'll happen "within the next month," but Google has clarified that it hopes to put Google Glass in hands and on faces within the next 20 days.

That's good news, as Google's wearable-computer specs will reach developers in advance of the Google I/O 2013 conference, which begins on May 15.

Google Glass Collective

In addition to firming up the expected Google Glass release date, the company announced the formation of an investment group called The Glass Collective.

"The Glass Collective investment syndicate will provide financing and support to entrepreneurs shaping the future through Glass," said Google Ventures Vice President Bill Maris on the official Google blog today.

The Glass Collective is made up of three venture capital firms: Google Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz and Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.

Its goal is to provide seed funding to entrepreneurs in the Glass ecosystem, with Maris promising that "smart entrepreneurs and engineers are going to develop amazing experiences through Glass."

That should prove beneficial to the first owners of the developer-only augmented reality glasses, who are already US$1,500 poorer (no price has been announced for the U.K. or Australia) after pre-ordering Google Glass.

Matt Swider