The future of Google Glass feels less certain than ever. Not only is Google rumoured to have pushed back the public launch of its headset to 2015, but developers like Twitter are already backing away from the wearable device.
Not helping matters is Google's very own co-founder and father of Glass, Sergey Brin, who showed up on the red carpet at a Silicon Valley event last week sans Glass. A bare-faced Brin has become a rare spot, so naturally he was asked by one reporter about the whereabouts of his trusty Glass. Brin's answer? He left it in the car.
OK, so the fact that Brin made one outing without Glass isn't a reason to start the wearable's funeral arrangements, but he couldn't have picked a worse time to do it.
Interest in Glass is waning right now. Twitter recently pulled its Google Glass app, and it's not the only one. Reuters reports that out of 16 Glass app makers it recently spoke to, nine have either postponed or abandoned work on their projects, blaming both a lack of customers and certain limitations on the device.
It's going to be tough enough as it is to push Glass as an 'everyday' device, so leaving it in the car doesn't send the best message to would-be buyers. If Glass is going to take off it needs to be treated like a smartphone - something you'd never leave home without.
Give me the crazy
Google Glass doesn't just face the problem of being forgotten, it's also got numerous privacy problems. As I'm sure you're aware, there are more than enough and glass hasn't even launched yet. Drivers are facing potential bans on wearing Glass while at the wheel, while the device is already banned in some public places.
There are a lot of stigmas with Glass, and the best way for Google to tackle ebbing interest, in my opinion, is to either fully commit to the idea of Glass or pack the thing in entirely. If it continues to hang in its awkward beta limbo, it's going to quickly become irrelevant.
That's because Glass's biggest problem might be that its very existence has led to the creation of its biggest rivals. Two words: Oculus Rift. Virtual reality is already proving its worth, while augmented reality is yet to drag useful applications out of theory and apply them to our lives. Virtual reality has come too far to die, but Glass still might.
Then there's the endless raft of other wearables that are less intrusive, less expensive and less "geeky" than Glass.
I've used Glass, and I liked it. As I peered through its translucent rectangle, I could think of tonnes of potential uses and apps, most of which don't yet exist. I want crazy ideas. I want Google to stop playing it safe and use Glass for bonkers, brilliant applications.
But right now Glass just isn't exciting enough to become a mass-market device. There's just nothing there yet to really sell it to anyone beyond the hardcore tech lovers and industries that believe Glass could be beneficial in the workplace.
So it's time for Google Glass to either innovate or relocate. There are some great ideas in Glass, and now would be a very good time to restore our faith.
