Version History Google Glass: In your face
50 snips
Dec 7, 2025 
Victoria Song, a tech reporter from The Verge specializing in wearables, and David Imel, a tech writer and host from Waveform, delve into the intriguing saga of Google Glass. They explore its ambitious vision and the early hype surrounding it, discussing the infamous 'Glasshole' backlash that hindered its acceptance. Their conversation highlights Glass's innovative yet flawed design, its pivot towards enterprise use, and its lasting impact on modern AR technology, emphasizing the right idea launched at the wrong time.
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Ambient Computing As The Core Vision
- Google aimed to replace phone-down habits with ambient, in-eye information to keep people present with others.
- That vision anticipated many later wearable and AR efforts despite execution failures.
The I/O Skydiving Livestream Demo
- Sergey Brin staged an elaborate live demo at Google I/O with wingsuit flyers and BMX handoffs to prove Glass could livestream.
- The stunt required massive Google resources and became an iconic, risky moment.
Privacy Panic Derailed Social Acceptance
- Glass triggered immediate cultural backlash around privacy, driving bans and intense media scrutiny.
- That social reaction became as influential to Glass's fate as its technical limits.
