The Vergecast Version History: Google Glass
90 snips
Dec 21, 2025 
David Amell, a tech writer at Verge with a knack for wearables, joins the conversation to explore the fascinating journey of Google Glass. They share initial excitement and personal anecdotes about seeing the device in public. The discussion touches on its ambitious origins at Google X, infamous demos, and the rise of the 'glasshole' label amid privacy concerns. The guests reflect on lessons learned and whether Google Glass was ahead of its time, ultimately examining its transition from consumer failure to niche enterprise success.
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Ambience Over Phones
- Google Glass embodied a long‑standing tech thesis: keep people looking up and present instead of down at phones.
- The product packaged ambient computing, AR, and hands‑free interaction into one visible vision of the future.
Almost Bought It In A Dorm
- David Amell remembers almost buying the Explorer Edition in his college dorm and hesitating at checkout.
- He describes the rapid arc from hype to embarrassment when early wearers were harassed in public.
Moonshot Culture Drove Rapid Prototypes
- Glass grew from university labs and Google's moonshot culture that recruited professors to tinker on weekends.
- That approach produced rapid vision prototypes but blurred product, privacy, and cultural readiness.