Google REALLY wishes you’d stop saying Glass is dead, because it isn’t

Ever since Google Glass “graduated” from Google X Labs, it seems we can’t write an article about the device without people proclaiming it’s dead. It’s not. Google is working on it. They’ve taken it private. Tony Fadell wants to take the early work done by the excellent team at Google and make sure he gets it just right, just like he did for Nest and the iPod, and he doesn’t want to show it until it’s ready.

Google Glass isn’t dead, so stop saying it. They’ve said it once, and now Eric Schmidt is saying it again:

“It is a big and very fundamental platform for Google,” Schmidt said. “We ended the Explorer program and the press conflated this into us canceling the whole project, which isn’t true. Google is about taking risks and there’s nothing about adjusting Glass that suggests we’re ending it.”

This is a thing. A real thing. A thing that’s happening. It might not be here as soon as we’d liked, but it’s not something Google is sweeping under the rug.

If you’re already an Explorer with the latest publicly-released unit, enjoy it. Stop obsessing and complaining over a new version that you won’t even be able to see until Google is ready to put them up for sale.

It’s OK to be concerned (and even angry) about the ,500 prototype you bought that will eventually be obsoleted, and we certainly do hope those folks are hooked up with some sort of upgrade path once the consumer version is ready, but no amount of petitioning and rioting will change Google’s stance on the future development of Glass if they haven’t already changed it.

Beyond that, you knew what you were getting into. You knew Glass was still in the exploratory and platform-building phases and Google only wanted people who truly understood that to use it, which is why they asked you to pay ,500 for a piece of kit that likely didn’t take nearly as much money to manufacture.

If Glass were truly dead, don’t you think they’d tell us just as they’ve done countless times in the past when they retired a lot of their other products? Sit back, relax, and let Google do their thing.

Google Glass partner Luxottica says version 2 coming soon, version 3 already in planning stages

It was barely over a year ago Google announced a partnership with Italian eyewear maker Luxottica –the folks behind brands as Oakley, Ray-Ban, Arnette, Oliver-Peoples, and more — to build Glass compatible eyewear for the masses.

More recently, we watched as the Google Glass Explorer Edition finally came to an end (after a bumpy, and very controversial first run). But Google made it a point to stress that Glass was, in fact, not dead, and merely graduating from the Google X Labs into its own project under watchful eye of Nest CEO Tony Fadell. What we don’t know is what form Glass will take, or when we can expect to see a sequel.

Apparently that could be sooner than later according to Luxottica CEO Massimo Vian. He mentioned during a shareholders meeting that the next version of Glass was coming soon and what’s more, they’re already planning out a third followup. You heard right, Google Glass v3.

“In Google, there are some second thoughts on how to interpret [Google Glass] version three. What you saw was version one. We’re now working on version two, which is in preparation.”

Of course no specific dates were given, so for now we’re left wondering if that coming soon is later this year (Google I/O?), or sometime next year. We think Glass was a product well ahead of its time and there’s no harm in letting bake in the oven a little longer.

[WSJ]

Samsung’s drop test shows the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are still reliable with all that glass

Earlier this week Samsung posed their own bend test for the Samsung Galaxy S6 and Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge. That was in response to a bend test conducted last week. Now, Samsung is back again with another reliability test of their own. This time it’s all about drops.

In Samsung’s test they drop both the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge from chest height on the top and bottom. They perform this test repeatedly, but neither one shows any sign of cracks, chips, or dents. Samsung claims that this is due to the Gorilla Glass 4, which is used on the face and back. Their test is performed in a closed environment under perfect conditions. It’s still very possible to crack any phone if it lands in the worst possible way.

We’ll likely hear a lot more about the reliability of these devices once more people get them. Right now Samsung is doing their part to reassure everyone that the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are just as solid as previous Galaxy devices. Are you convinced?

Mission Impossible: removing Galaxy S6 glass without destroying the display

Your mission should choose to accept it: gain access to the internal hardware of the Samsung Galaxy S6 without destroying the device in the process. Yes, that’s mission impossible, or, at least, improbable based on the findings of the iFixit’s teardown of the newly available Samsung flagship and its curved partner.

Samsung made some drastic design changes to their Galaxy S line with the release of the S6 and S6 Edge, including the switch to a non-removable battery and the inclusion of glass on both the front and back of the device. This means should you want to access that battery and replace it at some point down the road, those panes could become a real pain. iFixit assigned the Galaxy S6 a repairability of 4/10 mostly due to this fact, noting that it is next to impossible to replace the screen glass without damaging the device’s display.

The score is a drop from the Galaxy S5’s 5/10 repairability, both down from previous Galaxy S models that tended to be favorable for at-home repairs. Other issues with the S6 include the use of extra-strong adhesives holding the phone together and keeping the battery firmly in place along with certain repairs (like replacing the USB port) requiring the removal of the front display (see above about breaking glass and/or display panel).

It would seem the advice would be to avoid prying apart and tinkering with the S6 unless you have a pretty solid feel for this sort of thing (or if you don’t mind a voided warranty and can afford to buy a replacement). The Galaxy S6 is a thing of beauty, for sure, but it is a beauty that is perhaps best admired from the outside alone.

New job post suggests Google could be working on a family of Glass products

It looks like Glass might be only a single component of Google’s future wearable strategy. The folks at Business Insider discovered a few new job posts on Google’s website which specifically mention “smart eyewear and other related products.” It’s tough to know exactly what Google means by that. Maybe they’ll finally be lumping Glass in with Android Wear smartwatches?

Or, Google could be planning an entire family of smart/connected wearables. We know the Google ATAP team seemed rather confident of a new wearable they’ll be introducing at Google I/O this year. According to their I/O session description, it will literally “blow your socks off.” Sounds intriguing enough even if we know nothing about it at the moment.

The wearable market seems to be a new focus with OEMs despite its difficulty gaining traction with consumers. Although convenient and helpful, it’s been tough to convince consumers — even some of the techies — that they need some of these products in their lives. With smartphones doing just about everything these days (monitoring heart rates, making mobile payments, keeping track of daily exercise) it’s going to be a tough sell.