The Italian Company who acquired the Australia OPSM retail chain in 2012 confirmed over the weekend that Luxottica and Google have been working together to refine the Google Glass concept that many thought had been put on hold following heavy criticism of the first version of Google glasses.
At CES speculation mounted that Google had moved away from investing in the Google Glass project however Executive Chairman of Google Eric Schmidt confirmed on Friday that the project has been put under the watch of Tony Fadell, head of Google’s Nest connected home division, “to make it ready for users.”
Google later confirmed that their Explorer program which included Google Glasses had been moved out of its Google X research lab into a standalone unit.
Later in the day the Massimo Vian the chief executive of Italian eyewear maker Luxottica told a Company general meeting in Milan that his Company was now working with Google to launch a new version of Google Glasses which will be sold via the Companies retail outlets which include OPSM in Australia.
The partnership with the U.S. tech giant to build Glass-the Internet-connected eyewear-is going ahead, he said.
The firm made it very clear that it was still working to make the eyewear ready for users.
Vian, recently visited Google to meet face to face Googles Glass’ new team, however he didn’t give any details about specific timing for the launch of the next version of the product.
The Wall Street Journal said recently that the initial version had been criticized for invasion of privacy issues because the glasses allowed wearers to record video and take photos unobtrusively. Google sold the device to the public in mid-2014, but sales were low.
“In Google, there are some second thoughts on how to interpret version 3 [of the eyewear],” Mr. Vian told shareholders. “What you saw was version 1. We’re now working on version 2, which is in preparation.”
A Google spokeswoman said “the team is heads down building the future of the product,” but declined to comment on specifics.
Glass chief Ivy Ross in January said the updated gadget will be cheaper and have longer battery life, improved sound quality and a better display. Google is also trying to tackle the social stigma of Glass by pairing the device with more familiar types of eyewear.
Mr. Vian, one of the two CEOs of the Italian firm, said Friday that Luxottica is also going ahead with a partnership with Intel, and a first product will be out between February and March next year.
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