I enjoyed my week in Google Glass, but those around me weren't so keen

Google's smartglasses have 'graduated' from the comapny's development lab placed under the control of the father of the iPod

Google Glass can return - but it must clear four big hurdles first

Love it or loathe it, Google Glass has been one of the most interesting developments in wearable technology in the past four years. I finally got the chance to wear a set for a whole week late last year : but is it any good ?

Glass has been an expensive experiment for Google. It was produced under the guise of an "Explorer Programme" - a prototype that needed read -world testing to cement which features worked and which didn't beyond the isolated world of Silicon Valley

In theory, crowd-sourced testing is a great idea, but in practice it has highlighted Google Glass's biggest issue:social rejection

Last year at the world's largest electronics trade show, International CES in Las Vegas, Google Glass was everywhere. It had just been released on general sale in the US after a year-long invitation-only period. It was expensive at $1,5000 a pop, but at one stage I felt like I was the only person in a queue for an event that didn't have Google Glass strapped to my face

Fast forward to January this year with CES 2015 and things had changed. Glass was almost nowhere to be seen. The people who were wearing Glass, I could count on one hand - despite the smartglasses being freely on sale in many places, including the UK. Those that wore them were the diehard geeks and they were looked on with suspicion by the rest of the convention-going tech enthusiasts

If the early adopters, technology-obsessed and future-gazers of CES aren't wearing Glass anymore Google has a problem

Google GLass went on sale in the UK for 1,000 pounds in June with a range of frames designed to look like normal glasses

In my week with Glass I wore them full time, from the moment I got up in the morning to the moment I went to bed. I enjoyed wearing them, but those around me did not

Wearing them on the commute saw fellow train passengers seem visibly distressed by what, to them at least, seemed like something that could invade their privacy - a head-mounted camera that could be recording them without their knowledge. A few even asked me to take them off despite my insistence that their fears were unwarranted - constantly recording video and snapping photos would destory the battery in a matter of minutes

The situation was worse with my family and friends, but for a different reason. Most of the people surrounding me outside of working hours are not technology enthusiasts. They are regular people, with regular interests and aren't early adopters

While some were accepting of me wearing them in their presence, others flat out refused to be seen with me while I was wearing them. It wasn't because they were worried that I would record them; I could do that with my smartphone just as easily

To many people the face is the most important part of their self-image. Having something that was so obviously a gadget on my face was more embarrassment than they could manage

Social rejection is something many new gadgets have to overcome in their pursuit of mainstream adoption. The mobile phone with a camera faced  a similar weariness for fear of constantly being recorded or caught in the act of something private, stupid or anywhere in between

Eventually, as all smartphones had cameras, that fear was overcome. The same thing could happen for Glass. But the other major thing hold Glass back has to be solved before that's even remotely possible

What can you actually do with it?

Glass lacks a killer app. That is to say, beyond notifications within the field of view and having a camera always ready, there is no feature that will draw people in and make Glass invaluable to everyday life

Third-party apps are growing, but no developer, Google or otherwise, has cracked it yet. Many critics of smartglasses have stated that for the general consumer there is no hope, but for industries and tasks where hands-free information is a must, there's a chance

I feel that with the right apps, the right frame of mind and the right device smartglasses can take off, but Glass wasn't quite there in its "Explorer" form

Shrink the technology, make it less conspicuous and last longer, and most importantly make it cheap enough to be within the price of a cheap smartphone and you might have a winner. No one is going to buy a 1,000 pounds device that makes them look like an idiot to their friends and family

Whether Glass graduating from Google's moonshot X Lab under the control of the father of the iPod Tony Fadell, who joined Google when his smart home company Nest was acquired, is enough to make that happen remains to be seen. I have my fingers crossed, at any rate

at any rate

I have my fingers crossed

make that happen remains to be seen

was acquired

joined Google

under the control of the father of the iPod

makes them look like an idiot to their friends

you might have a winner

most importantly make it cheap enough to be within the price of a cheap smartphone

make it less conspicuous

shrink the technology

the right device smartglasses can take off

the right frame of mind

where hands-free information is a must

for industries and tasks

many critics of smartglasses have stated that for the general consumer, there is no hope

has cracked it yet

third-party apps are growing

make Glass invaluable to everyday life

is no feature that will draw people in

having a camera always ready

beyond notifications within the field of view

lacks a killer app

has to be solved

has to be solved before that's even remotely possible

hold Glass back

that fear was overcome

anywhre in betwenn

faced a similar weariness for fear of constantly being recorded or caught in the act of something private

is something many new gadgets have to overcome in their pursuit  for mainstream adoption

were worried that I would record them

others flat out refused to be seen with me while I was wearing them

some were accepting of me wearing them in their presence

early adopters

regular people

outside of working hours

most of the people surrounding me outside of working hours

for a different reason

was worse with my family

would destory the battery in a matter of minutes

snapping photos

constantly recording video

despite my insistence that their fears were unwarranted

a few even asked me to take them off

without their knowledge

a head-mounted camera

could invade their privacy

seem visibly distressed by what

fellow train passengers

wearing them on the commute

those around me did not

from the moment I got up in the morning to the moment I went to bed

I wore them full time

with a range of frames designed to look like normal glasses

were looked on with suspicion by the rest of the convention-going texh enthusiasts

they were looked on with suspicion by the rest of the convention-going tech enthusiasts

those that wore them were the diehard geeks

despite the smartglasses being freely on sale in many places

could count on one hand

was nowhere to be seen

fast forward to January this year with CES 2015

strapped to my face

in a queue for an event that didn't have Google Glass strapped to my face

was expensive at $1,5000 a pop

after a year-long invitation-only period

had just been released on general sale in the US

it has highlighted Google Glass's biggest issue : social rejection

crowd-sourced testing is a great idea

beyond the isolated world of Silicon Valley

world testing to cement which features worked and which didn't beyond the isolated world of Silicon Vally

a prototype that needed read

was produced under the guise of an explorer programme

late last year

has been one of the most interesting developments

love it or loathe it

placed under the control of the father of the iPod

have graduated from the company's development lab

weren't so keen