I've always thought Google Glass was cool. Then again, I had a Casio Calculator watch when I was 8 years old, experimented with LARPing at 12, and have been writing about technology for 20 years.
As it turns out, once I wore Google Glass out in the real world, I quickly discovered my idea of cool wasn't quite mainstream. The glasshole phenomenon is very real. For most people, Google Glass is strange at best, and at worst an existential threat to other motorists, homeland security, and the MPAA. Google is doing its best to change that, and it might just have a prescription for success.
Today VSP, the nation's largest provider of optical insurance, announced it would include Google Glass in its coverage plans. It won't pony up the full $1,500 Glass price tag, but it will help pay for custom prescriptions lenses that work with the device. This is a big step for wearable computing.
The original Glass came with some sporty non-prescription lenses, but they definitely made you stand out. The new frames come in four styles (Split, Think, Bold, and Curve) that will fit a lot more faces. The frames are detachable, so theoretically, a user could switch between styles depending on their mood, although the process does require a screwdriver. Google designed the frames in-house, but the company says it is looking to partner with outside firms in the future.
This move solves two problems for Google. First it makes it easier for current eye-glass wearers to adopt Google Glass. These are folks already used to wearing something on their face; the computer is just a little extra weight. Second, it helps make wearable computers a little more invisible to the rest of us.
