“What's that on your face?” “Excuse me, are you talking to me?” “Doesn't that guy have a lot of guts to walk around wearing those? They cost a fortune!” It is hard enough for the average Joe on the street to not do a double take when seeing their Google Glass for the first time, but what about being the person wearing them? Considering even serious nerds don't like glass, why would society? There is one question that needs answering. Another is, what has Glass taught us in the year that it has been out?

Although one of the neatest gadgets out there so far, one of the most embarrassing to wear in public. It is being called a “fundamentally flawed product”. First of all, if you haven't heard the term Glasshole then I'll tell you what it is right now. You’re an “asshole” if you wear Google Glass in front of people. The reasoning behind it cannot be explained in one sentence. Every Glass wearer has had their very own experience feeling like the “weird guy”. But one man in particular, Matt Honan from Wired.Com, wrote “I: Glasshole: My Year With Google Glass”. And through his journey his experiences taught him a few key bullet points that we should all know about Glass:

1. “Look at that asshole”! (Hey, I didn’t write it, he did!) He wore the things for a year, and according to him, even in less intimate situations, Glass is socially awkward. He claims he always seemed to make surrounding people feel uncomfortable; which in turn made him uncomfortable. People get angry when seeing them. They talk about you in front of your face, and they judge you from afar because a) they already know you had $1,500 to spend on them and b) Glass is pretty much a “class divide”. The following video of a Youtube prankster Ed Bassmaster is less of an exaggeration than you may think:



The few times he saw others wearing glass seemed to be in segregated groups. It was odd, how they seemed to be keeping to themselves and such. The kind of thing that would remind one of high school. Who does that? As a society we are pretty accepting of others who are different looking. However not only did he get called a Glasshole, he kinda accepts that he is one.

2. Where can you wear wearables? What a question, huh? You’d think this wouldn’t be such a difficult question to ask. But here it's a whole other ballgame. Unsure of where they were welcome, he didn’t wear them on public transit because of that good ol' chance of someone snagging em. He didn’t wear them out to dinner or the bar because that’s pretty much the same as holding a phone in your hand during a meal.

Can't wear it to a movie because that’s illegal. You're pirating obviously! Don't you dare wear 'em to the playground because kids are afraid of their appearance (plus the obvious pedophile ridicule).

“Do you know what it takes to get a professional nerd to call you a nerd? I do. (Hint: It’s Glass.)”

Even at Honan's work, may I remind you is at WIRED, he is treated differently. So, where could can you wear your Glass (comfortably)? Wear it on the road, for one. Spending time on an adventure or road trip is the perfect time to pull out your face planted video recorder or navigator. Other than that, basically wear them anywhere that you’re not around other people.

3. You might find yourself saying the following: “I'm so bored”. Really? A computer is literally sitting on your face and you’re bored? Yes. According to Honan, Glass is still very limited, making it “more of a novelty than a utility”. Alongside location tracking with updates, social media, messaging and the like, you are pretty much a walking, sitting, driving, reading, talking crazy person. So much more needs to be incorporated for these things to be fully utilized, as well as enjoyed.

Glass's Future in 2014 Looking Dim

Now this one is more of an arguable statement than anything. According to experts at Google, Glass is rarely seen worn by employees anymore. BAD sign. However, Honan argues that no matter how much you make fun, “the future is on the way and it's going to be on your face.” The team at Google is continuing to find better ways of sending you information that's meaningful and useful. Third-party developers are going to create some awesome apps and eventually Glass will encourage more functions and ideas.

Regrettably, according to longtime Glass Explorer Robert Scoble who was once Glass's number one fan, the future is doomed. His view has shifted on the wearable camera due to the amount of work Google must do to meet expectations of it's 2014 release date. If they lower the price ($600 is predicted) and make the appearnce even dorkier due to these price cuts, things will take a turn for the worst. Price being just one factor, it is an important one and will greatly affect whether the masses adopt the trend. All in all, anticipations are too high and the average person would rather wear something on their wrist, which will probably end up being Apple's iWatch. Perhaps by 2020 Glass wearers won't be Glassholes, they will be part of an entire niche where competition drives the market. Although evident this year will be huge for wearable technology, it is just as evident that a) the market is trying to figure out how to get Google Glass mainstream and b) the public are still trying to figure out if they're willing to even be a part of this. Reporting from my desk and Glass-less face, I am Daria Jansen! For a face to the name...watch my episode about Glassholes.