Google and Luxottica Partner On Glass

Even though Google Glass is still only available to a select few early adopters, Google is preparing to take a big step towards making the eyewear consumer-friendly with a new strategic partner: Luxottica. One of the biggest early criticisms of Glass has been its lack of form factor — that is to say, people thought the glasses themselves were ugly and not worth wearing. So Google attempted to solve the problem itself, with Titanium, an in-house, better designed pair of glasses that also featured Glass technology. But Google isn’t stopping there — according to Luxottica, Google will be working with two of its most popular brands, Ray Ban and Oakley, to design consumer-facing versions of Google Glass. If Google makes the eyewear fashionable and attractive to wear, it seems likely that more than 10% of smartphone owners would be interested in purchasing the technology.