Skip to main content

Explorers beware, Google forbids the resale or lending of Glass

Google GlassGoogle is forbidding any Glass Explorers from reselling or even lending out its $1,500 gadget, reserving the right to deactivate the device of anyone breaching the policy.

The policy is outlined in Glass’ accompanying terms of service, which states that “you may not resell, loan, transfer, or give your device to any other person. If you resell, loan, transfer, or give your device to any other person without Google’s authorization, Google reserves the right to deactivate the device, and neither you nor the authorized person using the device will be entitled to any refund, product support, or product warranty.”

Essentially, no one but the intended recipient is allowed to use Glass or Google will shut it down remotely. Ownership is tracked based on each Explorer’s Google account, so it may still be possible for a quick demo with your friends, as long as they don’t sign in. It may seem absurd, but this was bound to happen. Companies can now retain control of hardware after its sold.

After all, we are only renting the software we use according to law, so hardware is the natural evolution of that. Leave it to Google to be the first company to cross that line. The search giant hasn’t spoke up about the issue and there is no information about when or if the lockdown of Glass will be lifted, according to Wired.

The policy is receiving attention because of a now-cancelled eBay auction that was taken down by one of the Explorer’s who feared upsetting Google. With so many people scrambling for Glass, the seller saw an opportunity to make a huge profit and the plan almost worked. The retail Google Glass surpassed bids of $90,000 before the seller took it down.

It was an innocent enough mistake as Google hadn’t made the terms known to this particular Explorer. The severity of the issue only became clear when the Explorer noticed the outrage being funneled into the Glass Explorers Google+ group. It seems the “Chosen Ones” are taking their calling very seriously and had some unkind words to share about the auction. Most people in the group were appalled that anyone would think it acceptable to sell the mighty Glass for profit.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Andrew Kalinchuk
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Andrew covers news and opinions pertaining to smartphones, tablets, and all else mobile for Digital Trends. He recently…
The third generation of Google Glass may be nearly ready for release
google glass patent touchpad batteries woman

It looks like Google hasn't given up on Google Glass just yet. According to a new report from DigiTimes suggests that the third generation of Glass has finished the development stage and is now in pilot production.

The report notes that the 3rd-gen Glass is as light as ever, weighing as little as a pair of regular glasses. There's a catch though -- the battery life will reportedly suffer as a result of the light build. In fact, battery life is so low that users may only get 30 minutes of use in between charges.

Read more
Google’s new $999 augmented reality smartglasses are ready for business
google glass enterprise edition 2 product photography of the wearable

Google unveiled Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2, a new version of its business-focused Google Glass wearable, on Monday, May 20. It ships with a faster processor, an updated camera and a $999 price tag. Similar to its predecessor, the new smartglasses are being marketed for the corporate user and are not available for the general consumer.

The new Google Glass Enterprise Edition 2 is powered by the Qualcomm Snapdragon XR1 platform which is designed specifically for augmented and virtual reality applications. According to Google, the new quad-core 1.7 GHz CPU processor is a"significantly more powerful" than the Intel Atom SoC in the previous Google Glass Enterprise model. Not only will this deliver better performance, but it also will increase the usage time wearers can eke out of the 820mAh battery. A new USB-C port provides faster charge times so a user can spend more time wearing the glasses and less time charging them.

Read more
Don’t buy this new Motorola phone — get this other one instead
Renders of the Moto G 5G (2024) and Moto G Power 5G (2024).

the Moto G 5G (left) and Moto G Power 5G Digital Trends

Budget phones can slip under the radar when shiny, powerful flagships launch. But if you're in the market for a smartphone that gets the job done and won't blow a four-figure hole in your bank balance, then a great budget smartphone is the way to go.

Read more