Google Glass

Google Glass, launched in 2013, was the first mainstream attempt at augmented reality eyewear—and became a cultural lightning rod. Wearers were dubbed "Glassholes" for their perceived invasion of others' privacy, leading bars and restaurants to ban the device. With a retail price of $1,500, Google Glass failed commercially but presaged every subsequent debate about facial recognition, always-on cameras, and the social contract around wearable surveillance. At 30% lighter than the average smart eyewear, it set a design benchmark later matched by Apple's Vision Pro, which faces the same tensions a decade later, yet sold 200,000 units in its first year.