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. Bars and restaurants banned the device. Google Glass failed commercially but presaged every subsequent debate about facial recognition, always-on cameras, and the social contract around wearable surveillance. Apple's Vision Pro faces the same tensions a decade later.