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Is Google Glass dead?
03:07 - Source: CNN

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CNN  — 

Google has announced it will stop producing Google Glass in its present form.

In a statement posted to its Google + account, the company said it would still be working on smart glasses, but that January 19 would be the last day to get the current Glass Explorer Edition.

The statement explained that Google Glass will “graduate” from the Google X incubator and become its own division, which will report to Nest founder Tony Fadell.

Glass has been on sale since 2013 in the United States and allows the user to send messages, navigate and record video using voice commands. But since its launch, Glass has come up against safety and privacy issues.

Inevitably, the announcement caused a stir on social media.

Some agreed it was time for a revamp.

Others saw it as a positive development for Glass …

… or simply admired Google’s creativity

Many had their own views on why production had been stopped.

Others were indifferent.

Some reactions were surprisingly philosophical.

Others were surprisingly colorful.

But whatever the response, it’s unlikely that this is the end of Google Glass. Nick Thompson, editor of the New Yorker.com, told CNN that Glass may well be back in a year or so, revamped and redesigned. And he is confident that Fadell is the right man for the job.

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Tom Page also contributed to this report.