Google Glass may have caused a stir, but it never did really catch on — but Google isn't giving up on the wearable just yet. Images published by the Federal Communications Commission, which must approve most gadgets sold in the U.S., appear to confirm reports of a new and improved design aimed at putting Google Glass in the workplace.
The most obvious change is the hinged design, allowing this device (unlike its predecessor) to be folded up and stuck in a pocket — that should come in handy when you're asked to take the device off at the many restaurants, movie theaters and other locations where it's been banned. How it will attach to frames or glasses isn't clear from the images.
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Not indicated by the FCC filing but reported by 9to5Google and the Wall Street Journal are improvements to the hardware: a mightier processor, better wireless, a bigger prism through which to view the interface, and a magnetic battery pack or charger (you can see the port in the picture).
Google hasn't publicly announced the device, but in a letter submitted to the FCC in June, the company asked that photos of the device not be released until 180 days after certification, which would be about now if everything went well. NBC News has contacted Google for more information and will update this article if they respond.
