I love when I can take pictures while driving, during a hike (or any outing) or a celebratory event without stopping to take a picture. Other hands-free tasks are also appreciated.

Google Glass does everything it was designed to do:

• It takes pictures and videos.
• It uses voice commands to make and receive phone calls send text messages and search Google.
• It obtains directions by voice command and illustrates them in a convenient heads up display, allowing you to find your way without distraction from the road while you are driving.
• It uses voice recognition to transcribe reminders, lists and other miscellaneous thoughts.

Was it a commercial failure?

By some measures and metrics. But do we like it only because we paid so much to try it? I say, unequivocally, NO!

I thought about starting a G+ page called “Pepys (pronounced ‘peeps’) through Glass” after Samuel Pepys, “an administrator of the navy of England and Member of Parliament who is most famous for the diary that he kept for a decade while still a relatively young man” during the latter half of the 17th century (Wikipedia). This diary provides valuable historical observations made by Pepys but most importantly he provided observation, commentary and personal insight into his daily private and public life. Fortunately for me, (and probably for you), the Glass Explorer page already existed and I certainly did not have the time, energy or consistent attention span to do as good a job.

I believe all of us Explorers have been given a tool, Glass, to document our lives, albeit more photographically than literally. We have fulfilled that task and more! We have in Glass a relatively unobtrusive assistant to record aspects of our mundane lives that are important (for us) to remember, to complete routine tasks relatively effortlessly and, most importatly, to share our efforts with others who also made such a substantial financial commitment to this technology. We are simply Explorers!

The only failure with Glass is that this tool was probably out of reach for many. The world was not ready for the $1,000 smart phone in 2013, let alone a $1,500 smart phone extender.

It is ironic to me that Pepys stopped writing his diary because of his failing eyesight. He wouldn’t dictate it because of his concern over loss of privacy. Even our generation shares this concern but not with nearly the degree of propriety. However, if Pepys had Glass, how much more would we know about this era!

They are a part of my day-to-day life. Asking me this is like asking me what my favorite moment of the last 4 years was.