Google is reportedly in talks with Warby Parker to make glasses that look less like Geordi La Forge’s eyewear and more like something a style-conscious person in the early 21st century would be happy to put on his or her face. A New York Times story cites unnamed sources who say that Google is negotiating with the NYC-based e-commerce startup to help it create fashionable frames (both companies declined to confirm the report).
Google Glass is slowly but steadily moving towards the nasal bridges of consumers. On Wednesday, Google began accepting applications for the first small batch of people who will be able to buy an early version of Google Glass, and there have been more sightings of the smart glasses in the wild (and not just on Google co-founders and employees).
If Google and Warby Parker do indeed ink a partnership, that could mean that Google Glass will become a lot more attractive to people who had been shrugging off the new tech because wearing a pair would make them look like an extra from “Back To The Future.” Since launching in February 2010, Warby Parker has raised a total of $50.3 million in funding and gained a following of four-eyed hipsters with its stylish but reasonably-priced prescription lenses and frames.
