How Did New Google Glass Appear In eBay Auction?

A new version of Google Glass has been spotted on the auction website eBay, a little over a year since the original beta programme was halted.

Despite the cancellation of the previous Google Glass project, Google’s X division has reportedly been working on a new prototype under the guise “Project Aura”.

Pawn Shop Auction

The old version of Google Glass was also available for businesses only, as reports continue to hint that Google is working on a new prototype.

But this week an eBay auction of an unannounced prototype was discovered by 9to5Google. The auction, entitled “Google Glass (black),” shows an image of an (as yet) unreleased wearable device from Google.

9to5Google points out that the device bears similarities to the recent official patent filed by Google with the FCC in December. Similarities include a folding hinge as well as an outward-facing LED light, and a different charging interface. The word ‘GLASS’ is also apparently printed on the inside of the black-plastic hinge.

The auction itself remains a mystery, after attempts by other media outlets to contact the San Francisco pawn shop, A-to-Z Pawnbrokers, proved not to be successful. There is also no official word from Google itself.

New Prototype?

It comes after Google took down a number of social media accounts for the device in January this year.

The Twitter, Google+ and Instagram accounts relating to the original Google Glass device were all taken down two months ago, which fuelled speculation that a new version of the device was set to be released soon.

Last year reports claimed that Google had been shipping a new generation of the head-mounted device, featuring a redesigned rectangular body and button-and-hinge system to attach the mini-computer to other units, to customers in the health care, manufacturing and energy industries, among others.

Google is also known to have hired a number of engineers and software developers from Amazon’s Lab126 arm, which had been responsible for some of the retailer’s most ambitious hardware projects.

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