Still, the failure of the Nexus Q contained the kernel of a clever idea: What if you stripped away the interface of a streaming TV device, and instead relied on the phones and tablets we already use so often? Not only would this be simpler than a clunky, button-laden remote, it would also require less processing power on the device itself. The resulting product could be smaller, cheaper and in many ways easier to use than any other device on the market.

That product was Google’s $35 Chromecast, which has been a huge success since it launched in 2013. A recent survey by Parks Associates found that Chromecast was the second-most popular streaming media device in the United States last year, behind only Roku and ahead of Apple TV. Few people would call Chromecast a direct successor to the Nexus Q, but it’s the same basic concept with considerably better execution.

Google clearly sees similar seeds of success in Glass. It could be the idea of a lightweight, wearable, Internet-connected camera, or it could be the idea of a persistent, eye-level display that helps us better navigate the world. But if Google’s last pause-and-reset is any indication, we’ll barely recognize what those ideas will turn into.

From the article "Google Glass 'reset' shows it's just the seed of an idea" by Jared Newman.

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