Project Aura, the name given to the successor project for Google Glass and potentially other wearable technology, has lost a key member of the team. Geoff Dowd came on board last fall to head up the user experience design component of the project. A new report indicates that he departed Google in March, a mere five months into his tenure. Dowd joined Google and Project Aura after working for Adobe on their user interface team.
While the departure of a key team member may not be too noteworthy by itself, the connection to what was once one of Google’s higher profile projects may be a troubling sign. Last year Google began the process of shutting down the Google Glass project and in the fall transitioned what remained to a new program called Project Aura underneath the Nest umbrella. Although the successor appears to be in development for enterprise users, Google brought in Ivy Ross who had experience with clothes retailer Gap.
Recently a swirl of negative issues has surrounded both Project Aura and Nest. Google managed to briefly lose a pair of the new version of Google Glass only to see it show up on eBay via a San Francisco area pawnshop listing. The company did manage to retrieve the device. Meanwhile, Nest and director Tony Fadell has been the subject of criticism regarding his management style and the financial risk Nest has placed on Google and parent Alphabet.
With Google I/O coming up in only a few more weeks, we will have to watch to see whether Google reveals any new information about the future for a Glass-type wearable and Project Aura.
source: Business Insider
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