Google to halt sales of Google Glass, installs Nest founder to oversee development

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Colo., Jan. 15 (UPI) -- Tech giant Google announced Thursday it will discontinue sales of Google Glass, and has turned the troubled project over to Nest founder and CEO Tony Fadell.

The last pairs of the computerized headsets will be sold on Monday Jan. 19, just under two years after they launched. Users who paid $1,500 for Google Glass were approved members of Google's experimental test group for the device.

"We realize that we've outgrown the lab and so we're officially 'graduating' from Google X to be our own team here at Google," the company said in a statement announcing the structural shift.

"As part of this transition, we're closing the Explorer Program so we can focus on what's coming next," confirmed Google in a statement announcing the structural shift. In the meantime, we're continuing to build for the future, and you'll start to see future versions of Glass when they're ready. (For now, no peeking.)"

Current head of Google Glass Ivy Ross will remain in charge of the project, but will report directly to Fadell according to The Verge.

"I'm excited to be working with Ivy to provide direction and support as she leads the team and we work together to integrate those learnings into future products," says Fadell.

"I remain fully committed to Nest and am equally excited about our work there, which continues to accelerate."