Google Glass Passes Through FCC

Google Glass recently took a trip through the FCC according to a report from Engadget.

The Google Glass Explorer Edition, which Google sold to developers at Google I/O passed through the government agency and the agency approved the device for human use. The glasses use a Broadcom Wi-Fi radio and a Bluetooth 4.0 + LE radio to pair to smartphones.

There’s no 3G or 4G LTE radio in the Explorer Editions, but that likely isn’t necessary as the glasses can get data from a connected smartphone.

The FCC also says the Google Glasses have some sort of “integral vibrating element that provides audio to the user via contact with the user’s head.” The feature is likely something that transfers sound through the user’s skull. Google recently received a patent for bone-conducting sound technology, which this device likely uses.

Now that Google Glasses went through the FCC, it means those who purchased the $1500 Explorer Editions of the device should receive them sometime in the near future. Those devices won’t have all the features of the final device, but they’ll be enough for developers to start creating apps for the Google Glass platform.

Google is currently testing Project Glass among its employees, and the glasses occasionally appear on camera as those employees wear them outside. Google executive Sergey Brin recently wore a pair of Google Glasses in a New York City subway.

Even with the Google Glass Explorer Edition passing through the FCC, the consumer release of the device is likely far away. Google hasn’t talked about when it might release Google Glasses, but developers are still waiting for their devices several months after signing up.

There is a chance Google will announce more details about Google Glass at Google I/O this year. Or it could at least stage another crazy demonstration of the technology like it did at last year’s event.