Google gears up for new version of Google Glass

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Despite being declared dead quite a few times, a new version of the Google Glass headset may be coming soon.

Though Google may have stopped selling the US$1,500 "Explorer" versions of the device nearly a year ago, it seems that the project overall is alive and well.

Documents showing a new version of the Glass, including images, have been posted to the website of the Federal Communications Commission. In contrast to earlier versions of the smart headset, the new version of Glass appears to be foldable.

The Glass pictured in the FCC's filings has hinges on both sides, indicating that it can be tucked away like a normal pair of glasses when not in use. The company has also added a light to the device that turns on when the headset is recording.

Those little tweaks could help Glass reach a broader audience -- although design certainly wasn't the only thing that earned Google skepticism. There's a lot the FCC filings don't and can't tell us, notably what the price of a new version of Google Glass would be.

Then again, consumers may not be the main focus for Glass anymore.

Google and its parent company, Alphabet, have indicated that Glass, now a project under the supervision of Nest leader Tony Faddell, will be more focused on the workplace and professional markets in the near-term.

Applications for the headset are clear in a few professions -- Google had particularly touted its uses for emergency workers and physicians -- and the company has indicated that it would focus more closely on those uses.