Around two months back, Google announced that it would cease to sell its $1,500 Glass headset, laying to rest its famed Explorer Program. But today, we’re hearing news that it might make a triumphant return.

With Google now having killed its Glass wearable off following a less than successful year it seems that everyone is suddenly spouting that it was doomed from the start. Whether they’re just kicking Glass while it’s down or did truly possess the ability to see into the future is anybody’s guess, but one person inside Apple did apparently know that the writing was on the wall for what was a very ambitious project.

The Google Glass Explorer Program will end from next week, although this does not spell the end of the face computer’s development. In fact, it seems that the Big G is simply reshuffling the team and division in charge of the product in a move that should streamline Glass’s route to market.

Google’s firsts attempt at giving the world a wearable computer that lives on your forehead has suffered plenty of cynicism and criticism since it arrived on the noggins of Google’s intrepid ‘Explorers’ but that clearly isn’t going to stop the technology giant from pushing forward with new iterations of Glass. A new patent, recently made public but having actually been submitted back in January, appears to show what could be the next version of Glass to come out of Google’s design labs.

Google Glass has been in some hot waters lately, with the search giant not having the easiest run with its futuristic gadget. Say what you may, but Google isn’t letting its wearable wash away just yet, and is reportedly planning on a next-generation of the wearable with support from Intel.

The unveiling of Google Glass had split public opinion right down the middle when it was first introduced as a research project back just over two years ago. The intelligent, but relatively futuristic eyewear, which looks as though it has been ripped directly off the set of a Hollywood spy thriller, has been one of the primary focal points of Google’s Project X team for quite some time, but could that dedication to an actual consumer launch be waning? According to a new Reuters report, a number of developers and early Glass adopters are beginning to lose that initial excitement and interest in the product.

The movie industry has long been concerned about the issue regarding moviegoers recording a movie using a smartphone, camera or other device. Google Glass, unlike most other camera-equipped gadgets, could be used to record a movie quite unsuspectingly, and as such, the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) – the body that represents the major studios – has made a move to completely ban Glass and similar forms of wearable tech in cinemas.

One ambitious concept maker has crafted an interesting render of what a Google Glass-esque product might look like if Apple’s design team was at the helm. It features, among other perks, a micro projector that beams content directly onto the lens, and while it seems far-fetched that such a slimline, stylish look could be achievable at this point in time, the designer suggests that Apple’s own face computer could be something to consider in years to come.

There’s good news on the horizon for members of the Google Glass Explorers initiative. As part of the continued development of the internal software that powers Google’s intelligent eyewear, the company has introduced a new feature that will allow users to view all phone notifications via Glass. As things stand at the moment, Glass owners are only able to view and interact with notifications that are presented as part of Glass compatible apps. This will be extended to fall in line with the notification-forwarding system that allows Android Wear wearables to receive every notification as it’s received on the connected device.

The world of wearables is currently amid something of a boom, and with Google Glass having recently arrived at the Play Store, head-mounted gadgets continue to arouse interest. Several other big-name vendors in the tech game have also sought to get in on the act, and among them, Japanese outfit Sony has been working on some eyewear of its own. The SmartEyeglass, as it is named, will be heading to market in March of 2015, and today, the PlayStation maker has released the SDK.

Google’s Project Glass has been in the works for years now, and since the initial dev roll-out back in 2013, generated quite a significant amount of interest in tech circles. First it was a closed beta available to selected creatives and developers, before eventually becoming an invitation-only enterprise. This year, the Explorer Edition relaxed the invitation system, making the gadget available in the UK and US to the masses, and now, finally, the head-mounted gadget is available at the Play Store with all of those lovely accessories to boot.

Even though Google Glass enjoys its fair share of airtime in the world of tech, the search giant’s head-mounted gizmo isn’t alone in vying for a share of this potentially lucrative field. In fact, a number of companies – from start-ups to the likes of Lenovo – have indulged over the past couple of years, but while the more recent Motorola-owner’s prototype looked a bit of a Glass rip-off, the product in the works through emerging outfit Atheer Labs is very intriguing and dare we say more exciting than even Glass.