Google Glass...another orphan tech gadget.

There are a couple of big changes to the Google Glass project that are taking place, the first of which is that it's now being overseen Tony Fadell, a former Apple executive and founder of Nest, which Google purchased for $3.2 billion a year ago. Ivy Ross will still run the daily operations, she'll just now report to Fadell. And the second? You can kiss the Explorer program goodbye -- Google has decided to shutter its Glass Explorer program as it moves into the next phase.

"Explorers, we asked you to be pioneers, and you took what we started and went further than we ever could have dreamed: from the large hadron collider at CERN, to the hospital operating table; the grass of your backyard to the courts of Wimbledon; in fire stations, recording studios, kitchens, mountain tops and more," Google Glass stated on its Google+ page.

After a bit of reminiscing, Google got to the point.

"As we look to the road ahead, 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. We’re thrilled to be moving even more from concept to reality," Google Glass continued. "As part of this transition, we’re closing the Explorer Program so we can focus on what’s coming next."

The team said that today (January 19, 2015) is the last day to get the Glass Explorer Edition, which we suppose can now be considered collector's items. As for what the future holds, Google didn't say specifically, adding that you'll see the future versions of Glass "when they're ready."

We wouldn't be surprised if Google decided to show off a new prototype at its Google I/O conference later this year, though it will be interesting to see what the new vision entails.