Google Glass gets more nerdy, er, techie with version 2.0

Google will soon release the second version of Google Glass, but rather than making the smart eyeglasses stand out less, the tech giant has made them more noticeable than before.

The company announced this week that it will soon allow Glass users to swap out their current units for new ones for free. Owners will also be allowed to invite up to three others to purchase the new Glass models for themselves. Google hasn’t said when exactly it will roll out the new version.

The new Glass essentially looks the same as the current version with some slight modifications to allow users to snap on more pairs of shades and to eventually snap on prescription eyeglasses. The device has also been outfitted so that users can plug in a single ear bud. That’s why Glass looks even more nerdy.

PHOTOS: Top 10 Apple Mavericks OS X features to check out

The single ear bud is intended for times when users might not be able to hear the device very well using just its bone vibration speaker, which allows users to hear through little vibrations they feel on the sides of their heads.

But when you look at images of the new version of Glass, the ear bud is loud in appearance. In an age when everyone is used to Apple’s small white ear buds, Google Glass’ chunky, black ear bud is hard to miss.

So if you get the new Glass, you might not want to use the ear bud in public — unless you want to look like the “Star Trek” character Geordi La Forge.

ALSO:

Second Google barge sighted: What could they be?

Twitter revamps timeline to attract ads; photos, Vine now visible

Motorola to push build-your-own-phone concept with Project Ara