It just got a little easier to pick up Google Glass. A number of tipsters noticed a change this week in Google's Glass Explorer site, which now gives users a chance to declare, "if a spot opens up, I want to purchase Glass and become an Explorer." Previously, the only way to get a Glass unit was either to be selected by Google or get in through the Explorer invite program, which opened the program to friends of the initial explorers. The new option offers a more formal waitlist, in which consumers can become Glass Explorers as soon as a spot in the program is available, provided they're willing to pay the steep $1,500 entry fee.
A Google rep told The Verge that the new option isn't part of a wider consumer launch, which is still slated for 2014. Instead, the waitlist is part of the ongoing expansion of the Explorer program, which has been slowly growing its ranks since the program opened for pre-orders last June. Google is also staying mum on the number of Glass units that might be given out through the waitlist, but it seems likely the total number will be small compared to the retail release. Still, if you're eager to get your hands on Glass before the general public — and you don't have an Explorer friend handing out invites — this is now your best bet