As stated in the Google Glass Terms of Sale, it is absolutely forbidden for a user to sell their pair of Google Glass Explorer Edition. So, in a display of blatant disregard and price inflation, one crafty user is selling their pair for $6,000 on Craigslist. While Google did put some measurements in place to keep the early models from changing hands, Google does not plan on bricking any of the Explorer devices. » Read the rest
Google I/O 2013 featured a session titled, “Voiding Your Warranty: Hacking Glass,” which was pretty much exactly what you would expect it to be. During the session, Google Glass was successfully unlocked, given root access, and then loaded up with Ubuntu.
Of course most manufacturers wouldn’t encourage people to hack into their devices, but because Google Glass is a developer device, they’re looking for all kinds of experimentation.
In order to install Ubuntu, a few steps (simplified) had to be taken:
The definition of “hack” that Google would probably use can be found on Urban Dictionary. Check it out after the break. » Read the rest
We certainly have an idea of the awesome potential the Google Glass headset can offer— but most of the tech world hasn’t gotten the opportunity to see some of the practical abilities the device can bring, until now. Among the noteworthy things that can be done are utilizing the Maps app and viewing/replying to emails, all while biking through windy roads; using the device’s built-in camera to scan all sorts of information and heck— even hailing a cab if necessary.
I mean sure some of the more practical uses won’t be as life-changing as others, but it’s looking like Google Glass will be more than just a gimmick for the general consumer. You can check out the video for yourself below.
Now that more and more people are getting their hands on the Google Glass Explorer Edition, the information is trickling in. The majority of specs were revealed a couple of weeks ago, but nothing was released regarding the sensors. Well developer Lance Nanek was able to find the complete list of sensors by pushing an Android app to the device using debug mode. For now the mirror API only allows for getting the location every 10 minutes, but at some point these other sensors will be enabled.
One of the powerful features that Glass offers is the ability to get notifications without having to look at your phone, but where the real stuff is involves other augmented reality apps. Playing games like Ingress, finding hotspots in the city, or getting navigation instructions all sound intriguing. Hit the break for the complete list and video from Lance showing that they actually work.
Google Glass isn’t commercially available yet and was mocked by SNL a few days ago, but the new product is receiving a substantial new software update. Named XE5, the new software adds a few important features, including Google+ notifications, crash reporting, and international calling. If you are lucky enough to have a headset, you need to have your device plugged into a charger in order to update.
You can find the changelog after the break.
» Read the rest
Recently, we heard from a source that Google was planning on launching retail stores by the end of 2013. These stores were supposedly being set up to sell all kinds of Google ware, but now we’re hearing some clarification that those stores are going to be specifically for Google Glass. Google is obviously trying to spur up some interest for the device, and the best way to do that is to demo the device and get it into potential customers’ hands. And according to Business Insider, Sergey Brin himself is helping to plan out the stores.
Obviously you should take this with a grain of salt. Google has been to known to pick up and drop ideas at the drop of a hat, so this may or may not happen, and it might end up just being a full Google store like we’d originally heard. Either way, we’ll keep you updated as soon as we hear anything.
source: Business Insider
Pretty much everyone thinks Google Glass is weird. It’s a really, really new kind of technology, and it kind of makes you look like a robot, so that’s understandable. Needless to say, it wasn’t going to take long before Glass started popping up in current events and pop culture jokes, and who better to kick that off than Saturday Night Live? Last night, a “tech correspondent” on the Weekend Update was showing off Google Glass. Trust me, it’s worth a look. Check out the video below. » Read the rest
Although Google Glass is not yet in the hands of many owners and retail availability may be a year away, developers are moving full steam ahead with the development of apps. Fullscreen Labs has jumped into the fray with a new app called Fullscreen BEAM that enables users to upload videos from Google Glass directly to their YouTube account. » Read the rest
In what is definitely a huge oversight on Google’s part, the Glass software has no built-in lockscreen function. Obviously it can be assumed that there will be many changes before the rumored Spring 2014 release date since it’s a Beta product, but the problem remains for now.
Developer Mike DiGiovanni didn’t want to risk having his contacts and personal information easily swiped so he set about doing Google’s job for them, and Bulletproof was born. In a post on Google+ DiGiovanni explains its function saying, “Use combinations of swipes and taps on the side touchpad to unlock your device. The app knows when Google Glass is off your head and locks the device only at that point.” Pretty handy, and very useful. Click past the break to see it in action.
So you know how I just told you about Google releasing a how-to video showcasing the Glass UI and how it worked? Well it looks like early Glass adopter Dan McLaughlin decided to up the ante. You should know who he is as he brought us a detailed, albeit choppy, unboxing video for the Explorer Edition of Glass when they first debuted. In these two new videos he demonstrates how the UI looks when he interacts with it. You see how he navigates through menus either through touching the side of Glass or by using gestures such as nodding. The voice recognition is pretty impressive as well.
The videos are done via screencast mirroring so while the Google how-to video gave us an insight on how it’d look on the device, these videos show us just how that interacting will work. If you have roughly 12 minutes to kill then hit the break to check out each video. They’re worth the time you’ll take watching them. Enjoy!