Android By Russell Holly Apr. 29, 2014 11:01 am
Google has now successfully updated their Glass platform to the most recent version of Android, but a quick peek in the apps that are onboard offers some insight into what is next for the wearable computer.
The cool thing about the Glass explorer program is how Google is essentially developing out in the open while getting tens of thousands of people to test new features. Some things get added, some get removed, but for the most part it’s a conversation that ends in a better overall product. That having been said, it’s always cool to know more about what’s going on behind Google’s curtains even if they don’t actually make it to production. A recent teardown of the apps that live on Post-KitKat Glass does a great job of showing what’s on Google’s todo list for Glass, and it’s not a short list at all.
Google appears to be preparing to increase the number of voice commands to 91 possible options. According to the guys at Android Police there’s actually a total of 127 options in the list, but many of them are redundant commands with different phrasing to accomplish the same goal. The list includes lots of commands that aren’t currently available, like “remember where I am” and “explore the stars”.
There’s also more options for existing actions like “show hazards” for when you are using Navigation to get somewhere and significantly improved voice controls for music playback. Finally, there’s a couple of voice commands that sound like either third party commands or hints at completely new things from Google. The “call me a car” and “control my home” commands in particular could be very interesting depending on what they are attached to.
Using your voice is cool, but only if you speak the language. Google Glass has been mostly English focused so far, but there’s clearly plans to fix that. Support for German, Portugese, Spanish, French, Italian, and Korean are in the list of downloadable language packs for the platform. Just like Android on your phone, you’ll be able to download the language that suits your needs if it isn’t pre-loaded out of the box and the whole OS will support that language. These language packs include audio responses from Glass, and in several instances there will be male and female options for the voice you hear when navigating Glass.
There’s something of a visual overhaul planned as well, with new icons hiding in several apps that offer a clear look at features soon to come. These visual cues come on the heels of UI updates that developers have been invited to use in their apps in the Glassware section of the app and website. It’s clear that very soon all of the Glass experience will look visually different from when the platform first launched, with the potential for there to be toast notifications for when you get something while actively using Glass.
Naturally there’s no time frame for any of this to become available, but it paints a clear picture of some things we can expect in future monthly updates from Google. Especially now that Android Wear is on the horizon, Glass users will be very interested in seeing how Google can keep Glass exciting and useful.
More...
The cool thing about the Glass explorer program is how Google is essentially developing out in the open while getting tens of thousands of people to test new features. Some things get added, some get removed, but for the most part it’s a conversation that ends in a better overall product. That having been said, it’s always cool to know more about what’s going on behind Google’s curtains even if they don’t actually make it to production. A recent teardown of the apps that live on Post-KitKat Glass does a great job of showing what’s on Google’s todo list for Glass, and it’s not a short list at all.
Google appears to be preparing to increase the number of voice commands to 91 possible options. According to the guys at Android Police there’s actually a total of 127 options in the list, but many of them are redundant commands with different phrasing to accomplish the same goal. The list includes lots of commands that aren’t currently available, like “remember where I am” and “explore the stars”.
There’s also more options for existing actions like “show hazards” for when you are using Navigation to get somewhere and significantly improved voice controls for music playback. Finally, there’s a couple of voice commands that sound like either third party commands or hints at completely new things from Google. The “call me a car” and “control my home” commands in particular could be very interesting depending on what they are attached to.
Using your voice is cool, but only if you speak the language. Google Glass has been mostly English focused so far, but there’s clearly plans to fix that. Support for German, Portugese, Spanish, French, Italian, and Korean are in the list of downloadable language packs for the platform. Just like Android on your phone, you’ll be able to download the language that suits your needs if it isn’t pre-loaded out of the box and the whole OS will support that language. These language packs include audio responses from Glass, and in several instances there will be male and female options for the voice you hear when navigating Glass.
There’s something of a visual overhaul planned as well, with new icons hiding in several apps that offer a clear look at features soon to come. These visual cues come on the heels of UI updates that developers have been invited to use in their apps in the Glassware section of the app and website. It’s clear that very soon all of the Glass experience will look visually different from when the platform first launched, with the potential for there to be toast notifications for when you get something while actively using Glass.
Naturally there’s no time frame for any of this to become available, but it paints a clear picture of some things we can expect in future monthly updates from Google. Especially now that Android Wear is on the horizon, Glass users will be very interested in seeing how Google can keep Glass exciting and useful.
More...
