Google pushes forward with Project Glass development

[menotu]

By Khidr Suleman, 16 Jan 2013 - itpro

Developers will get their hands on headsets and API tools from the end of January.

Google will be holding two developer events at the end of January and early February as it looks to push ahead with its Project Glass concept.

The web giant has confirmed the two separate events held in San Francisco and New York will allow developers to get early access to a glass headset and also start using the Mirror API.

The Mirror API is based on a collection of RESTful Web services, Google explained in an update for developers. Users will be able to developer using languages such as PHP, Java or Python.

Google noted that the events will be limited to those who have forked out $1,500 to join the Glass Explorer program

The event will no doubt generate some buzz surrounding the augmented reality technology, which has yet to take off despite being pushed on devices such as smartphones.

Google introduced Project Glass at its I/O developer event in 2012 and there are many potential uses including the ability to share images and videos as well as set reminders and reply to messages – hands free.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9c6W4CCU9M4&feature=player_embedded

The web giant also aims to allow users to get weather/transport updates and directions in real-time.

There is no firm release date for Project Glass headsets, and development is likely to continue throughout most of 2013.

Despite the usefulness of the glasses - there will be some major hurdles which Google will have to overcome.

The ability of glasses to record video content is likely to raise plenty of security and privacy concerns. With developers having to pay $1,500 it looks likely that the final product is likely to have a high price.

http://www.itpro.co.uk/645109/google-pushes-forward-with-project-glass-development?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+ITPro%2FToday+%28IT+PRO+-+Today%29

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Owen William - 11 March 2013 - thenextweb

Google Glass and wearable tech: This is a game-changer, not a fad

It’s easy to identify something that’s going to take the world by storm. Just look for the product that’s quickest to be labelled a fad. To be discounted is a serious concern. But we can look directly at a few examples from the past decade that have redefined the world and the way that we look at it. Almost every single one of them was quickly slandered by the media before becoming a runaway success.

In 2001, the question was asked ”could the electronic textbook take the world by storm?” Well, it certainly did. Amazon’s Kindle sold three million devices in 2009. In 2005, an article by The Register asked if the iPod could indeed be a fad.

They were wrong too, with Apple’s “declining” sales in 2013 having been 12.7 million devices. Even the iPhone attracted such labels with Paul Thurrott asking in 2008 if the iPhone’s touchscreen-based success would be short-lived. Clearly not, and we shouldn’t need to give statistics to back that up. Everything is technically a fad but it’s just part of what’s next.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=6BTCoT8ajbI

In a word, it’s breathtaking to imagine. The technology suddenly takes away almost all of the flaws of a smartphone. No longer does a slab of glass need to exist between a smartphone user and the concert they’re attending. No longer do tourists need to navigate around the city while constantly checking their screens. The technology disappears. It’s no longer a barrier to accessing information or actually going about life.

Companies have tried to address the fact that technology is somewhat of a barrier between us and the world and have released wearable technology already. Pebble’s watch tries to give users the power to check their phone without pulling it out of your pocket. Apple’s rumored watch does the same thing. These devices, whilst they are fantastic, are also “fads.” But, this is the road of progress. These devices acknowledge that using a smartphone in many situations is inappropriate and that something better could be done. They acknowledge that whilst the smartphone is an important device, that is necessary to the modern consumer, but interaction could be better.

Glass is the next step along this transition. It is the fad after this fad. Google is skating to where the puck is going to be, not where it is now. Unfortunately, being on the cutting edge like this means that the product is subject to a lot of scrutiny. The media seems to want products like this it to fail.

http://thenextweb.com/google/2013/03/11/google-glass-and-wearable-tech-this-is-a-game-changer-not-a-fad/

[joechimp]

You can bet that people will be putting up the $1500 that have no idea what a developer is.

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Jon Russell - 18 May 2013 - thenextweb

Developer releases template code to allow almost anyone to create a Google Glass app

Google has started to ramp up the selection of apps available for Google Glass after official apps for Facebook, Twitter, CNN, Elle, Evernote and Tumblr were released at Google I/O on Friday, but now there’s an easy way for almost anyone to create a dedicated Glass app.

New York-based developer Chris Maddern, who runs Applaunch and works for video startup Animoto, has released an open-source code that is effectively a template to create basic apps for any Web-based service, and with minimal fuss. In fact, Maddern says 15 minutes is all that it takes.

The code uses the Mirror API and is available from GitHub (here). It requires merely a few database tweaks — each of which Maddern spells out in the description — before an app that connects a Web service and Glass is born. From there, those with a spirit for adventure (and coding experience, of course) can add new features and advance the app as they see fit.

Importantly, all apps created will run Google’s Glassware system. That gives them full access to and interaction with Glass, unlike some other hacker creations, such as this cool app which takes photos using winks, which can only be deployed as APKs.



There will be more and Maddern tells TNW that, with version 1.0 now out, he is working on adding “more complex features”, which will include replying to and updating items, as well as including timelines.
Beyond that, he is aiming to make things even easier for code-averse folk. He has plans for a Web app that lets users create and edit Glass apps “without ever writing a line of code or seeing a Heroku terminal”.

http://thenextweb.com/google/2013/05/18/developer-releases-template-code-to-allow-almost-anyone-to-create-a-google-glass-app/

http://www.pclinuxos.com/forum/index.php/topic,115856.msg987015.html#msg987015