Google Glass isn’t
ready for prime time. Even Google knows this, which is why it hasn't
shipped to the masses yet. Instead, Google floated a few units to “Explorers,”
glorified guinea pigs who can enjoy the joys and trials of this
cuttingest edge of cutting edge technologies. But nascent or not, Glass exists, and it works.
Or at least it "works." Developers are still getting their feet wet,
high-profile apps like Twitter and Facebook feel more like experiments
than finished products, and bugs aren’t the exception, they’re the rule.
But, you know, the thing turns on, and hears you say "Okay, Glass," and
eagerly awaits your next command. Beyond the home screen, it’s up to
Glass Explorers to wade through the good apps, the bad apps, and the
broken apps, and we're right there with them. We went exploring, and
this is what Glass can do; right here, right now.
And for those of you without
Glass, hopefully we can help you live vicariously through our
misadventures and humble GIF illustrations. Glass is a strange beast,
and it can take a while to get used to and understand what it’s trying
to do. Maybe we’ll make you jealous, or maybe you’ll decide Glass is a
worthless piece of trash. Either way, we hope we can shed light on the
mystery, the wonder, and the social awkwardness that is Glass.
We’ll be updating this list as
new apps come out, and old apps are updated or made obsolete, so keep
checking back. And if you see an app we haven’t covered yet, make sure
to let us know!
Glass basics
Glass’ basic paradigm is one of
a "timeline" full of "cards." Each card, when tapped, can reveal more
cards, or present actions like "reply" or "delete." Some cards can be
"pinned," which places them to the left of the home screen. Otherwise,
cards are sorted chronologically to the right of the home screen.
While Glass’ best known
interaction method is the verbal "Okay, Glass" prompt, most of the UI
can only be operated by swipes and taps. Outside of the homescreen, the
only time you’ll be speaking is when you’re composing a text reply to a
card in your timeline (like an email message, or a tweet). While voice
might seem like a gimmick, it’s actually preferable to the
hypersensitive touchpad at times — we’ve accidentally tapped to share a
photo with the wrong Google+ contact a dozen times, simply because Glass
registers a tap instead of a swipe. At least when you’re talking you
get a chance to cancel the action if you’re misheard.
Glass’ very simplicity means
there’s actually a steep learning curve: You have to use Glass how
Google wants you to use Glass, or it just doesn’t work. Also, you have
to be really good at swiping and tapp
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