Innovation
Latest Google Glass upgrades: take a photo by winking
Privacy advocates can't be too excited about this latest Google Glass app.
Next time you spot someone wearing Google Glass, watch for a wink. They might just be taking a photo.
In the latest update of Google Glass software, a new app called Wink has been added that allows users to take a photo with a simple wink of the eye.
Users had the capability to wink and take a photo months ago. Developer Mike DiGiovanni released a pure Android source code called Winky in May. But it wasn't part of the Google Glass software.
Winky raised the ire of privacy advocates. And Wink will likely do the same. Not that Google seems worried about it.
If anything, the company seems more jazzed than ever to expand the capability to other tasks.
Here's a snippet from the folks at Google that gives a hint at where they'll take this wink app next:
We’re starting with pictures, but just think about what else is possible. Imagine a day where you’re riding in the back of a cab and you just wink at the meter to pay. You wink at a pair of shoes in a shop window and your size is shipped to your door. You wink at a cookbook recipe and the instructions appear right in front of you – hands-free, no mess, no fuss.
Here are some other new Glass features announced by Google over the past several days:
- Winkfeed- not the same as Wink, allows users to stay up-to-date with topics from their favorite news sites and RSS feeds.
- Weather alerts
- Music is now available to +Google Play Music All Access subscribers who can pick between their playlist and radio. You can use your voice to activate of tap on "OK glass" and "listen" to choose your favorite songs.
- iOS App is ready. The download will be ready soon once Glass's latest update is complete.
- Hangout messages now appear on Glass
- You can now upload videos to YouTube right after you've recorded it, using Glass.
- Security has been beefed up. Now users can lock their screen. No one can use your locked Glass until you enter your secret "Glass handshake" using taps and swipes.
Thumbnail photo from Flickr user Dazzie D
This post was originally published on Smartplanet.com