Google is making big moves this week for its highly
anticipated wearable – Google Glass by first updating its software to a more
tried and tested operating system and second, by offering it for sale to anyone
in the US for one day.
This should mean significant changes to Glass Beta testers
and those who are fans of wearable technology. For starters, the company’s
switch from Glass XE to Android 4.4 KitKat should mean a number of improvements
for the wearable. These include improved battery life and more reliable and
easier upgrade procedures moving forward.
The update should also allow users to leave photo replies in
Hangout messages (a feature that was only available previously if a user starts
a new conversation) as well as improved photo sharing and organization.
The downside is that Google has decided to remove the voice
call feature on Glass. According to Google’s Glass team, the decision to remove
the voice call feature all boils down to statistics as only a small portion of
all testers (less than 10%) were using it and that they will temporarily remove
this functionality until such time that their team or third party developers
are able to improve it.
Lastly, the move to switch to Android should make it easier
for developers to build apps for the hardware, which consequently should help
increase the number of apps available and compatible for the device.
Google is holding a one-day special offer to anyone living
in the United States by making Glass available for purchase to anyone who’s
willing to shell out $1500.
