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Xiaomi's transparent Mi 8 also does 3D face unlock
Xiaomi may have already released the Mi Mix 2S earlier this year, but it's actually kept its true 2018 flagship, the Mi 8, for marking its eight anniversary -- hence the jump from last year's "Mi 6." As announced in Shenzhen today, the new handset starts at 2,699 yuan (about $420) and comes in a familiar-looking dual-sided glass design, with the most notable difference being the new vertical dual camera -- exactly the same module found on the Mix 2S, according to Xiaomi. And yes, there's a notch, which is for accommodating an infrared front camera for facial recognition, even when in the dark.
Google invites Glass Explorer Edition owners to upgrade their eyewear
Google promised early Glass wearers that they could eventually upgrade to next-generation Explorer hardware, and that moment is finally at hand. The company is now inviting owners to swap devices through a free mail exchange before February 5th. While the upgrade isn't mandatory, Google warns that it's only developing with the newer Explorer Edition in mind -- there's no guarantee that new accessories or software will work on old models. The invitation is more of a push than a gentle nudge, then, but we doubt that many Glass users will complain about a free update. Check out an excerpt from the invitation after the break.
Google now inviting developers to buy Glass
Now that Google has offered a preview of Glass' SDK and opened the Mirror API to all developers, it has a strong incentive to get its eyewear in the hands of app writers. Accordingly, the crew in Mountain View is now inviting developers to buy Glass' Explorer Edition; you'll find one such invitation pictured above. We've asked Google about the scale of the expanded Explorer program, and we'll let you know if it can provide more details. Whether or not it can, the widened reach is good news for Glassware producers eager to test their code on real devices. [Thanks, Josh]
Google expands Glass sales but still wants a one-to-one chat with every buyer
Gone are the days when you needed to visit a Google office in person to pick up a pair of Explorer Edition spectacles. Following the recent expansion of the wearable project, which allowed existing owners to invite up to three friends or relatives to take that $1,500 step into the future, it's been possible for new customers to have their glasses shipped to them, just like any commercial product. What hasn't changed, however, is Google's desire to influence these users' first impressions of the device by giving them a highly personalized introduction. Soon after Phil Nickinson of Android Central received his invite-only Google Glass, he got a phone call asking him to join a personal 45-minute Hangout to take him through the "entire setup process" and tell him "about the history of Glass along the way." These calls are a sensible move on Google's part, no doubt, and likely very helpful to new owners, but they also suggest that Glass may still be a little too complicated to ship with nothing but a Getting Started PDF and a legal disclaimer.
Google now selling Glass accessories to Explorer Edition owners
There isn't exactly a huge market for Google Glass accessories when there are several thousand wearers, but you've got to start somewhere, right? Accordingly, Google has begun selling peripherals to Explorer Edition owners. Only one item, a $75 clear visor for the Glass redesign, is in stock; an earbud, a charger and a carrying pouch (all $50) are unavailable. It's slim pickings for early adopters, then, but there's a good chance that the accessory catalog will expand as Google moves closer to a full market launch. [Thanks, Nick] Alexis Santos contributed to this report.
Driving with Google Glass could earn you a ticket
California is technology's spiritual home in the US, where Teslas roam free, and Google Glass is already a social norm. Well, unless you're a member of the San Diego law enforcement that is -- as one unlucky driver just found out. That commuter was Cecilia Abadie, and she's (rather fittingly) taken to Google+ after being given a ticket for driving while wearing her (soon to be upgraded) Explorer Edition. The official charge is "Driving with Monitor visible to Driver (Google Glass)" meaning even CHiPS know full well what's the latest word in wearable tech. Abadie posted the message in the hope that someone with local smarts might be able to clarify the legal merit of the ticket. We're staying out of it, but if you know your California state laws, then jump on the source and get in the mix. In the meantime, at least our protagonist still has the tools to complete her commute. [Thanks Matt]
Google Glass no longer requires tethering plan for smartphone data sharing
An Explorer Edition of Glass is already a pricey piece of tech, and smartphone tethering plans required to give it a mobile internet connection have only made ownership that much more expensive. However, there's good news for Google's guinea pigs: the latest update to the headgear quietly implemented a way around the additional monthly fees. With XE9 loaded onto headsets, the companion Android app pipes data to and from the hardware, bypassing both the smartphone's Bluetooth tethering settings and extra plan previously needed from some carriers. To match the change, the application's notification icon sports two arrows to signify the flow of info. We doubt telcos will be fazed by this development for now, but we don't know if that'll hold once Glass arrives on shelves and hits the streets en masse. We've contacted Google to find out if the feature will make it to retail units.
Google Glass update adds web browsing, widens voice commands (update: images)
Google has delivered a steady stream of Glass updates since the Explorer Edition launched, but its new July upgrade may be the biggest yet -- it addresses several of our earliest gripes. Wearers can now answer phone calls or have messages read aloud. It's also now possible to call or message any Gmail contact, not just the top ten. Oh, and that hidden web browser? It's now public: Glass owners can ask to see a favorite page and navigate using the touchpad. If you're one of the precious few to sport Google's eyewear, you should automatically receive the much-improved firmware in the next few days; we've already heard of at least one user getting the upgrade today. Update: We now have screenshots of how browsing works in the update -- check them out below. %Gallery-192872%
Caption contest: Google Glass explorer takes virtual vision to a whole new level
What's better than a single pair of Glass Explorer Editions, you say? How about five? Well, that's exactly what Mr. Adib Towfiq has done, mounting a few of these bizarre frames to his head and, luckily for us, he took to Mountain View's social network to share it with the world. Now, he asks, "Am I doing it right?" If anything, we'd say this is certainly a step in the right direction. Edgar: "You stay Glassy, San Diego" Billy: "What? I'm just multi-tasking!" Brad: "This is the best way to solve the battery life problem." Ben Gilbert: "Adib Towfiq is ... THE SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN." Jamie: "Google Glass... Baller Edition" Tim: "Okay, Glass. Okay, Glass. Okay, Glass. Okay, Glass. Okay, Glass. Take a picture. Take a picture. Take a picture. Take a picture. Take a picture." Richard Lai: "I'm four times cooler than Tim Stevens." Jon Fingas: "Augment all the realities!" Andy: "Am I the man? Yes. Can I walk a straight line? Maybe." Darren: "Goooooooooogle Glass" Terrence: "So I says to myself, 'I can completely pay off my student loans or buy five Google Glass headsets.' I have no regrets." Mark: " I see dead people!" Myriam: "Google glass, now with 10 cores."
Google Glass developer reveals 'Winky' eye gesture app that takes photos
Remember those "eye gestures" spotted in Google Glass code? Developer Mike DiGiovanni, who just released the "Bulletproof" lockscreen for Glass, has already used them to develop an app called "Winky" that snaps photos on the Explorer Edition of the AR eyewear. When activated and calibrated, a simple wink of the eye allows you to capture a still of whatever you're looking at, rather than using a voice command or tapping the side of the glasses as normally required, which DiGiovanni says "takes you out of the moment." He released the app purely as Android source code to protect users' personal info, so if you're interested, you'll need to compile and run it as an APK -- assuming you're lucky enough to have a pair of the specs, of course.
Google Glass easter egg reveals the team that built it
Google has a long history of doling out easter eggs to amuse and delight the public, so naturally it decided to sneak one in the Explorer Edition of Glass as well. New Glass Explorer Jay Lee discovered that when you select View Licenses under Settings and Device Info, then tap the touchpad nine times (an audible beep increasing in pitch will follow each tap), you'll be able to see the entire Project Glass team in a panoramic shot. Mike LeBeau from the Glass team confirmed that he snuck that easter egg in to pay tribute to his colleagues. Naturally, now we can't help but wonder if shaking your head in tune to the Konami Code (sans A and B button-pushing) will uncover more hidden gems.
Glass Explorer Edition gets unboxed, photographed (video)
We already know what Page and Co. will be packing along with Glass, but now that participants of the Explorer program have begun picking up the wearable hardware, we're getting a second-hand unboxing experience. For those in need of a refresher, the glasses will be accompanied by a microUSB cable and charger, a pouch and an attachable shade and clear lens. Though there isn't much to glean from the stream of images, one of Mountain View's adventurers noticed that users will be able to send navigation directions straight from a smartphone to the eyewear. Click the source links below to take a gander at the photos, or hit the jump to watch a video shot with Glass by a Googler. Update 1: We've slotted in a video after the break of Glass user Dan McLaughlin extracting his device from its packaging. The footage is a bit choppy, but it certainly provides a closer look at the hardware. Update 2: The intrepid folks at Tinhte managed to get their mitts on Google's headgear and have given us a tour -- albeit in Vietnamese -- of the contraption, replete with close-ups and solid video quality. Head past the break to watch the footage.
Google Glass Explorer Editions rolling off the production line, will be delivered in waves
Google just shot out an email to folks who signed up for its Glass Explorers program at I/O last year, and it's spreading word that Glass units have begun to roll off the production line for participants. The roughly 2,000 devs who pre-ordered the spectacles won't be getting them all at once, however, as Page and Co. say they'll be delivered in waves. Mountain View notes it could have waited for every unit to be ready, but decided to send them out as they're made to speed things up. Presumably, winners of the #ifihadglass contest are in line to receive theirs after those who attended the developer powwow, and they'll have to travel to Los Angeles, New York or San Francisco to pick them up. Hit the break to live vicariously through the search titan's guinea pigs adventurers by reading the email in its entirety.
Google Glass Explorer Edition arrives at the FCC
Folks, the rather dour line drawing that you can see in the image above is the very first glimpse of Google's wearable computing project as it swings through the FCC's underground facility. The Google Glass Explorer Edition hardware, promised to arrive this year, is carrying a Broadcom 2.4GHz 802.11 b/g WiFi radio that's been paired with a Bluetooth 4.0 + LE module. We've seen a reference to an "integral vibrating element that provides audio to the user via contact with the user's head," which we presume relates to the bone conduction patent we saw earlier this month. The filing also reveals that the testing laboratory involved used the conduction technology to view video with audio. As the commission is now making the paperwork public, it can only mean that it's judged the unit, with the product code "XEB," to be safe for human consumption -- which means customers 782 and 788 might be expecting something special in the mail very shortly.
Google I/O keynote roundup: Project Glass, Nexus 7, Nexus Q and Jelly Bean
Did you keep up with everything Google announced at today's I/O keynote? Believe us, we had a difficult time too. Covering everything from Jelly Bean to jumping out of perfectly good airplanes, there was plenty to keep the audience oohing and ahhing. It makes sense to have this plethora of news in one handy place, right? After the break you'll find every piece of action that Sergey and Friends covered in Moscone West this morning -- as well as the video of the keynote -- so make sure to save a little extra time for yourself to enjoy every last bit of it.
