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Google Glass for work is sleeker, tougher and foldable
You won't have to wait for Google to reveal the next generation of Glass (aka Project Aura) -- regulators just stepped in on its behalf. A newly published FCC filing shows the previously rumored Enterprise Edition headset, and it's clearly a big improvement over the Explorer model from years earlier. The work-focused eyepiece touts a much slicker (and likely more durable) design with both a larger display prism and a hinge that lets you fold it up for travel. The test photos also reveal a spot for a magnetic battery attachment and what looks to be a speedier Atom processor.
The next Ford GT has a Gorilla Glass windshield
Corning, the firm that's famous for making the glass for your smartphone that never, ever breaks, has now signed a deal with Ford. The firms are teaming up to produce a new windshield glass for next year's Ford GT that promises to be thinner, lighter and tougher than anything that's gone before. The Gorilla Glass hybrid (two capital Gs, one lowercase h) will not only be seen up front on the new ride, but also to replace the glass that normally sits on the engine cover window.
One Google Glass follow-up reportedly ditches the screen
Google Glass (aka Project Aura) might not include so much actual glass the next time around. Sources for The Information understand that there are three next-generation headsets in development, and that one of them doesn't have a screen at all -- it's an audio-focused model meant for the "sport" crowd. That sounds like an amped-up Bluetooth headset to us, but we'll reserve judgment until there's something to see... or rather, hear. Don't worry if you still want that signature eyepiece, though -- there's talk of at least an enterprise-focused model with a display, Things are reportedly still up in the air (Google may cut its three models to two), but this could give you an idea of what to expect when Project Aura arrives sometime next year. [Image credit: AP Photo]
The Ora-X smart headphones include a flippable AR display
Google Glass was, by all accounts, a spectacular flop in the eyes of potential consumers. Now, another company hopes to succeed where Google has failed by incorporating an AR display into a device people are far more familiar with: over-ear headphones.
Google wants Glass-like headsets with holographic displays
Google Glass (aka Project Aura), as cool as it is, isn't very immersive: you're still looking at flat pictures superimposed on a 3D world. You may see some added depth in the future, though. Google has filed for a patent on a "head wearable display" that would show holograms. The hope is that this would create an augmented reality experience that's more involving than what you get today, including a wider field of view and a more efficient, easier-to-wear headset.
Ballantine designs 'space glass' for drinking whiskey in microgravity
Anyone offended by the prospect of drinking fine whiskey inside sealed space packs with straws after Suntory sent its finest variety to the ISS for testing? Don't worry: Ballantine's got your back. The liquor company has commissioned Open Space Agency's James Parr -- who also created a Lumia-powered 3D-printed telescope in the past -- to design a high-tech whiskey glass especially for zero-G environments. He tested a number of designs before settling on a rounded glass with a spiral convex stainless steel base plated in rose gold that can create the surface tension necessary to hold the liquor down. The liquid then passes through channels on the sides of the glass all the way up to the golden mouthpiece.
MIT figured out how to 3D print using glass instead of plastic
Researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology unveiled a new 3D printing method on Friday that employs transparent glass as precursor instead of plastic. The method, called G3DP, works basically the same way that conventional 3D printing does though the team found that they could modulate the light transmission, reflection and refraction qualities by precisely varying the thickness of the print.
Google is launching a new version of Glass, but only for workers
Good news, wearable fans: there's a new version of Google Glass on the way. Only... it's not really meant for you. Both Recode and the Wall Street Journal hear that Google is handing out a new, work-oriented version of its smart eyepiece to its enterprise partners' development teams. As for what it entails? Like 9to5Google hinted earlier, its a mix of performance and accommodating the demands of the working world. There's a hinge to attach it to different glasses, and the wider, thinner prism (aka the display) can move both vertically and horizontally. It also touts a faster Intel Atom processor, better wireless and longer-lasting battery packs that attach to the headset through magnets.
Google patent uses finger frames to snap pics with Glass-like devices
If you thought wearing a Google Glass headset was awkward, things could get even weirder. The Mountain View company was awarded a patent this week for tech that enables a Glass-like head-mounted display to automatically take pictures when it recognizes your fingers. Specifically, it snaps a pic when you make one of those finger frames like you've seen movie directors use. The patent document also explains that the device can change the orientation of the image based on the positioning of your hands. For example, if you made a circular "O" shape with one hand, you'd end up with a round picture. And the same goes for using two hands to frame a rectangular portrait.
Google sends a Glass-like mystery device through the FCC
Google might have just hinted at the future of its Glass headsets. The company has sent a mystery "smart BLE" (Bluetooth Low Energy) device to the FCC for approval, the A4R-CAP1, and there are a few telltale signs that it's one of Mountain View's wearables. Most notably, the product's digital FCC label (shown below) not only looks a lot like a Glass interface card, but requires that you swipe to see it -- that suggests a touchstrip, as you'd use on Google's eyepiece. Mentions of an Android-like firmware revision and a battery help, too. There's the possibility that this is another gadget that simply happens to use Glass-style navigation, but that seems less than likely. Don't be surprised if you're eventually plunking CAP1 on your head.
Luxottica CEO says company is working on Google Glass 2.0
When Nest CEO Tony Fadell took over Google Glass back in February, he pledged to redesign the headset "from scratch." Well, it looks like that process is well underway. In a company meeting today, Luxottica CEO Massimo Vian said the Italian eyewear company is working with the folks in Mountain View on not one, but two new versions of the device. Luxottica owns brands Ray-Ban and Oakley, and if you'll recall, the company worked with Google on frames for the original version of Glass.
Recommended Reading: The life and death and life of Google Glass
Recommended Reading highlights the best long-form writing on technology and more in print and on the web. Some weeks, you'll also find short reviews of books that we think are worth your time. We hope you enjoy the read. Sorry, but Google Glass isn't Anywhere Close to Dead Cade Metz, Wired Reports claim Google Glass is on its last leg after the folks in Mountain View shuttered the Explorer program last month. Not so fast. The wearable still has a truckload of uses, and making it an enterprise device could be the right move.
Corning's sapphire-like glass keeps your smartphone scratch-free
Based on hype alone, you'd think that sapphire was the ultimate replacement for glass on phone screens. However, that's not totally true -- while sapphire is extremely scratch-resistant, it's both more expensive and more likely to shatter if your device nose-dives into the sidewalk. Corning may have found a way to combine the best properties of both materials, though. It recently teased Project Phire, a glass that's as resistant to drops as Gorilla Glass 4 while touting scratch protection that "approaches" sapphire. The company isn't saying much more about the technology at this point, but it should go on sale sometime later this year.
Google Glass' new boss wants to redesign the headset 'from scratch'
If you suspected that Google Glass' change of leadership would also lead to a big change in the wearable technology itself, you made a pretty good guess. As part of a tell-all about Glass' troubles, the New York Times is claiming that project lead (and Nest CEO) Tony Fadell plans to redesign the head-mounted computer "from scratch." And unlike the original, you aren't likely to see any public beta testing -- in keeping with earlier pronouncements, one tipster says that Fadell won't release this next-gen device "until it's perfect." Just when that might happen is still up in the air, but the Nest exec's historical focus on shipping over experimentation hints that you won't have to wait years to try Glass 2 for yourself. [Image credit: AP Photo]
Google Glass experiments are done, Nest CEO now in charge
Despite slips in consumer release windows and a sort of manufactured distaste for the people who wear it, rumors of Google Glass' death have been greatly exaggerated. If anything, Google's moonshot wearable just got another lease on life: Fortune reports that the Google Glass team is being spun out into a division of its very own, and that the long-running Glass Explorer program will eventually get the axe as a result. And the person in charge of the future of Glass? None other than Nest co-founder Tony Fadell, to whom current Glass team leader Ivy Ross will soon report.
The next Google Glass will be powered by Intel
The first model might not even be on sale, but the next version of Google Glass will have Intel inside. That's according to the WSJ, who's heard from people familiar with the matter that it will apparently form yet another part of the chipmakers continued push into wearables -- in case you hadn't heard about that before. Intel didn't quite manage to tap into the smartphone boom, with chips licensed from its rival, ARM, powering the majority of smartphones. It took until last year for Intel to finally offer a smartphone processor that could connect to 4G LTE networks. Further still, Intel aims to promote Glass in a work capacity, pitching to hospitals and manufacturing businesses. However, but more importantly than the deal-making itself, we're still waiting to hear how Glass itself will benefit from the new hardware. Neither Intel or Google have responded to the report.
Gorilla Glass 4 shouldn't shatter when you drop your phone
Plenty of mobile device screens can easily resist minor cracks and scratches, but let's be honest -- those aren't the biggest problems. No, the real crisis comes when you drop your phone and the display shatters into many pieces. Thankfully, Corning is tackling that accident-related damage in earnest with Gorilla Glass 4. The newly formulated cover material is designed to survive collisions with rough surfaces, like the sidewalk. It's reportedly very effective, if imperfect. While conventional soda-lime glass will always break if you drop it from a meter (3.3 feet) above the ground, Gorilla Glass 4 will remain intact 80 percent of the time. You shouldn't be careless, in other words, but the added resistance could mean the difference between a costly out-of-warranty repair and carrying on with your day.
Movie theaters ban Google Glass and other camera-toting wearables
Many individual American movie theaters are already hostile to guests who use wearables like Google Glass, and they've now made that opposition official on a national level. Both the Motion Picture Association of America and the National Association of Theater Owners have instituted a "zero-tolerance" rule that bans recording-capable wearables during showings. While the policy doesn't say exactly what qualifies, it's clearly targeted at Glass and other headgear. It could technically include camera-equipped smartwatches like the Gear 2, although you probably won't have to worry about stowing your timepiece.
FKA twigs calls on Google Glass for dance tips in her latest music video
FKA twigs already has a reputation for using technology to make artistic statements in her music videos, and her latest takes this to its logical extreme. The two-minute #throughglass promo has twigs using Google Glass to seemingly influence a music video as it's being shot -- she looks for vogue dance tutorials to start things off, and switches to looking for anime-style eyes, gymnastics and "dominant krumping." She records some of the video from Glass' camera, too. The production is decidedly off the wall and probably won't have you rushing out to drop $1,500 just to emulate some slick moves, but it's proof that you can still look vaguely cool with a computer on your head.
Doctors report a case of Google Glass addiction
You've probably heard of Google Glass owners who seemingly can't put the wearable down, but there's now at least one reported instance of genuinely addictive behavior. Doctors at Naval Medical Center San Diego claim that a 31-year-old Navy serviceman is the first person to be diagnosed with a Glass-related internet addiction disorder. The patient wore the head-mounted computer for up to 18 hours a day, and was so attached to it that he would instinctively reach for his right temple (to activate Glass) whenever you asked him a question, whether or not the device was there. He's getting better after having spent 35 days in on-site treatment, according to doctors; that reflexive movement doesn't come up so often, and the man is both less irritable and more focused.
