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Google Glass Explorer Edition now receiving XE5 software update, brings loads of new features and enhancements

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Google Glass update

We see it happen all the time. A not quite commercially available Android product receives an over-the-air update before it’s even released. Guess you could add Glass to that list as the XE5 software update is currently rolling out to Google’s Glass headsets everywhere. The update “fixes” some pretty big issues I’ve personally noticed in Glass, and is just the first of many Glass will receive before it’s big debut to the public. Here’s the changelog we received directly from Google Glass support:

Google Glass XE5 software update

New features in XE5:

  • Change to sync policy: require power + wifi for background uploads
  • Crash reporting
  • Incoming G+ notifications (direct shares, comments, +mentions), including ability to comment and +1
  • Incoming Hangout notifications
  • Transcription of queries & messages is now wicked-fast
  • Long-press to search from anywhere in the UI (no longer just from off)
  • International number dialing + SMS
  • Hop animation on disallowed swipes in the UI
  • New On-Head Detection calibration flow
  • Show device Serial Number on Device Info card
  • More reliable estimation of battery charge remaining
  • New recipient-list mosaic

That just about it rounds it up. If you currently have Google Glass in your possession, don’t forget that you can only initiate the update after plugging the headset into a charger. From there, Glass will take matters into its own hands. The process can take more than a few minutes (it is a pretty substantial update), so you might want to grab a sandwich in the meantime. When you return, say hello to an improved Google Glass experience. Godspeed.

Chris Chavez
I've been obsessed with consumer technology for about as long as I can remember, be it video games, photography, or mobile devices. If you can plug it in, I have to own it. Preparing for the day when Android finally becomes self-aware and I get to welcome our new robot overlords.

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16 Comments

  1. “More reliable estimation of battery charge remaining” This is good… I noticed it said that I had like 10% left.. then a min later of video ..dead. Hope this helps with that issue.

  2. is that how the version scale is gonna work?
    Instead of numbers like 4.2.2

    1. I think at least until its past the period of explorers edition.

    2. I’m probably wrong, but I thought I read somewhere it was running ICS?

      1. They are running android, but a sandbox one.
        Android apps can apparently be run natively on the device. I guest Google wanted to force developers to think from the ground up about what apps to build for glass.

  3. That’s odd, the Google Glass headset I don’t have didn’t receive an update.. Hmm..

    1. I feel your pain. You know Rob would give ours away if it wasn’t in Google’s terms and conditions..lol.

      Hopefully by this time next year you get purchase revision 2 of the hardware for half the price. I will keep my fingers crossed.

  4. “The process can take more than a few minutes (it is a pretty substantial update), so you might want to grab a sandwich in the meantime”
    An Ice cream sandwich perhaps? :D

  5. Honestly, this has to be the best innovation of the last century. I am glad that apple hoards it’s money. They could never compete with this.Viva La Google! :)

    1. You make it sound like Apple has never come out with a revolutionary product.

      1. That’s right. Everything Apple has created was taken from others, so their products are more evolutionary, than revolutionary. Google Glass is what you would consider Revolutionary.

      2. sorry, but before iphone in 2007 we saw:

        1) working black glossy monolith LG Prada in 2006 that received prestigious international design awards, was a SCREEN-only + buttons multitouch display and was able to do everything that iphone “invented” in 2007
        2) working SAMSUNG F700 smartphone in 2006 Cebit/CES
        3) ipad is a scaled up ipod touch
        4) touch displays are not Apple’s products/innovations.
        5) amazing but already far behind (GALAXY S4) Retina Displays
        6) great Flash/NAND memory modules are SAMSUNG innovations.

        LG’s and SAMSUNG’s FLEXIBLE displays in “revolutionary” ios-only iWatch?
        Gorilla Glass flexible from Gorilla in iWatch?

        What else is really revolutionary by made in China Apple i forgot to mention?

  6. How about stand alone Navigation? There is no need for the companion app any more for directions.

  7. How about stand alone navigation? There is no need for the companion app to get directions any more.

    1. There would be for live traffic updates.

  8. Anyone know how many Glass devices have been distributed this far? Only to the first group of i/o 2012 developers?

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