Google Glass XE8 update rolling out now – brings video player and volume controls, additional Google Now cards, and more
Arriving a few days later than we expected, I suppose it’s better late than never. Rolling out right to Google Glasses across the country is another one of Google Glass’ software updates, a series of monthly updates that will continue churning out until the headsets consumer release. These are typically exciting as they aren’t just common bug fixing maintenance updates, but usually come packed with fun new features,
For this month’s update to XE8, Google has added the ability for Glass to pull up more Google Now cards, something we knew was coming. Now Glass will pull up cards with dinner reservation info, hotel bookings, and even concerts — anything that’s sent you an email confirmation to your Gmail account. Movie and showtime cards have also made the cut, along with emergency alerts for flash floods or thunderstorms, traffic updates, weather, and live sports scores.
As useful as Google Now cards may be, it’s the latest OS additions that I’m most excited about. Voice commands from other Glassware apps can now be added to the main menu, allowing users to speak commands like, “Ok Glass, take a note,” or “Ok Glass, post an update.” Unfortunately, it looks like this functionality will be limited to only officially supported Glassware, with Path and Evernote being the first of many to come in the near future. Developers can actually get started now and learn how to enable voice commands for their apps here.
Another feature I’ve been asking for awhile now, but wasn’t sure exactly how well it’d be implemented was a video player. Technically it’s always been there, but In XE8, Glass users now have access to a video player with navigation controls (play, pause, skip) for use with either user recorded videos, or those from apps like CNN. Also, volume controls have also been added allowing Glass users to mute all sound in Glass or crank the volume up when necessary.
Glass is getting better every month, and we’re excited to see what the future holds for Google’s little headset. If you want to talk Google Glass with other Android fans like yourself, head on over to our Google Glass forums and join in on the discussion.