glasses

What to expect from Android Key Lime Pie

With Google's I/O developer conference just a week away, all eyes are on the company's plans for the next version of Android.

For much of the last year we expected to see Android 5.0 Key Lime Pie. After all, leaked slides from a January Qualcomm presentation showed a midyear debut for this next build, but they were immediately pulled from the Web site.

But now, recent rumors suggest that we might actually see the debut of 4.3 Jelly Bean instead of Android 5.0. Details found in various server logs show that a JWR23B build … Read more

Why Google Glass needs help getting to you

Google is reportedly talking with eyewear upstart Warby Parker about designing less geeky frames that would include the Glass apparatus. While the optical frame maker could certainly add some fashion to Glass, perhaps making it less cyborg-like, it could also provide an efficient way to sell and distribute Google's wearable computer.

Warby Parker recently opened its first "flagship" shop, located in New York's trendy Soho district. It's a the perfect location to attract the trendy geeks who want to be the first in their hood to don Google's smart glasses.

For Glass buyers requiring … Read more

Google pushes out software update for Google Glass

Google Glass has been out in the wild for less than a month and those lucky enough to be deemed worthy of the high-tech specs are already getting a software update.

Dubbed XE5, the update pushed to owners Tuesday night contains a bevy of new features and bug fixes, including crash reporting, Google+ functionality, and a new rule regarding how and where Google Glass can upload data in the background. According to an update highlighted by Glass owner Bryan Liles, apps will be allowed to upload data when the specs are connected to a power source and a local Wi-Fi … Read more

Yahoo experimenting with Google Glass, CEO Mayer says

NEW YORK--Yahoo is experimenting with Google Glass, Yahoo Chief Executive Marissa Mayer said Tuesday.

Google's Internet-connected eyewear has generated a lot of buzz, but it's still too early to know if it will take off. So far, the glasses come with few apps and limited functionality, but many developers are working on creating software for Glass, spurred in part by some big Silicon Valley investors looking to back startups making Glass apps.

Mayer said Tuesday at a Wired business conference in New York that Yahoo has gotten its hands on some developer versions of Google Glass, and employees … Read more

Sapphire phone screens not as strong as you think, says Corning

On the surface, smartphones screens made of sapphire sound superb -- they're naturally strong, extremely scratch resistant, can withstand flexing, and transmit light very well. That's the widely accepted story, at least.

Disputing this view is Corning, maker of the Gorilla Glass material that covers a majority of smartphone screens.

Corning, whose aeronautics branch has worked with lab-grown sapphire since the 1970s, says it tested the strength of sapphire claims -- a potential cover glass alternative -- in-house.

Corning's conclusion: that sapphire, the world's second-hardest material after diamond, just can't take the lumps that a … Read more

Google Glass is missing one critical factor

Google Glass has generated plenty of interest and excitement. But before we crown it an industry revolutionizer, let's not forget that Google Glass still doesn't have a clear response to the one big question that all revolutionary products must answer:

How does it make my life better?

Every game-changing product innovation over the past three decades had a very simple answer to that question. For example, the iPhone gave you the Internet in your pocket. The BlackBerry gave you e-mail on your phone. The Macintosh (and later Windows) gave you a computer you could use without typing in … Read more

Glasses and Glass: How Google Glass changed my face

I had two transformative yet very minor optical experiences last week, both kicking off in the space of 2 hours: I got contact lenses, and I began experimenting with Google Glass.

The two are interlinked, because I couldn't use Google's bleeding-edge wearable tech with my comfy Ray-Ban eyeglasses.

If I was going to use Glass, I'd need contacts.… Read more

Everything you need to know about Google Glass (FAQ)

You've scanned the headlines, gawked at the photos, and guffawed at the "Saturday Night Live" video (also embedded at the end). But you still have questions about Google Glass, the Big G's futuristic new techie facewear.

This FAQ tackles some of your most-often-asked questions about what Google Glass is and isn't, what it does, who it's for, when and where you can buy it, and what it's like to wear and use. I break questions into overarching sections to make it easier for you to find what you're looking for, and this … Read more

Google Glass: Who's bringing the apps?

When Jonathan Gottfried developed a Twitter app for Google Glass called GlassTweet, he did so because he wanted a way to tweet photos from his Glass headset. Now it's looking as though he's onto something, although no one would characterize his user base as big -- yet.

"There's at least 10 people using GlassTweet," said Gottfried, who is a developer evangelist for Twilio. "The group that's using it is extremely active and vocal," and includes uber-early adopters such as the all-Glass, all-the-time Robert Scoble and LeWeb founder Loic LeMeur.

"I certainly … Read more