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Google announces new Glass features ahead of Tuesday’s sale, video calling removed

Trevor Mogg
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google announces new glass features ahead of tuesdays sale
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Just prior to the start of its one-day Glass sale today, Google has announced the latest software update for its face-based gadget, bringing with it a slew of new features while knocking one – video calling – on the head.

First up, the team behind Glass has seen fit to bring the latest version of Android – KitKat 4.4 – to its wearable tech, a move that means users will see improved battery life with Google’s gadget when the update rolls out later this week. It’ll also allow developers to create apps with the Android SDK as well with the Glass SDK.

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In a post on its Google+ page, the Glass team said its army of Explorer testers will also be able to make use of a new photo bundle feature that allows for easier handling of images and videos “so you can swipe less and see more.”

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With many Explorers reportedly enjoying sharing images using Glass, the forthcoming update introduces more ways to send photos via Hangouts. It’ll also make it easier to send feedback about the device to the Glass development team, and let you sort voice commands by recency and frequency.

Finally, video calls are out. According to the Web giant, fewer than 10 percent of Explorers have been making use of the feature, leading the team to ditch it – for the time being, at least.

“We hold ourselves to high standards for the features that we build, and video calls aren’t living up to these standards,” Google said in its post, adding, “We’ve made the hard decision to remove video calls from Glass until the experience is better. We don’t know when that will be.”

So, with this latest update bringing even more functionality to Glass, is today’s 24-hour sale an even more tempting proposition? The order website goes live at 6am PT and limited supplies mean you’ll have to be quick off the mark to snag a set. Good luck if you’re going for it…..

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Trevor Mogg
Trevor Mogg
Contributing Editor
Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…
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