Augmented reality glasses now support their own development kit
Google has launched a “sneak peak” of its Glass Development Kit, which will allow developers to make native applications for the company’s augmented reality glasses. Glass has managed to accrue a significant amount of attention from developers interested in pushing the limits of mobile technology and augmented reality. The development kit will make this possible and help developer form a better understanding of the capabilities of Glass.
Developers can now create native applications for Glass
Glass is based on a relatively watered down version of Android 4.0.4, which makes developing applications for the device somewhat familiar to those that have experience with the operating system. The development kit offers full support for Glass’ features, including the device’s voice-based functions. Glass will be able to process the features of applications natively and these applications will be able to make use of the device’s camera and other hardware in order to create an engaging experience for users.
Google shows off new native apps
Google has been showing off some of the native applications that have been developed for Glass using the new development kit. One of these applications is called Wordlens, which leverages augmented reality as a translation tool. The application is able to translate different languages in real-time, which may be particularly useful for travelers that may not be versed in the languages of the countries they are visiting. Another application is a relatively simple mobile game that utilizes motion controls.
Augmented reality capabilities of Glass are exciting for tech-savvy consumers
The augmented reality capabilities of Glass remain one of the most attractive features of the device. Tech-savvy consumers have been eager to see exactly how far Glass can take augmented reality, but these people may be waiting several more months before they get to experience the device for themselves. Google has not yet announced a set release date for Glass, but the device is expected to see at least a limited launch at some point in 2014.