Over the past few weeks, the first Google Glass Explorer Editions have been coming off the production line and trickling into the hands of eager early adopters, but there’s one caveat to having the device so early in its lifetime, and that’s the lack of apps. Most people who are getting their hands on Glass so early on are developers who, of course, bought the product at Google I/O back in 2012, but there are also the winners of the #ifihadglass competition on Google+ and Twitter, and they of course need their apps!
On Thursday, the New York Times launched the first version of its app for the lucky early adopters. To get it all set-up, Glass users must link their Google account with the New York Times via a special web page the publication has set up. A rather small list of permissions are needed, including the ability to access basic information from your Google account, manage your Glass timeline, and view your location. Why does the New York Times app need to be able to view your location? Well I’m guessing it is because it wants to customize the news it shows you to what is relevant around you. Nothing too out of the ordinary there.
The New York Times first announced its intentions to launch a Google Glass app at SXSW this year, and it had a demo available on hand at the event. The app is able to deliver breaking news to you every hour via Glass. Also, with a simple “look up” head motion, you are able to view pictures, headlines, and read the article or story.
While it’s great that Google Glass is getting attention from the developers at the New York Times, this isn’t the perfect example of a use case for Glass. Some parts of it are great, such as the breaking news alerts, but as time progresses, we will undoubtedly see apps that are more designed for Glass and offer things that your smartphone can not.
What do you think of the New York Times app for Google Glass? Do you happen to have Glass in your possession yet? Let us know down in the comments!
Source: New York Times