Yes, Google Glass has an app that allows you to identify songs on the radio so you can sing along.
One of the benefits of wearing Google Glass every day is you quickly discover ways in which it’s useful. Otherwise, you may fall into the trap of just using it to document your life pictorially. In my last post, I shared some of my favorite ways to use it at work. Here are some of ways in which I use Glass personally.
- News feeds. Many newspapers and media outlets now offer Glassware apps. If you are a headline junkie, subscribe to The New York Times, Mashable or Guardian and you’ll get an RSS feed of titles with images on your Glass. If you want full stories, CNN, Umano and Marketing Land give you headlines with the option of hearing the full stories read to you as you drive, walk about or go about other business.
- Directions. Have an appointment? Look something up on Google Maps before you left work? Your Glass will give you the option of getting directions via car, transit or footpath. Because prompts appear above your eye, you don’t have to search for your phone to see where to go. And the screen isn’t live the whole time, just before you need to take action do you get the next instruction, so it’s less distracting than Garmin or in-car navigation systems that never shut up.
- Suggestions on things to do. Glassware apps offer guidance on local events (Google Now), cool things nearby (Field Trip), even full-on self-guided tours (GoGuide). Load up your favorites and explore.
- Calendar. I’ve synched my Google calendar to my iCal and made it my default so now any appointment I create will show up as a prompt on my Glass. If someone in your G+ circles has a birthday, you’ll also see a reminder on that day and be able to send them a special message just by using taps and voice prompts.
- Shopping lists. This is one of the first requests I made in the Google Glass Explorers chatrooms. When ShopX became available I downloaded it immediately. Now, before I go to the grocery store, I say “Ok glass, take a note with ShopX” and list out what I need to buy. By the time I pull into the Kroger parking lot, my list is sorted by category and available to me on cards I can check off or add to whenever the need arises.
- Workouts. My favorite is Zombies, Run! (You can read my review here.) But LynxFit and Strava offer more programs. So whether you’re an avid cyclist, runner or are just looking to get in shape, Glass has fantastic options that range from self-motivated timers to personal trainers.
- Digital notebooks. Who says you need paper and pen to write? Do you love to journal? Memoirs and Path Glassware apps let you create a string of personal memories you can capture and transmit with Glass. If you’re more of a note-taker, Evernote synchronization means that you’ll never lose a random thought again. Video Voyager lets you pin 10-second videos in virtual space for other Explorers to discover. Poster Boy does the same thing for public photo sharing.
- Being social. Ok, so you will take a lot of photographs and videos with your set of Glass. But instead of having to upload things via mobile, you can instantly caption and share to Twitter, G+, Tumblr or Facebook using Glass. Although be forewarned: The audio capture can be unreliable, especially in noisy or outdoor locations, so be prepared to cancel that caption before it goes live. (I’ve seen some pretty funky translations of innocuous phrases I’ve uttered that ended up being NSFW.)
- Figuring out song lyrics (finally). It’s a constant source of amusement to my husband that I don’t know what the lyrics are to any song (especially my favorites). Enter the musiXmatch app! Now I tell Glass to recognize a song and it pulls up a lyric sheet for me. It’s the little things. 🙂
If you’re interested in learning more about how I use Glass and reading reviews of Glassware apps, please subscribe to this blog. And let me know what you’d like to hear more about!
It’s fun seeing that friends are sharing #yaypym love while I’m out for a jog.
Travels With Glass 