The Apps We Want for Google Glass

For the past couple of months, the talk of the tech town has been Google’s computing eyewear known as Google Glass. The innovative Android-powered peripheral is already being hailed as the “it” product of 2013 due to its impressive features set, which includes photo and video capture, voice actions and the ability to view real-time info on a projected display. Now that Google’s made its Mirror API available for developers to start creating applications, we’ve seen a handful of apps (CNN, Facebook, Reddit Timeline) launch for the product. Curious as to what the future holds for Google’s high-tech frames, we assembled a wish list of hot Android apps we’d like to see supported on Google Glass.

If you’re not up on Vine by now, quit embarassing yourself and sign up already. The video-sharing app is practically considered the new Instagram and has everyone on the Internet hooked to its vast number of hilarious six-second clips hosted on the service. Just peep the 50 best Vines so far. Google Glass’ ability to record videos already makes it the ideal device to instantly capture, post and share footage with your following. Nuff said!

Microsoft fans could have yet another reason to step away from the WP8 platform and jump on the Android bandwagon. Just having the option to perform half of the features found on SmartGlass like messaging Xbox Live friends or navigating the console through eye scrolling would be a tremendous service to all Xbox 360 and soon to be One junkies. Just a thought.

Creating personal magazines and flipping through aggregated news posts in a mobile or tablet is one thing. Doing so with industrial shades would just be revolutionary. And with news of Google being awarded a patent for unlocking the screen on the peripheral using eye tracking, we might just see it come to fruition.

Some consider Google Glass to be a pair of augmented reality frames. In that case, why not support the most popular and innovative AR app found on Google Play. On your Android phone, Layar delivers real-time info and layers it over images caught on the rear camera. Taking the same functionality and applying it to Google Glass only modernizes the concept.

Whether or not the music-streaming service has any plans of Google Glass integration remains to be heard. All we can say is having the luxury to control music playback, create playlists, search artists, and share tracks with the specs sounds dope.

Monitoring numerous IM services seems a little trite. For those unaware of imo messenger, the app practically brings the most popular ones together from Facebook Chat to Skype and allows for everything from group messaging sessions, multimedia file sharing, and voice calling. All that info compacted into the program’s streamlined UI and made accessible on Google’s projected panel—that's something to talk about.

One aspiring developer claims he built an app that lets users control the popular AR Drone remotely through head movements. It’s actually a pretty funny clip. Now imagine how entertaining this could be with a software tweak and some motion-sensor enhancements. Sky's the limit!

Snapping photos hands-free and choosing filters and hashtags via voice command—those features alone make Instagram the killer Google Glass app. Someone send Zuck a Facebook update on this, stat.

Running Android’s most popular fitness program would be ridiculously convenient for cardio junkies. Tracking progress via GPS by running real-time stats across the lens lets runners lighten their load by eliminating the need of carrying around a smartphone or high-tech bracelet like the Nike+ Fuelband. Eyes pointed straight ahead at all times.

It’s pretty awkward viewing raunchy photos of your girlfriend (or jumpoff) on a smartphone in public, even if it’s a 10-second clip that immediately deletes shortly after. Google Glass can now become your private window to view Snapchats, projecting those regretful stills onto the device’s micro-display. Just keep in mind selfies might require a mirror.