Google’s experimental eyewear is getting a huge update today, which brings Hangouts, YouTube, and wink support. Hangouts integration is big news since Google Glass didn’t allow viewing messages before today. Now users will get Hangout alerts, the ability to share photos, and the ability to start a video call.
YouTube also gets baked into Glass, though only for uploading. Now when you’re done recording a video, you have the option to share directly to YouTube instead of just Google+. Unfortunately there’s no way to watch YouTube with Glass as of yet.
Glass also gets a lock screen for the first time with a pattern-based unlock ability. The lock screen looks like blank sheet music, featuring 5 lines where users can place a dot on the screen by wiping back and forth along Glass. Tap to confirm the placement of the dot to move on to the next line. It’s a pretty time consuming process to unlock your Glass but it does add a much needed layer of security. Fortunately, your lock screen will only show up whenever you deactivate the device or whenever Glass detects you’ve taken it off.
XE12 also brings support for wink detection, allowing Glass users to take a photo by winking. The feature is turned off by default but you can enable it in the settings. You’ll have to calibrate the wink detection first by winking a couple of times. From then on, you can simply wink at the “OK Google” card to take a picture. If you combine the wink detection feature with the head tilt feature, you can take photos without uttering a word or touching Glass. This is a bit creepy since you’ll be winking at whatever/whomever you’re taking a picture of.
Other minor changes include the removal of the “Guest Mode,” which populated Glass with sample cards to show what’s possible with the eyewear. Google Music for Glass also gets updated with the ability to browse your playlists and more using the “Listen” menu. All Access subscribers will be able to access the I’m Feeling Lucky Radio and My Stations to listen to radio mixes.
To grab the XE12 update, simply leave your Glass charging and it will automatically download and install the update. Make sure power isn’t interrupted while it’s installing the update otherwise your device may become bricked.
Source: Google Glass Support
