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Glassware apps expected in Google Glass update

The coming October update to Google Glass is rumored to be the biggest yet, with third-party app installation, access to motion-tracking sensors, and custom voice commands.

Seth Rosenblatt Former Senior Writer / News
Senior writer Seth Rosenblatt covered Google and security for CNET News, with occasional forays into tech and pop culture. Formerly a CNET Reviews senior editor for software, he has written about nearly every category of software and app available.
Seth Rosenblatt
Mark Shandy, a Google Glass engineer with a long history in tech that stretches back to Xerox PARC, shows off a prototype Google Glass fitted for prescription glasses at Google I/O 2013. Seth Rosenblatt/CNET

Prepare yourself, Glass owners and aficionados, for what's supposed to be the biggest Google Glass Explorer Edition update to date.

The expected XE10 update, sometime in early to mid-October, will bring third-party app support to the Glass platform, if reports are accurate. Geek.com is reporting that the update will support Glass apps, called Glassware; custom voice commands that can be initiated from the "OK Glass" menu; and developer access to Glass' motion-tracking sensors.

The report also states that developers are being asked to sign nondisclosure agreements with Google and are being given space at the company's headquarters in Mountain View, Calif., to develop their apps in anticipation of the Glassware launch.

While light on details for now, the Glassware component of the update is expected to make it much easier to install and manage Glass apps. Its an essential component to Glass that's been missing thus far, and its addition will help turn Glass into a viable commercial product. The report notes that the monthly updates to Glass have improved it markedly since its release, including lengthening battery life, strengthening its Bluetooth connection, and making the camera work better.