Google Glass is now available to anyone in the U.S., but it's still in beta version and has a hefty price tag of $1,500. Would a trio of travel apps possibly make it easier for you to shell out the money for an overpriced piece of wearable device that is still in development?
Perhaps not so, but existing Google Glass owners, dubbed by Google as Explorers, now have access to new Glassware - that's what Google calls apps for the Glass - that are supposed to be especially useful for travelers. Just one day after it made its augmented reality eyeglasses available for sale in the U.S., Google announced it added TripIt, OpenTable and Foursquare to its existing range of travel Glassware, which include Google Maps, Field Trip and Word Lens.
"Glass has become a favorite travel companion because it helps you enjoy your vacation without getting lost in your technology, and now we have new Glasses that will continue to help you discover and explore with it ease," says Glass on its Google+ page. "Whether you're trying to find your gate at the airport, the best coffee shop in Austin or a reservation for two in New York City, Glass has you covered.
TripIt works pretty much like Google Now, which provides information and updates about your flight status, departure time, gate and other flight-related information and puts them up on a live card that appears on your screen. TripIt usually shows more details than Google Now.
OpenTable lets you find nearby restaurants and make reservations. It runs on its own command, "OK Glass, make a reservation." The app will then open a list of restaurants near your location, which you can scroll through with a few taps and swipes. OpenTable also saves your latest reservation, which you can manually modify.
It is obvious that Foursquare Glassware was developed before the Swarm update. The new Glass app opens at the voice command "OK Glass, check me into..." and the app will then open a list of possible locations you can choose from.
For those using Glass, the new apps will come handy especially when going around unfamiliar territories.
