14 DAY TRIAL // Google plans to have Glass on sale by the end of the year. For the device to sell in any meaningful numbers, Google has to convince a lot of people that they need a device like nothing they've ever seen before.
The fact that Google has been ramping up marketing efforts is no coincidence. Google Glass has been getting a lot of attention and, while any device this novel will generate this type of interest, it's all been carefully orchestrated or at least directed by Google.
Google recently showed the first glimpses of the actual UI, now it's revealing the first third-party apps as well. At a talk during SXSW, Google showed off apps from The New York Times or Evernote, but also a homegrown Gmail app.
The essence of these apps, Google says, is that they stay true to the format. They need to be unobtrusive and keep information at a minimum.
For example, The New York Times app would notify users on breaking news and major stories. If they want more details, users can have Glass read the article aloud for them.
It's the same for the Gmail app. Users get notified only on important emails, though this can be customized, and they only get the subject line and a photo of the sender. Users can then choose to view the entire message and even dictate a response.
All of the apps use a minimal and unified UI, relying on text, photos and nothing else. Google calls these screens cards and it's no coincidence that Google Now uses the same UI concept.
You'll be seeing cards more often and in more places soon, Google Now is set to become a major component of Android, but you'll see it built into Chrome as well. The main search engine will incorporate the format as well.