Official Google Glass update lets you snap photos with a wink

As an early Christmas present to the early adopters on Google's Explorer programme, the search giant has granted a whole list of wishes and most-wanted features. Using the hashtag #nocoalforyou, Google outlined six major updates to the Glass software in a blog post, most intriguing of which is the ability to take photos with a wink.

Google claims the wink-to-snap function, which can be turned on in the settings, is designed to help you "look up and experience the world around you without getting bogged down by technology". While this is the first time Google itself has enabled the ability to take photos with a wink, Glass has been able to do this for a while through a third-party app called Winky.

No doubt it will serve to further distress those who have expressed privacy concerns regarding the capabilities of the high-tech specs. Google has so far banned facial recognition on Glass, but apparently taking a picture with a subtle flicker of the eyelid is okay. Presumably, the light that flashes when you normally take pictures with Glass will also pop on when you take a photo with a wink too.
But Google has bigger plans for the wink capability than just taking photos.
"We're starting with pictures, but just think about what else is possible. Imagine a day where you're riding in the back of a cab and you just wink at the meter to pay. You wink at a pair of shoes in a shop window and your size is shipped to your door. You wink at a cookbook recipe and the instructions appear right in front of you -- hands-free, no mess, no fuss. Pretty cool, right?" says the blog post.
Those who eschew brand loyalty and like to mix and match their operating systems will be glad to hear Google is ready to launch the iOS app for iPhone. You'll need the Glass update to use it, so Google says it will announce when the app is ready for download later this week.
Apparently Glass users haven't been content with being able to perform video calls on Google Glass and want to be able to participate in Google Hangouts too. That functionality is now in place, as is the ability to upload videos directly to YouTube. Once you've recorded your masterpiece you can either tap the video and swipe the share-to-YouTube card, or say "Okay Glass, share with YouTube".

The Glass screen has been given a lick of paint to make it more secure. Users now have the ability to lock the display, which can be unlocked only with a "secret Glass handshake", consisting of taps and swipes that can be configured in the settings. The compatibility between Google Glass and Google Play Music All Access has also been given an update, giving users who want to use Glass to listen to music a greater variety of controls.