Google pulls Glass iOS app because it ‘spilled the beans’ too soon

myglass 1

Google’s official $1,500 Glass eyewear companion app for the iPhone, MyGlass, has been removed from the App Store shortly after it was released. But hold your horses, this particular app removal has nothing to do with Apple – the Internet giant itself asked the iPhone maker to pull the software because it got posted prematurely to begin with.

The app has “spilled the beans” too soon, Google said, confirming that the MyGlass app will re-surface on the App Store later this week.

Google has also released XE12, the latest Google Glass OS update that adds new apps from The Wall Street Journal and Weather Alerts, including the Upload to YouTube and Hangouts features…

Notably, the latest software update includes a Wink function where you wink to take a picture, the brand new Glass lock screen, an official support for the MyGlass iPhone app and the ability to engage in Hangouts.

The official Google Glass page acknowledges premature MyGlass release:

Great news iPhone fans, the iOS app is ready, but we need you to have this month’s Glass update first before it will work. We know we spilled the beans a bit too soon, but we’ll let you know when it’s available for download later this week.

It’s funny they released the iPhone app before Glass is available internationally. So there you have it, Glass fans – expect MyGlass for iPhone to resurface later this week.

Google Glass Wink

Taking pictures with a simple wink of the eye blows me away.

It’s one of those headline features that makes for a nice bullet point in a presentation – even if it’s a tad creepy, if you know what I mean.

Google says they’re just getting started:

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?

How about Instagram compatibility, while we’re at it?

According to iTunes release notes, the MyGlass app lets you configure and manage your Glass device, get directions on the go, screencast what you see on Glass to your phone and add Glassware and contacts.

MyGlass for iOS (teaser 002)

I’ve never experienced Glass firsthand, but from what I’ve read about it – and boy did I read everything there is about the project – Google is definitely onto something here.

I’m just not so sure that average consumers will adopt the digital eyewear because we as a society haven’t yet developed acceptable social norms to govern its use in public.