Google Glass Updated With HDR Photography And Voice-Powered Photo Captions

Are you part of the lucky bunch that got offered a pair of Google Glass and had $1,500 bucks to kick down? Good news! The camera on your set just got a whole lot better.

Following up on their promise to update Google Glass every month, Google has just released a patch that brings two important photo-centric features to their robo-eyewear: HDR photography and on-the-fly photo captions.

HDR (High Dynamic Range) photography is something you might have seen on your smartphone’s camera, even if you didn’t know exactly what it was. Built into a fair number of today’s handsets, “HDR” mode essentially takes multiple photos in very, very rapid succession at multiple exposure levels, then automatically combines those photos to give you one with the best brightness levels.

The benefit is two-fold: If you’re shooting in a room with crummy lighting, Glass recognizes that and will try to crank up the exposure in your photo accordingly. If you’re instead shooting outdoors while staring pretty much directly at the sun (how else are you going to get that sweet, sweet lens flare?), your photos won’t be nearly as washed out.

The update also brings voice-powered photo captions — which, while not quite as exciting, is still pretty important. Previously, photos shared through Google Glass’ voice system would go up without much context; now, Google Glass gives you a chance to caption the photo before it goes live. You just tap to select the caption option, speak your caption, confirm your words, and share away.

Curious as to how well Google Glass’ HDR functionality works? Here are a few before and afters:

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