A Melbourne software developer has created a Google Glass app to ensure he never again misses his morning train.
The voice-controlled app tracks a wearer's location and, when asked, displays nearby public transport options on the gadget's eye-mounted translucent screen, says Long Zheng, 25.
Users can say "OK Glass" and then "trains near me" to bring up the nearest train stops along with route numbers, destinations and departure times.
Substitute "trains" for "buses" or "trams" and the app does the rest.
Timetable apps are popular on smartphones and tablets, but Zheng says they make more sense on Google Glass' heads-up display.
"It's a lot more convenient," he says. "You don't have to fumble with any buttons and won't run into people or trees."
Glass is not yet on sale anywhere in the world, and Google has not hinted at a release date.
Zheng, who coded the app in two nights, is one of a handful of Australians who have managed to get their hands on a pre-release model.
When Glass does become available, he predicts apps like his will be very popular.
"Updates that are quick and really relevant to where you are and what you're doing are the hallmark of a good glass app," he says.
But Zheng has no immediate plans to commercialise it. He's already released the code online for others to tinker with and appropriate for local timetables.
Developers elsewhere in Australia are likewise working on Glass apps.
Queensland firm SafetyCulture are experimenting with workplace safety apps that allow miners and others in hazardous environments to document safety concerns without needing a spare hand.
Meanwhile, a Victorian company called Small World Social are developing an app that will connect breastfeeding mothers with medical advisors in real time via videoconferencing.
