For Google Glass to be truly useful, it needs an active data connection, which means you'll need to buy a Bluetooth tethering plan from your carrier if you want to use it out and about. That was until the XE9 software update, though, which frees Glass to tether on its own.
Going forward, all a Glass explorer needs to do is download the MyGlass app and pair with Glass. That should be all the device needs to get online, although it's important you pair via the app, as opposed to the phone's settings.
See also: 5 Free Android Apps for Tethering
A couple of caveats: Of course, this only applies to Android phones, since MyGlass doesn't have an app on iOS or other platforms. There is no guarantee free tethering will be a feature in Glass when it goes on sale, although Android is much more of a free-wheeling platform when it comes to tethering than iOS, so it's possible. However, if Google wants any support from wireless carriers in marketing Glass, the free-tethering party will likely end at retail.
We tested the free tethering connection with our Glass and a non-tethering-enabled Moto X, and it works fine. The Glass icon in the strip of symbols along the top of the phone now shows a pair of vertical arrows, pointing up and down, signifying the connection.
Would you buy Google Glass if tethering were free? Let us know in the comments.
With the XE7 software update, Google Glass gets its own web browser. It's surprisingly functional, giving you the option to view the website of any search result you get through Google.
Mashable uses responsive design to adapt to a user's browser and device. It looks and works fine in Glass, although the gestures to navigate between columns (Hot, Rising and New) won't work. There's workaround, though.
You can scroll through a site by swiping the touchpad on Glass. You can also navigate by tapping with two fingers and holding, then moving your head. It's actually very natural.
You can zoom by swiping with two fingers -- useful for sites that aren't optimized for mobile.
When content is clickable, the browser asks if you want to select the link.
Videos on YouTube play just fine in the Glass browser. Some other sites (Vimeo and DailyMotion) do not.
When you load a site, you can see the URL onscreen.
Videos on some sites won't play on Glass.
You can click on form fields, but there's no way to fill them out (not even with voice).
When you tap, the menu of options is split into individual commands. Google is first, providing easy access to the web browser.
Image: Mashable