This article was published on June 27, 2013

Coupons.com launches KitchMe Google Glass app for hands-free cooking


Coupons.com launches KitchMe Google Glass app for hands-free cooking

Google Glass is still a fair way off being a commercial product, but that hasn’t stopped developers from creating a bunch of new apps for the intriguing head-mounted computer. Coupons.com is the latest to step up to the plate with KitchMe, a free app designed to help budding chefs and food aficionados in the kitchen.

Users can search for a new recipe using voice commands, either by naming the specific dish or calling out ingredients that are to hand. This should be particularly useful when burrowing through the leftovers in the fridge, as well as browsing the grocery store with multiple shopping bags in either hand.

Similar to the browser-based version of KitchMe, the app will serve up a number of recipes based on the average user rating and the amount of time it takes to prepare. Users swipe with the touchpad located on the side of Google Glass to browse through search results, which are displayed as individual cards, before tapping once to confirm their selection.

Users can then swipe from the chosen recipe to view a lost of ingredients, before following some step-by-step recipe directions with a clear, bold typeface. It’s worth noting that these directions can also be spoken to the user through Google Glass, which is handy for chefs looking to keep their eyes on the stove or chopping board. The KitchMe app for Google Glass also integrates with the Web version, allowing users to quickly send their favorite recipes to their Glass timeline.

Coupons.com says it’s already working on new features for the app, including the ability to take pictures of cooked meals and share them on the Internet. The company also wants to improve the voice recognition so that the entire experience is hands-free.

Plenty of companies have tried to solve the cooking dilemma; Samsung introduced Air Gestures to the Galaxy S4, enabling users to flick through recipe directions without touching the screen, while apps such as SousChef for Mac read instructions aloud in a rather unnatural voice.

“Wearable technology is a huge opportunity and where better to focus than in the kitchen where so much of what we do today can be augmented by technology,” Steven Boal, CEO of Coupons.com Incorporated.

Users who have already been given a Google Glass unit as part of the Glass Explorer program can check out the app right away. For the rest of us, we’ll just have to keep waiting, green with envy.

Image Credit: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

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