.... I noticed a lot of people had a sort of extended cover around their lense , does that help prevent glare ?
If you are talking about a lens hood then yes it would, if it is one of the better designed ones. However, a hood doesn't make the subject any darker. It only prevents unwanted light from entering from the sides. Some lens hood are crap and are barely more than cosmetic in most circumstances.
Lens with hood
Same lens without
Is that what you are referring to? If so they are designed to prevent glare/flare and most decent lenses have them when new. They are often broken, though, so second hand lenses don't always have them. Also, by and large, the cheaper (and therefore more "consumer-grade") the lens the crappier and less effective the hood tends to be.