A new experience can now be experienced by its users social media as the first “smart” glasses are a fact, offering real possibilities of augmented reality. In this innovation proceeded the Facebook in collaboration with EssilorLuxotica, creator of Ray-Ban.
The “smart” glasses “Ray-Ban Stories” in 20 different styles and priced at $ 299, according to Reuters and the New York Times, allow users to listen to music and podcasts, answer phone calls, take photos and videos and share them with other Facebook users with the help of a companion app.
The glasses have two cameras, two tiny speakers, three microphones and a Snapdragon microprocessor. They charge via USB-C cable in about six hours and, in order to use them, they need to be connected to a Facebook account. They can take up to 35 30-second videos or 500 photos, which are then uploaded wirelessly to the accompanying application, which encrypts them. Then, through Facebook View, the owner of the glasses can share this content with others. Photos can also be saved to the user’s phone outside of the special Facebook app.
Facebook has teamed up with Ray-Ban to create a line of eyewear that can take photos, record video, answer phone calls and play music and podcasts.
Our technology correspondent took a pair on a test run. https://t.co/mKsiDhG88z
— The New York Times (@nytimes) September 10, 2021
Facebook has made large investments in the field of virtual and augmented reality – virtual (VR) and augmented reality (AR) respectively. Its chief scientist said last year that the company was five to ten years away from bringing “real” AR glasses to market, which would display virtual objects on the real world.
Mark Zuckerberg and Rocco Basilico, Chief Wearables Officer at EssilorLuxottica introduce #RayBanStories – the new way to capture, share and listen.
Shop @ray_ban stories now: https://t.co/dRUqfUXSwH pic.twitter.com/P84XGUvsxi
— Facebook (@Facebook) September 9, 2021
Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently announced that the company is working to create a common virtual environment (metaverse), which will succeed today’s internet. As he said, “smart” glasses will be an essential tool for such a development.
The glasses also include an optional digital assistant (Facebook Assistant) that allows the user to take photos and videos with them only with voice commands. Facebook has also announced that it will not run online ads through glasses.
Finally, the social media assured that it will not use the content of the photos and videos, which will be taken by the “smart” glasses, without the consent of the users. A small LED light that flashes on the glasses, shows others when the camera is active, so they know that the user is taking a photo or video of them (and so, if necessary, take action…). Facebook has already published a guide to responsible use of “smart” glasses, e.g. to turn them off in places such as public toilets, not to use them for illegal acts, such as interception of PIN codes, etc.
The other big tech companies (Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Apple, etc.) are developing similar “smart” glasses. However, the first such Google Glass glasses were not successful for consumers due to high price and design problems.
With information from ΑΠΕ-ΜΠΕ
Main photo source: Reuters
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