Latest news with #RayBanMeta
Skift
21-05-2025
- Business
- Skift
Google's New Smart Glasses. For Travelers: Live Translation, Navigation
Google's smart glasses will be a direct competitor to the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, both attempts at building hardware especially for the latest AI. Google is giving travelers another option for a wearable live translator and personal travel guide. The company revealed more information about its upcoming smart glasses at the I/O developer conference on Tuesday, among a slew of other announcements. Gentle Monster and Warby Parker will be the first eyewear brands to deploy the tech, which the latter said would be released 'after 2025.' They'll be a direct competitor to the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, which recently got a feature for live voice translation along with the ability to act as a tour guide. The company tried smart glasses once before with Google Glass but stopped making them in 2015. This is also among the latest examples of big tech companies developing hardware with computing power to handle advanced AI. Apple's latest iPhone, for example, was built with dedicated AI features. And OpenAI on Wednesday said it is acquiring io, a device company co-founded by Jony Ive, who led design for the iPhone, iMac, and iPad. Google in December introduced Android XR — the operating system for the glasses and an upcoming headset — developed in partnership with Samsung and Qualcomm. It's built with an AI assistant powered by Gemini, allowing users to control the device by voice and have conversations about what's in view. Google showcased some of the headset's travel-related features during the event on Tuesday. The glasses will be equipped with a camera, microphones, and speakers. There's an optional in-lens display to view information privately. And the glasses connect to the user's phone and apps. Developers can start building apps for the platform later this year. Glasses: Live Translation The translation feature for the glasses glitched during the middle of Google's live demo, but the company has some time to get it right. During the Google demo, one user spoke Hindi and another spoke Farsi. Each spoke a phrase in those languages, and then the other saw the English translation as text through the lenses of their glasses. The first phrase worked, but then the AI lagged and the users ended the demo. A demo of live translation for the Google smart glasses. Source: Google Glasses: Search for Places and Get Directions Nishtha Bhatia, product manager for glasses and AI at Google, did a live demo on Tuesday to showcase how the glasses can help users navigate a city. The demo showed that the AI can remember what it sees and answer questions about it later. The glasses can also take photos and videos and save them to the user's phone. Bhatia: 'Gemini, what was the name of the coffee shop on the cup I had earlier?' Gemini: 'Hm, that might have been Bloomsgiving. From what I can tell, it's a vibrant coffee shop on Castro Street.' Bhatia: 'Can you show me the photos of that cafe? I want to check out the vibes.' Gemini: Shows the Bloomsgiving listing from Google Maps. Bhatia: 'Gemini, show me what it would take to walk here.' Gemini: 'Getting those directions now. It'll take you about an hour.' And then the glasses show step-by-step directions and a 3-D map that the user can see through the lenses. Bhatia: 'Go ahead and send Dieter an invite for that cafe and to get coffee at 3 p.m. today.' Gemini: 'I'll send out that invite now. Enjoy the coffee.' And Gemini connects with Calendar to schedule the appointment. A demo of city navigation for the Google smart glasses Project Moohan XR Headset: Trip Planning and Virtual Travel Samsung's Project Moohan is the first device that will be powered by Android XR, available for purchase later this year. Developers have been making apps and games for the headset since last year. It is intended to rival devices like the Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest. The headset has functions for both virtual reality — meaning the full visual is virtual — and augmented reality, allowing the user to view virtual screens in the real world. Through the Google Maps app, the user can soar above and through cities in virtual reality, as well as view landmarks as if standing on the ground in person. As Google demonstrated: The user could say, 'Can you take me to Florence?' and the app 'teleports' the user there. Then, the user could ask, 'Can you show me immersive videos of this place…and where can I book a tour?' And the device pulls the user to the augmented reality setting to show search results. The Google demo showed three virtual screens with the user's living room: A map of Florence, a YouTube search of immersive Florence videos, and a travel blog. Through the Major League Baseball app, the user should be able to view a live game while chatting with Gemini about what's happening.
Forbes
21-05-2025
- Forbes
Gentle Monster And Warby Parker Announced As Designs For Google's New Smart Glasses
Google I/O 2025 At its I/O 2025 conference, Google confirmed that its newly revealed Android XR platform will first appear in frames from Gentle Monster and Warby Parker. This development marks a significant progression in the smart glasses landscape, moving beyond early iterations like Google Glass. 2012: Google co-founder Sergey Brin, and designers Diane Von Furstenberg and Yvan Mispelaere walk ... More the runway during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week in New York City. The original Google Glass project, despite its innovative spirit, encountered various factors that impacted its market acceptance and public perception. In stark contrast, the widespread adoption of Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses highlights a clear demand for wearable technology when integrated discreetly into everyday accessories. This points to a deliberate shift towards subtle technology, echoing the "quiet luxury" trend seen in high-end design – where sophistication lies in understated elegance, not overt display. Samsung's Project Moohan The Android XR platform is built to deliver advanced digital experiences directly into your line of sight. Google outlined four main categories for devices that Android XR will power: video-see through headsets such as Samsung's upcoming Project Moohan, a spatial computing device; optical see-through headsets, including Xreal's newly announced Project Aura and devices similar to what Meta showcased with Project Orion at Connect 2024; dedicated AR glasses, which Google itself demonstrated during this year's I/O; and AI glasses, exemplified by the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses. Android XR Ecosystem outlined during Google I/O 2025 While the debut in eyewear from Gentle Monster and Warby Parker underscores an emphasis on unobtrusive technology integration, this broader vision signals Google's intent to cover a spectrum of extended reality experiences. The idea for the eyewear is for the technology to subtly enhance your daily life and interactions, becoming an intelligent layer that complements your vision, rather than drawing attention to itself. The selection of these two brands for this partnership offers insight into Google's strategic considerations. Meta's smart glasses initiative benefited from its collaboration with Luxottica, a dominant force in the eyewear industry. Luxottica's extensive portfolio includes iconic brands like Ray-Ban and Oakley, as well as luxury names such as Persol and Oliver Peoples, and licensed designer brands including Giorgio Armani, Chanel, Prada, Burberry, and Versace. Meta is also reportedly expanding its smart eyewear strategy into the sports and fitness sector, with plans to launch Oakley-branded smart glasses for athletes. This upcoming "Supernova 2" project, as reported, is expected to feature a center-mounted camera optimized for cyclists and athletes, a departure from the Ray-Ban model's side-mounted design. The strong sales performance of Ray-Ban Meta glasses in various markets, even without advanced AI features, signals a significant existing demand for connected eyewear. These developments suggest a broader industry trend of technology companies diversifying their wearable offerings and targeting specific consumer segments, like athletes, to drive mainstream adoption. Ray-Ban Meta Apple, a company widely recognized for its strong design-led approach and a meticulous focus on user experience, has a history of strategic collaborations that extend beyond pure technology into the realm of luxury and high fashion. A notable example is its long-standing partnership with Hermès, which has resulted in exclusive and premium Apple Watch bands. These collaborations often blend Apple's technological innovation with the artisanal craftsmanship and brand prestige of high-end fashion houses. Furthermore, Apple has actively brought in talent with experience in high fashion, suggesting a deliberate strategy to infuse design sensibilities from that sector into its product development. This deep-rooted appreciation for aesthetics and premium branding positions Apple uniquely in the smart eyewear market. September 7, 2016 Apple Event announcing Apple Watch Series 2 Hermes edition The existence of Apple's smart glasses project, while long rumored, gained clearer confirmation through recent reports. A new leak, indicates that Apple is developing specific chips for smart glasses. This development suggests Apple is ramping up work on such a device, designed to compete with popular offerings like the Ray-Ban Meta spectacles. The processor for these smart glasses is reportedly based on energy-efficient chips used in the Apple Watch, customized for power efficiency and to control the multiple cameras planned for the glasses. This move signifies Apple's quiet progression in the smart eyewear space. It is also worth noting that Gentle Monster has prior experience in collaborating with technology companies on smart eyewear. In November 2020, Gentle Monster partnered with Huawei on its "Eyewear 2" smart glasses. These earlier iterations focused on audio integration within the frames, aiming to provide a seamless earphone experience. While that product had a different technological scope, Gentle Monster's participation in such ventures indicates an ongoing engagement with integrating technology into their design-forward frames. Google's choice of Gentle Monster and Warby Parker reflects a different, yet distinct, brand strategy. Gentle Monster is known for its avant-garde designs and position in the fashion-forward segment of the eyewear market. Warby Parker gained prominence through its direct-to-consumer model and accessible, design-conscious frames. This pairing suggests an effort to appeal to diverse segments of the eyewear market, both premium and accessible, while maintaining a focus on distinctive design. Feed from Android XR Glasses, shown at Google I/O 2025 The collaboration signals a continuation of the trend where technology companies partner with established fashion and lifestyle brands to bring new wearable devices to market. This strategy appears to prioritize industrial design and brand appeal as key factors in the adoption of smart glasses and other "wearables," a term that has re-emerged in the context of these integrated devices. The goal is to embed digital functionality within eyewear in a manner that blends with contemporary style, aiming for a less conspicuous technological presence.
TechCrunch
10-05-2025
- Business
- TechCrunch
The near joy of biking with Ray-Ban Meta glasses
For years, weekend bike rides have been sacred escapes for me. Every pedal stroke helps melt away the stressors that piled up throughout the week, and I've collected a few gadgets that make these rides better. However, I've learned the hard way that bringing along too much gear takes away from the ride itself, forcing you to manage a network of pings and battery levels instead of just riding the damn bike. Enter Ray-Ban Meta: smart glasses that made my weekend rides simpler and a bit more fun. Instead of wearing sunglasses, a pair of headphones, and fumbling around with my phone to take photos throughout the ride, I now have one device that helps with everything. Ray-Ban Meta under the helmet. Image Credits:Maxwell Zeff / TechCrunch The Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses have been a surprise hit with more folks than just me — Meta says it has sold millions of these devices, and CEO Mark Zuckerberg recently said sales have tripled in the last year. Several Reddit threads and YouTube videos suggest that lots of folks are wearing Ray-Ban Meta glasses while biking. Meta has caught on as well — it's reportedly building a next generation of AI smart glasses with Oakley, specifically built for athletes. Cruisin' with Ray-Ban Metas I never expected to use my Ray-Ban Metas on the bike. But a few months ago, I decided to try them out. Now, I wear these glasses on bike rides more than anywhere else. Meta got just enough things right with these smart glasses to convince me there's something here. It's almost a joy to use, and with a few upgrades, it could get there. Techcrunch event Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Exhibit at TechCrunch Sessions: AI Secure your spot at TC Sessions: AI and show 1,200+ decision-makers what you've built — without the big spend. Available through May 9 or while tables last. Berkeley, CA | BOOK NOW A key selling point of Ray-Ban Meta is that they're just a solid pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses — mine are the Wayfarer style with transition lenses and a clear plastic body. I found these work well for bike rides, protecting my eyes from the sun, dirt, and pollen. They sit comfortably under a bike helmet — but maybe not perfectly. (More on that later.) The killer feature of Meta's smart glasses is the camera that sits above your right and left eyes. The glasses allow me to grab photos and videos of things I see on my rides just by pressing a button on the top right corner of the frames, instead of fumbling with my phone — something that feels slightly cumbersome and dangerous on the bike. Blue Heron Lake shot on Ray-Ban Meta. Image Credits:Maxwell Zeff / TechCrunch Image Credits:Maxwell Zeff / TechCrunch While riding through Golden Gate Park in San Francisco last weekend, I used the Ray-Ban Meta glasses to snap photos of the beautiful Blue Heron Lake, the shrub-covered dunes where the park meets the Pacific Ocean, and the tree-covered track that sits at the park's entrance. Is the camera amazing? No. But it's pretty good, and I end up capturing moments I simply never would have if I weren't wearing the glasses. For that reason, I don't see the camera as a replacement for my phone's camera, but rather a way to capture more photos and videos altogether. Went biking through the pan handle with Ray Ban Meta last weekend — Max Zeff (@ZeffMax) May 8, 2025 The feature I use the most: the open-ear speakers in the arms of the glasses, which allow me to listen to podcasts and music without blocking the noise of people, bikers, and cars around me. Meta was far from the first company to put speakers in glasses — Bose has had a solid pair for years. But Meta's take on open-ear speakers is surprisingly good. I've been impressed by the audio quality and how little I miss traditional headphones on these rides. I've found myself chatting with Meta's AI assistant a bit on my weekend rides. I recently asked it questions about the nature I was seeing throughout the park — such as 'Hey, Meta, look and tell me what kind of tree this is?' — as well as the origins of the historic buildings I saw. I typically use bike rides as a way to unplug from the world, so it seemed counterintuitive to talk with an AI chatbot during the rides. However, I found these short queries stoked my curiosity about the world around me without sucking me into a rabbit hole of content and notifications, which is what usually happens when I use my phone. And, again, the greatest thing about these features is they all come in one device. That means fewer things to charge, less clutter in my biking gear box, and fewer devices to manage along my ride. Potholes While the Ray-Ban Meta glasses look great for walking around, they clearly weren't designed with biking in mind. Oftentimes, the Ray-Ban Meta glasses fall down my nose during a bumpy ride. When I'm bent over on the bike and looking up to see what's ahead of me, the thick frames block my view. (Most sunglasses for cyclists have thin frames and nose pads to solve these problems.) There are some limitations around how the Ray-Ban Meta glasses work with other apps, which is a problem. While I love taking photos and pausing music with the glasses, for anything else, my phone has to come out of my pocket. For example, Ray-Ban Meta has a Spotify integration, but I had a hard time getting the AI assistant to play specific playlists. Sometimes, the glasses played nothing when I asked for a playlist or played the wrong playlist altogether. I'd love to see these integrations improved — and expanded to include more biking-specific integrations with apps like Strava or Garmin. Ray-Ban Meta also doesn't work super well with the rest of my iPhone, which is likely due to Apple's restrictive policies. I'd love to be able to fire off texts or easily navigate through Apple Maps with my Ray-Ban Meta glasses, but features like that may not be available until Apple releases its own smart glasses. Meta AI could still be improved That leaves Meta's AI assistant. The AI feature is often touted as the main selling point of these glasses, but I often found it lacking. Meta's voice AI is not as impressive as other voice AI products from OpenAI, Perplexity, and Google. Its AI voices feel more robotic, and I find its answers are less reliable. I tested the recently launched Ray-Ban Meta's live video AI sessions, which were first unveiled at last year's Meta Connect conference. The feature streams live video and audio from Ray-Ban Meta into an AI model in the cloud, aiming to create a more seamless way to interact with your AI assistant and letting it 'see' what you see. In reality, it was a hallucinated hot mess. I asked Ray-Ban Meta to identify some of the interesting cars I was biking past near my apartment. The glasses described a modern Ford Bronco as a vintage Volkswagen Beetle, even though the two look nothing alike. Later, the glasses confidently told me that a 1980s BMW was a Honda Civic. Closer, but still very different cars. During the live AI session, I asked the AI to help identify some plants and trees. The AI told me a eucalyptus tree was an oak tree. When I said, 'No, I think that's a eucalyptus tree,' the AI responded, 'Oh yeah, you're right.' Experiences like that make me question why I'm talking to AI at all. Google DeepMind and OpenAI are also working on multimodal AI sessions like the one that Meta offers with its smart glasses. But for now, the experiences seem far from finished. I really want to see an improved version of AI smart glasses that I can take on bike rides. The Ray-Ban Meta glasses are one of the most convincing AI devices I've seen yet, and I could see how wearing them on a ride would be a joy after a few key upgrades.
Arabian Business
10-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Arabian Business
Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses makes UAE debut on May 12
Ray-Ban Meta, the smart glasses collection combining traditional eyewear with advanced technology, will be available in the UAE starting May 12 at all Ray-Ban stores and partner opticians. The collection offers users the capability to capture high-resolution photos and videos hands-free, listen to music through open-ear speakers, and access Meta AI for on-the-go assistance. A launch event featured guests including Yusra Mardini, Joelle Mardinian, Omar Farooq, Pia Jauncey, and Nora and Khalid, with music provided by Sarah Hardan and DJ Pascal Moscheni. Ray-Ban, Meta bring AI-powered eyewear to UAE market The celebration marks the beginning of a month-long takeover at Gitano beach club, running until June 5. The glasses include a 12 MP ultra-wide camera that captures photos and 1080p videos in portrait orientation. The open-ear speakers provide enhanced bass response and noise suppression, while five built-in microphones allow users to switch between music and calls without losing awareness of their surroundings. Content creators can utilise the livestreaming function to broadcast their experiences in real time to Instagram Live or Facebook Live for up to 30 minutes, switching between the glasses and phone camera. Meta AI integration enables users to activate features with the voice prompt 'Hey Meta' for various tasks. Users can request information about landmarks, translations, recipe suggestions, and local recommendations using voice commands. 'Live translation is also coming to the UAE later this Spring,' according to the announcement. The translation feature will support conversations across Spanish, French, Italian, and English, even in offline mode if language packs are downloaded in advance. The collection includes the classic Wayfarer and Wayfarer Large frames, along with the Ray-Ban Skyler design in Shiny Chalky Grey. Lens options include prescription, sun, clear, polarised and Transitions® varieties. Prices start at AED 1,330, with each pair coming with a charging case. The glasses work with the Meta AI companion app (available on iOS and Android), which allows users to edit content, add effects, share to social platforms, and manage multiple pairs of glasses from one interface.
Arab News
09-05-2025
- Business
- Arab News
Ray-Ban Meta glasses to launch in the UAE
DUBAI: Meta and optical multinational EssilorLuxottica have announced that the Ray-Ban Meta collection will be available in the UAE from May 12. The glasses, when paired with a smartphone, allow users to take hands-free pictures and videos, listen to audio with open-ear speakers, and use the inbuilt Meta AI assistant. The launch 'marks the beginning of an effortless, more connected future — one that empowers people to stay in the moment while staying connected to the things and people that matter most,' Fares Akkad, regional director for Middle East and Africa at Meta, told Arab News. The glasses feature an ultrawide 12-megapixel camera, which can take photos and 1080-pixel videos of up to three minutes. Users can also stream live via the glasses to Instagram or Facebook for up to 30 minutes. Meta AI, the company's AI assistant, is built into the glasses and can be used through voice prompts to help with tasks such as recommending music or clicking a picture. In the coming months, users in the UAE will also be able to use Meta AI to ask questions about their surroundings, such as identifying landmarks or translating street signs, as well as live translation of conversations in English, French, Italian and Spanish. However, live translation for Arabic is not supported yet. Akkad said: 'Just a few years ago, the idea of wearing glasses that could take pictures and videos with voice command, translate to different languages, and become a seamless, helpful assistant everywhere you go felt like something out of science fiction. 'Today, it is a tangible reality.' Users will be able to regularly update the software on the glasses to enable more features as they are rolled out. These include timers, alarms, calendar and email access. The Ray-Ban Meta collection features different styles and lens variations, including prescription lenses. It will be available at all Ray-Ban and partner stores in the UAE from May 12 with prices starting at AED1,330 ($360).
