Latest news with #Spectacles
Engadget
20-05-2025
- Engadget
Google XR glasses hands-on: Lightweight but with a limited field of view
One of the biggest reveals of Google I/O was that the company is officially back in the mixed reality game with its own prototype XR smart glasses . It's been years since we've seen anything substantial from the search giant on the AR/VR/XR front, but with a swath of hardware partners to go with its XR platform it seems that's finally changing. Following the keynote, Google showed off a very short demo of the prototype device we saw onstage. I only got a few minutes with the device so my impressions are unfortunately very limited, but I was immediately impressed with how light the glasses were compared with Meta's Orion prototype and Snap's augmented reality Spectacles. While both of those are quite chunky, Google's prototype device was lightweight and felt much more like a normal pair of glasses. The frames were a bit thicker than what I typically wear, but not by a whole lot. Karissa Bell for Engadget At the same time, there are some notable differences between Google's XR glasses and what we've seen from Meta and Snap. Google's device only has a display on one side — the right lens, you can see it in the image at the top of this article — so the visuals are more "glanceable" than fully immersive. I noted during Google's demo onstage at I/O that the field of view looked narrow and I can confirm that it feels much more limited than even Snap's 46-degree field of view (Google declined to share specifics on how wide the field of view is on its prototype.) Instead, the display felt a bit similar to how you might use the front display of a foldable phone. You can get a quick look at the time and notifications and small snippets of info from your apps, like what music you're listening to. Obviously, Gemini is meant to play a major role in the Android XR ecosystem and Google walked me through a few demos of the assistant working on the smart glasses. I could look at a display of books or some art on the wall and ask Gemini questions about what I was looking at. It felt very similar to multimodal capabilities we've seen with Project Astra and elsewhere. There were some bugs, though, even in the carefully orchestrated demo. Gemini started to tell me about what I was looking at before I had even finished my question to it, which was followed by an awkward moment where we both paused and interrupted each other. One of the more interesting use cases Google was showing was Google Maps in the glasses. You can get a heads-up view of your next turn, much like Google augmented reality walking directions, and look down to see a little section of map on the floor. However, when I asked Gemini how long it would take to drive to San Francisco from my location it wasn't able to provide an answer. (It actually said something like "tool output," and my demo ended very quickly after.) As with so many other mixed reality demos I've seen, it's obviously still very early days. Google was careful to emphasize that this is prototype hardware meant to show off what Android XR is capable of, not a device it's planning on selling anytime soon. So any eventual smart glasses we get from Google or the company's hardware partners could look very different. What my few minutes with Android XR was able to show, though, was how Google is thinking about bringing AI and mixed reality together. It's not so different from Meta, which sees smart glasses as key to long-term adoption of its AI assistant too. But now that Gemini is coming to just about every Google product that exists, the company has a very solid foundation to actually accomplish this. Developing..
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Snapchat Opens New Office in Paris as Part of Expanded EU Business Push
This story was originally published on Social Media Today. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Social Media Today newsletter. As it works to expand its international business opportunities, Snapchat has opened a new office in Paris, while it's also expanding its relationships with local AR artists and creators to reinforce its leadership on this element. As explained by Snap: 'Snap is excited to announce the opening of its new office in Paris. This strategic development confirms Snap's strong presence in France and reaffirms its long-term commitment to innovation, creativity, and the growth of the local digital ecosystem. The opening of this new 4,000-square-meter office in the heart of Paris marks a new milestone for Snap and its more than 100 employees in France, designed to foster synergy and creativity within its teams.' That's a pretty big office space for a primarily online company, which, as Snap notes, reaffirms its commitment to the region, and contributing to local tech and arts development. 'France stands out as one of the most dynamic and strategic markets for Snap globally, with a rich ecosystem of partnerships: Numerous local media outlets, major cultural institutions, influential creators, and iconic brands trust us to activate large-scale campaigns and partnerships.' That last point is important, because at this stage, Snap has struggled to maximize its revenue opportunities in markets outside the U.S. Around 60% of Snap's revenue comes from the North American market, with just 18% coming from Europe. That's despite Snap seeing an almost equal amount of users in each of these markets, with the majority of Snap's usage now coming from Asia, and India specifically. In essence, that means that Snap is heavily reliant on its U.S. business to drive its revenue intake. And with the app's growth stalling in both the U.S. and EU, it really needs to raise its EU revenue stats to capitalize on its opportunities. Which is likely why it's making France a bigger focus. Snap has 27 million monthly active users in France, making it its biggest EU market by a significant margin (Germany has 19 million users). And as such, establishing a local presence could help Snap drive more business in the region, while it's also looking to invest in local creatives to solidify its presence. 'This creation also marks the launch of our AR Studio Paris' artistic residency program: a unique space dedicated to cultural and technological experiences, through collaborations with contemporary artists. This program will welcome a select group of artists each year from various disciplines - design, visual arts, music, sculpture, etc. - to imagine, with the support of the AR developer community, immersive works designed to be experienced through Snap's AR glasses, Spectacles.' So a cool new office space, in the European region with its largest user base, and potential to branch out to other EU markets. It's a strategic move by Snap to better ingratiate itself with Europe more broadly, and generate more business for the company. Recommended Reading Snap Shares Insights Into Its Efforts to Combat Child Sexual Exploitation
Bloomberg
17-03-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Alcohol Tariff Threats Put a Cloud Over St. Patrick's Day
By and Stacey Vanek Smith Save St. Patrick's Day is peak Guinness season, but American tariff proposals threaten to put a damper on the fun. Dublin bureau reporter Olivia Fletcher and New York podcast producer Stacey Vanek Smith — who both know their way around an Irish pub — bring us an update on the outlook for celebrations in honor of the Emerald Isle's patron saint. Plus: Snap's CEO on why its Spectacles are the superior tech glasses, and the long, sometimes dark, history of 'Buy American.' If this email was forwarded to you, click here to sign up.
Bloomberg
17-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Bloomberg
Snap CEO Evan Spiegel Bets Meta Can't Copy High-Tech Glasses
By Evan Spiegel sees something others don't: a neon-red flag, digitally projected on the lenses of the augmented-reality glasses he's wearing. The co-founder and chief executive officer of Snap Inc. is at Clover Park, next to the company's headquarters in Santa Monica, California, sporting the new Snap Spectacles. Spiegel was originally supposed to demo a basic chess app, but he decides instead that he wants to challenge me to a more complex game of capture the flag. He guides me through the process, telling me to tap a button that appears through my own Spectacles lenses on my hand—visible to me, invisible to others—and then, from the menu now floating before my eyes, to select the app by pinching the air. We stake our 3D flags near a tree and a picnic table, set up rival bases and prepare to sprint around, using our palms to fire blasts of light at each other like Iron Man.
Yahoo
11-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Meta Releases Limited Edition Version of its Ray Ban Meta Sunglasses
This story was originally published on Social Media Today. To receive daily news and insights, subscribe to our free daily Social Media Today newsletter. Meta's Ray Ban smart glasses have steadily become one of the most in-demand tech items, superseding both Snap's Spectacles and Apple's VisionPro as one of the top digital wearable accessories currently on the market. Indeed, revenue for Meta's Reality Labs, the department responsible for developing its AR and VR devices, was up more than 50% on average in Q4, while Meta has also reported that it's been struggling to keep up with consumer demand for the device. And this week, Meta's released a new version of the glasses to generate more interest, with the latest Coperni variation incorporating a more stylistic design, aligning with fashion trends. As you can see in this example, the Meta Coperni glasses feature a transparent black coloring, with the Coperni logo on its lenses. As per Meta: 'The Ray-Ban Meta x Coperni Limited Edition Wayfarer merges high fashion with advanced AI technology. Featuring sleek design, grey mirrored lenses and seamless connectivity, this exclusive edition offers camera, audio and voice assistant functions to capture every moment while staying connected.' The Coperni glasses will be in limited supply, with only 3,600 pairs going into production. And given the popularity of the glasses, you can bet that collectors will snap up this latest variation, which will further help to enhance the hype factor around Meta's evolving wearables push. Meta's already released several limited edition versions of its smart glasses, with a sleek-looking transparent frame variation released last November, and a special, not-for-retail-sale set to coincide with the 2025 Super Bowl. Which also saw Meta launch its first big ad push for the glasses, featuring Hollywood stars Chris Pratt and Chris Hemsworth. I'm not sure that particular campaign drove a heap more interest, but with the addition of an on-demand AI assistant, and live language translation, among other feature updates, Meta's sunglasses are gaining more momentum, which should help to set up the next stage of Meta's metaverse push, incorporating both AR and VR wearables into its product suite. VR, of course, it already has, with the leading consumer headset on the market. And it's getting ready to make its push into AR glasses as well, with the second generation of its 'Aria' AR glasses now available to developers. Those are currently scheduled for a consumer launch in 2027, and by that stage, Meta may well have slimmed down the tech, and incorporated enough elements of its Ray Ban glasses to make them a more viable, valuable tech item. Pricing remains a challenge, as Apple has found out, with the $3,500 price tag for its AR device being well-beyond the reach of most consumers. Meta's working to reduce the cost of its AR glasses, though it still expects them to be around the price of a new release mobile phone at launch. So they will still be upwards of $1,000 when they do get a release, but via its incorporation with EssilorLuxottica, the maker of Ray Ban, I do have faith that the eventual AR glasses that are released by Meta will be stylish and functional, in the same vein as the current Ray Ban Metas. And while Meta, the company, is taking a PR hit at the moment due to its decision to revise its moderation rules, its Ray Ban glasses remain popular, and as noted, are seeing rising demand. Sure, you may not want to trust Meta with your data, but just like Facebook, billions of people still do, because everyone is on it, and all of your family and friends use its apps and tools, despite those potential negatives. Ray Ban Metas looks set to follow the same trajectory, becoming a must-have, regardless of how you may feel about Zuck and Co. Because they're that good, they're that functional, and they may well become the next big thing in digital interactivity. Just as Meta has predicted. So even if you're not considering Meta's Ray Bans now, you likely will be in the near future, as it continues to build for the next stage if digital connection. Could smart glasses replace phones as the key connective device? As AI assistants become more commonplace, it's becoming more viable everyday. Sign in to access your portfolio
