I’VE gone eyes-on with Mark Zuckerberg’s new AI smart glasses.
The Ray-Ban Meta Glasses are a clever pair of hi-tech specs with a camera, microphones and even an artificial intelligence assistant.
MetaYes, you can TALK to your glasses – the future is here![/caption]
They were announced at this week’s Meta Connect, and launch on October 17 for $299.
I had a chance to try them out at Meta’s California HQ, and three tricks won me over.
Built-in speakers
Speakers aren’t exactly new technology, but they can still impress even in 2023.
The new Meta Glasses have some clever speakers with significantly reduced noise leakage.
I was able to sit next to someone who was on a phone call wearing the Meta Glasses – and the audio they were hearing was barely audible.
And when I donned the specs, I could comfortably hear the voice on the phone without approaching anywhere close to max volume.
The audio even held up outside in a noisy environment.
It’s really useful to be able hear the outside world while also listening to music or making phone calls.
And I imagine it will be extremely popular for cyclists or runners who rely on hearing ambient noise.
Meta AI
The big selling point for these glasses – at least versus old models – is that they’re fitted with artificial intelligence.
Yes, you can talk directly with the new Meta AI.
At a basic level, the glasses can be controlled with voice commands like “take a photo” or “capture a video”, which works well.
But that’s not really AI.
What was more impressive was when I the glasses about the weather, and it gave me the forecast for my exact location.
My regular glasses only know it’s raining once my lens get wet.
The Meta Glasses were even able to create a poem about a cat for me in a matter of seconds.
In the future (more specifically, 2024), you’ll even be able to ask questions about what you’re seeing.
Meta teased getting quick translations for signs in foreign languages – life-changing for vacations.
And you’ll even be able to ask for information on a famous landmark that you’re looking at. Bad news for tour guides. Good news for you.
Live-Streaming
I’m not a superstar live-streaming influencer and I don’t have any immediate plans to become one.
But if I did, I’d seriously consider picking up a pair of Meta Glasses.
The new Ray-Bans add live-streaming to their visual repertoire (along with still photos and 60-second video clips).
So you can instantly beam what you’re seeing to, say, Facebook – or Instagram if you prefer.
It means you can enjoy the moment (maybe you’re cooking dinner or climbing a mountain that conveniently has cell signal) while your friends, family or internet strangers look on with envy and awe.