Meta has announced the launch of Ray-Ban Stories, the smart glasses developed with the popular accessory manufacturer, and another step in its journey towards the metaverse.
It’s no secret that Facebook had spent years developing augmented reality devices, a technology that superimposes graphics on ‘real life’, adding information about our surroundings. With the change of name to Meta, the company bet completely on the metaverse, the fusion between the real and the virtual world that would allow us to obtain the advantages of both; For example, organizing a meeting regardless of the location of the participants, as if they were by our side.
However, to get to those kinds of futuristic concepts, you first have to start with something simpler, and Ray-Ban Stories are that first step, according to the company. Actually, this is not a new product, but until now it was only available in a limited number of markets. Now, Meta believes that it is time to expand it to more countries, including Spain.
It will do so hand in hand with Ray-Ban in a product clearly aimed at a young audience. Instead of being conceived as a technological product first, the team started from Ray-Ban glasses to which they implemented the technology; The most obvious advantage of this method is that these are still Ray-Bans, with all that this entails, a unique style desired by millions of people around the world. They are also still conventional glasses, which can use prescription lenses and even transition lenses, which darken on their own in contact with sunlight, so that they are only “sunglasses” when it is really sunny.
Of course, they are not normal glasses. If we look closely, we will find technological elements, such as a capture button on the top of the frame of the glasses, a capacitive button to control the interface, an LED light that indicates that we are recording, and integrated speakers that point directly at our ears.
Being a product focused on design first, more importance has been given to how people wear the glasses; its creators affirm that their priority has been “not to surprise people” in any aspect, neither in its operation nor in others such as privacy.
Yes, these glasses have integrated cameras, specifically two with a resolution of 5 MP located in the corner, as well as a set of three microphones. Thanks to that, we can use the glasses to take photos or videos, either using the integrated button, or voice commands (in English, French and Italian, for now).
Although initially it was only possible to create 30-second videos, in response to requests from early adopters it has been increased to 60 seconds. And whenever we are using the glasses to take photos or videos, an LED light will turn on that is associated by hardware and therefore cannot be disabled by software. Also, if we are on a site where we want to be sure that they are not recording, we can disable the functionality completely.
The great advantage of these cameras is that they record “in the first person”, and we do not need to hold them by hand as it happens with a smartphone; so we can do shots that would otherwise be impossible or very difficult, just by pressing a button. According to Meta, this is the most successful functionality among early adopters. The photos and videos are shared with a mobile app, Facebook View App for the App Store and Google Play (which will be available in Spanish). The videos and photos are not shared automatically, but from the app we can publish them on Facebook, WhatsApp, and other apps; It is something that Meta affirms that it has done on purpose, surely to calm fears about privacy that will mean that those videos end up directly on the Internet.
The glasses are loaded with the case in which we can store them, which thus fulfills a double function of protection and charging.
Ray-Ban Stories will be available in three different styles: Wayfarer, Meteor and Round, with five different colors and multiple lens types: clear, sun, transition, prescription and gradient. The price will start at 329 euros, and they will be available in Spain from March 17 in selected stores and on the Ray-Ban website.
No one is unaware of the privacy implications of a product like this, not even Meta, which has announced that it will start an educational campaign that it believes is necessary on wearable devices and smart glasses, and states that it is still learning about the consequences and risks of this type of product, and how to respond to the questions they are generating.
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