Smart glasses haven’t really become a mainstream product (yet). Google’s already tried to make it happen, and Apple might be working on something similar – but it seems like Facebook might have taken the lead.
In a partnership with EssilorLuxottica, Facebook designed a new pair of smart glasses that are great for people who want to capture the world around them entirely from their point of view.
I know what you’re thinking. They’re elegant, intelligent, but creepy, right? Well, it seems Facebook took privacy seriously this time around. Here’s what you need to know!
What Are Ray-Ban Stories?
Ray-Ban Stories are the first-generation smart glasses made by Facebook in association with EssilorLuxottica, the company behind frames for Chanel, Oakley, and many more.
Unlike other smart glasses, the Ray-Ban Stories are mainly focused on social media and introduce a new way to capture photos and video, make calls, and listen to music throughout your day.
In addition, they make it easier to share to all of your favorite social media platforms, not just Facebook apps.
How Do Ray-Ban Stories Work?
Ray-Ban Stories use a dual 5MP camera system located at the edge of the glasses. You can press the capture button—or use Facebook Assistant voice commands—to take photos or videos of up to 30 seconds.
The Ray-Ban Stories also work to listen to music or make phone calls. Thanks to the built-in open-ear speakers and three microphone audio array, you can listen to your favorite tunes without bothering—or being bothered by—anybody. Plus, they also have Beamforming tech and a background noise suppression algorithm that’ll help reduce the noise around you.
You can link your Facebook account to the Ray-Ban Stories, but you’ll also need to use the new Facebook View app. Facebook View is the app that controls everything about your Ray-Ban Stories, from updating your smart glasses to creating and sharing videos with your friends and family. After you create a photo or video worth sharing, you can import it to many social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Twitter, TikTok, Snapchat, and more.
If you want, you can also save your content in your device’s camera roll so you can edit it without using the Facebook View app whenever you want.
Ray-Ban Stories Technical Specifications
Ray-Ban Stories’ available memory isn’t the best, but it’s decent enough to store up to 500 pictures and up to 30 video clips of up to 30 seconds.
The battery is also great – Facebook says the Ray-Ban Stories can last up to three days on a single charge, which seems entirely possible since they don’t have many features running in the background, although they do access Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, so that may drain the battery faster.
If you want to use these smart glasses, you’ll need to have at least iOS 13 on your iPhone and Android 8.1 on your Android device. As we mentioned before, you’ll also need the Facebook View app installed.
What About My Privacy?
Yes, a pair of smart glasses capable of recording videos and sharing them in a flash sounds a little creepy. In today’s day and age, it’s essential to keep one’s data and information …….