Meta’s Ray-Ban Smart Shades Get a Fresh Blast of AI

TFD – Join us on the Gadget Lab podcast as we delve into tech acronyms and the cutting-edge features of Meta’s AI-powered smart shades.

Meta’s newest smart glasses, developed in partnership with Ray-Ban, have been newly fleshed out with more AI features. This week, Meta started rolling out an over-the-air update to its second generation of smart sunglasses that gives the wearables some new capabilities.

The most significant update is the integration of Meta’s ChatGPT-enabled AI assistant into the glasses through the Meta AI with Vision function. The smart glasses’ owners will be able to use an AI voice assistant, tinker with (almost) real-time translation, and recognize objects in their field of view. Though users have noted that, similar to all these cutting-edge AI systems, some functions function better than others, it all sounds quite futuristic for sunglasses.

Along with the ability to share the wearer’s view captured by the two front-facing cameras on the glasses, other new functions in the update include video calling within the WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger apps. Additionally, two new frame types for the glasses are available: the cat-eye Skylers and the lower bridge Headliners.

Although it may still seem a bit unsettling to go around with cameras affixed to your face, the Meta shades fit in better than more antiquated smart glasses like Google Glass because they resemble classic Ray-Bans. Thus, it does receive points for flair, much like Mark Zuckerberg and his current fixation with chains. It’s important to keep in mind, though, that the company that coproduced these sick shades has a track record of allowing user data to end up in the wrong hands. Sure, you’ll look badass in them, but you’ll also be revealing to Meta all the new aspects of your life that you’re documenting first.

Here are a few more stories from this week about consumer technology.

Freitag, a Swiss brand well-known for its repurposed backpacks and bags, has unveiled a sleek new black bag. Up to 24 liters of storage are available in the Mono[PA6] Backpack, which also includes a smaller, detachable musette that can be worn as a purse or sling. According to the manufacturer, polyamide 6, a single type of nylon, is used to make every component of the bag. Everything from the flaps, straps, and zippers are cobbled together from that single base compound. That means you can send it back to Freitag, where the company can fully break it down and recycle the material to make another bag. The new piece retails for $380.

Freitag has a reputation for creating daring, environmentally conscious bags. Apart from its well-known repurposed truck tarp designs, it has also produced roller bags that inflate with a bicycle pump and bags made of recycled plastic yarn.

There are brand-new leaks concerning Google’s planned low-cost Pixel 8A smartphone. The leaks, which appear to be a collection of official (but not yet officially released) Pixel promo photos and a video, were made possible by the tech websites MySmartPrice and Android Headlines. The materials show a variety of AI-powered updates to Google’s mobile platform, like live translation, the addition of Circle to Search, support for Audio Magic Eraser, and better photo editing abilities. According to the leak from Android Headlines, the Pixel 8A might receive up to seven years of security support following its release.

Information on Google’s products frequently surfaces ahead of the scheduled announcement. In this instance, the new Pixel phone from Google is anticipated to be introduced on May 14 at its upcoming I/O event.

What are the commonalities between LLMs, TCP/IP, and ARPA? Yes, they are all crucial to the operation of a large portion of modern technology. They’re also obtuse nouns that can be very confusing when jammed together with all the other tech acronyms that have flooded our collective lexicon.

This week on the Gadget Lab podcast, we break down a bevy of acronyms from the tech era and look at the peculiar and significant ways they have shaped the contemporary world. In order to add a little more pressure, we’ve turned it into a competition.