Facebook's Next Hardware Launch Will Be Its Ray-Ban 'Smart Glasses' (theverge.com) 30
Facebook's next hardware launch will be its long-awaited Ray-Ban 'smart glasses,' CEO Mark Zuckerberg confirmed on an earnings call this week. When exactly the glasses will arrive is unclear. We least heard they were launching some time in 2021, but the pandemic has changed a lot of companies' plans, and Zuckerberg did not comment on a time frame. From a report: "Looking ahead here, the next product release will be the launch of our first smart glasses from Ray-Ban in partnership with EssilorLuxottica," said the Facebook CEO. "The glasses have their iconic form factor, and they let you do some pretty neat things."
We don't know what those "neat things" are, though Facebook has previously confirmed that the glasses will not have an integrated display and are not classified as an augmented reality device. Will they be able to make voice calls? Will they have access to a smart assistant? It's not clear. Though without an integrated display, they will presumably rely on a paired smartphone app for controls, similar to Snap Spectacles or Amazon's Echo Frames.
We don't know what those "neat things" are, though Facebook has previously confirmed that the glasses will not have an integrated display and are not classified as an augmented reality device. Will they be able to make voice calls? Will they have access to a smart assistant? It's not clear. Though without an integrated display, they will presumably rely on a paired smartphone app for controls, similar to Snap Spectacles or Amazon's Echo Frames.
Marketing pitch: (Score:3)
Re:Marketing pitch: (Score:5, Funny)
"I have come here to chew bubblegum and kick ass. And I'm all out of ass."
But I wear presecription glasses. (Score:2)
I have prescription glasses they do some neat things too. Like allow me to see distance better, also it allows me to see closeup better too. I use them almost all the time.
A lot of people have prescription glasses, many people get them especially after they are 25 years old. Contact Lenses are not good for a lot of people, as well Laser Eye Surgery isn't ideal as well. Giving us a set up expensive sun glasses, where we still need to wear normal prescription glasses, probably won't lead to strong adop
Re:But I wear presecription glasses. (Score:4, Funny)
I too wear prescription glasses; bifocals even. When I go to a 3D movie, the special 3D glasses are necessary to experience the 3D effect, so I just put the special 3D glasses on over my regular prescription glasses and everything works out just fine.
But these special Facebook smart-glasses aren't actually required for anything and no one can tell you what they actually do, so you don't need to put them on over your regular prescription glasses to get the full effect. In fact, you can simply continue to ignore them and everything will work out just fine.
what I really want to know... (Score:4, Insightful)
... is what they don't want me to know
any links to that msmash?
Meh. (Score:3)
"neat things"? Meh. Call me when they'll make me a sandwich. That would be neat.
My guess is they'll show ads and require a subscription of some sort for the privilege.
Unpopularity Contest? (Score:5, Insightful)
Hard pass...
Will it be free? (Score:2)
Nearly all of FB users are on FB because it is free. They could only get 4 million Oculus users 7 years after acquisition. Apple had target of 10 million cellphones a year at the time out launch and they nearly achieved it. FB is great at what it is doing but their expansion scheme in this field seems disconnected.
I'v got some questions (Score:3)
1) Can you turn off location tracking?
2) How bad will the built-in ads be?
3) Can you pay extra to not have ads?
Re: (Score:2)
"Can you turn off location tracking?"
Even if they said you could, I wouldn't trust it, based on their past behavior.
Re: (Score:2)
Can you turn off location tracking?
ha! ha! ha!
How bad will the built-in ads be?
As much as you want it to be.
Can you pay extra to not have ads?
Same as what you pay extra to not have ads on FB
Re: (Score:2)
1) Can you turn off location tracking?
No. Location tracking will be tightly integrated into every aspect of whatever they do because that's the entire point as far as the company in concerned.
2) How bad will the built-in ads be?
"Up to 75% of the screen before inducing seizures." /ready player one
3) Can you pay extra to not have ads?
No. There is a less than zero percent chance any individual would be able to provide enough revenue to Facebook to make up for the lost potential from serving ads to said individual. Advertising has become an entire universe unto itself, and it doesn't matter whether it's effective or
Re: (Score:2)
1) Can you turn off location tracking?
No. Location tracking will be tightly integrated into every aspect of whatever they do because that's the entire point as far as the company in concerned.
2) How bad will the built-in ads be?
"Up to 75% of the screen before inducing seizures." /ready player one
3) Can you pay extra to not have ads?
No. There is a less than zero percent chance any individual would be able to provide enough revenue to Facebook to make up for the lost potential from serving ads to said individual. Advertising has become an entire universe unto itself, and it doesn't matter whether it's effective or not. It matters whether it generates stacks of money for the ad server. Your concerns as the end user, even when you pay for it, are completely and totally irrelevant.
Actually, I was more concerned about Blipverts:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
Re: (Score:2)
2) Not present at first
3) No
Re: (Score:2)
If they said "yes" to any of these questions, would you really believe it?
I'm guessing (Score:2)
I'll just keep my Serengetis thanks. They only do one thing, but they do it very well. And they get bonus points for not being owned by Luxottica.
Nope (Score:1)
my life, the movie (Score:3)
Smart (Score:3)
We really need to drop the 'smart' marketing when we take things and put a chip in them. Not one single device called a 'smart' device is actually smart, its probably a buggy piece of junk that barely works.
x-ray glasses finally ? (Score:3)
Are these the x-ray glasses I've been waiting for? They've been promised since 1950 but I wasn't able to save enough money to buy them. I've always wanted to see what girls really look like under those clothes! http://inventorspot.com/articl... [inventorspot.com]
Bu why woould I want my ray bans (Score:1)
Creepier than Google? (Score:2)
Re: (Score:2)
Finally ! (Score:2)
Too Little Too Late (Score:2)
They're way too late to the party, going to have an uphill battle displacing market leader Google Glass.
Monopolies (Score:2)
What a great synergy, a glasses manufacturer monopoly with a social media monopoly. Facebook loves to rape privacy, this will take thing to a whole new level.
"We see you out of condoms, would you like to buy more or would you like to purchase a pregnancy test kit."