We reported earlier of how the pictures of the Smart Glasses collaboration between Facebook and Ray-ban got leaked on the internet, it is now official! The anticipated Smart glasses collaboration between social networking site, Facebook and luxury sunglasses and eyeglasses brand, Ray-Ban is now out for grabs!.
The new Smart glass is Facebook collaborated first ‘smart glasses’ adorned with a pair of cameras to take photos and videos, a microphone and speaker that can be used to listen to podcasts, together with a voice assistant that will allow users perform operations on the go with less hassle.
The concept, having the inkling and similarity with Snapchat’s Spectacles will be branded a Ray-Ban product, an indication of the status oof who wields more power in the collaboration.
Announcing the launch, Facebook Director of Product Management, Monisha Perkash posited: “Our mission is to help build tools that will help people feel connected anytime, anywhere. “We want to create a sense of social presence, the feeling that you’re right there with another person sharing the same space, regardless of physical distance.”
The Perkash-led product team, which has the mandate of creating “augmented reality” glasses devices that would deliver on the promise, can be likened to a step of adding a digital cover to imagination and making it a reality.
Perkash further opined that the technology will be subject to upgrading and improvements but warned that as the wait for the technology to be good enough intensifies, the tech company and ray-Ban are focused on what can be at the moment enabled. In his words: “We’re delivering the first pair of smart glasses that blend form and function.”
The Vice President of Facebook’s augmented reality and virtual reality, Mr. Andrew Bosworth added that the glasses were designed in a way that it will help people live in the moment and further stay connected to the people they are with and those they wish they are with. According to him, ray-ban has been very outstanding in the partnership and it was due to their commitment to perfection and excellence that the smart glasses was able to get close to the expectation of the teeming users.
“We’re introducing an entirely new way for people to stay connected to the world around them and truly be present in life’s most important moments, and to look good while doing it”, Bosworth said.
The product, just a few millimeters thicker and five grams heavier than a standard pair of Wayfarers has each respective wing of the glasses having a camera that combines together to shoot five megapixels still images and video that can be up to 30 seconds. The Ray-Ban stories also has open-ear speakers that can be used to listen and a “three-microphone audio array that helps deliver rich voice and sound transmission for calls and videos”. The attached microphones also give the glasses the leverage to be controlled by voice, for a hands-free experience.
Taking cognizance of its complicated relationship to user privacy, Facebook said it has baked privacy directly into the product design and functionality of the full experience from the start.
“For example, we have hardware protections like a power switch to turn off the cameras and microphone, as well as [a] capture LED hardwired to the camera that shines a white light when you’re taking photos or videos to notify people nearby”, says Facebook.
Perkash played down comparison between the product and Snapchat spectacles when he said: “Actually, you’ve never seen glasses like these. They look just like standard Wayfarers. They look like fashion objects, like something you actually want to wear on your faces.
“We believe that this will be the first pair of smart glasses people will truly want to wear.”
It would be recalled Facebook CEO, Mark Zuckerberg earlier before the product release opined that the glasses possess glasses “have Ray-Ban’s iconic form factor and they let you do some pretty neat things”.
The new Ray-Ban glasses may just yet become a precursor to greater technological advancements in Smart Glasses.
Ayoola Faseyi, an Abuja based Journalist with interest in Technology and Politics. He is a versatile writer with articles in many renowned News Journals.
He is the Co-Founder of media brand, The Vent Republic.
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