GoKawiil
Tech News
Counterpoint Research reports that global AI glasses shipments grew 263% year over year in the first half of 2026, driven largely by cheaper display-less models like Ray-Ban Meta AI Glasses, which made up 96% of all shipments. Meta captured 94% of that display-less segment, while AR-enabled glasses, though still a small niche, saw shipments jump 449% year over year, led by Rokid ahead of Meta.
Counterpoint Research reports that global shipments of display-less AI glasses rose 263% year over year in the first half of 2026, with Meta's Ray-Ban partnership capturing 94% of the segment. Xiaomi and Alibaba each held just 1% market share, while North America and Western Europe together accounted for nearly 80% of total shipments.
MS NOW, CNN and Politico are suing President Trump after he barred their journalists from White House grounds over the weekend, citing dissatisfaction with their coverage of his administration. The outlets argue the ban violates the First Amendment, and their lawsuit is being filed in the same court handling a similar case brought by The Associated Press.
A new app called ZuckOff scans nearby Bluetooth signals to alert users when smart camera glasses like Ray-Ban Meta, Oakley Meta, or Snap Spectacles are in the vicinity. The app processes everything locally on the phone, requires no account, and lets users log all detected devices, mark their own glasses to silence alerts, and export scan history as CSV. It also sells branded merchandise through Fourthwall to help fund development.
Polish developer Pawel Szydlowski built ZuckOff, a free Bluetooth scanning app that identifies nearby smart glasses from Meta and Snap by matching device signals to fingerprints he compiled from purchased hardware. The app has drawn over 5,000 downloads on Apple's App Store and 1,000 on Google Play within its first month.
CNN reported that its journalists were denied entry to the White House grounds, marking the latest instance of restricted access for the network's reporters covering the administration. CNN publicly condemned the move, calling it an unconstitutional attempt to obstruct its reporting.
Meta is expected to unveil a new pair of smart glasses at Connect 2026 that drop cameras entirely, relying instead on added microphones for voice interaction with its AI assistant. The frames are said to come in two styles and will be slimmer, resembling regular eyewear, according to reports ahead of the event.
The European Commission unveiled the EU Kids Act, a proposal that would ban social media accounts for children under 13, mandate age verification, and force companies like Meta, Google, YouTube and Roblox to prove their platforms are safely designed. President Ursula von der Leyen said the law shifts the burden of proof onto platforms and gives parents more control over children's online experiences. The measure still needs to go through debate and a vote before becoming law.
Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses are increasingly being nicknamed 'perv glasses' due to misuse by people secretly filming others in public, echoing the 'Glasshole' stigma that doomed Google Glass in 2014. The author says this backlash has changed their own stance, now favoring reports that Apple's rumored smart glasses, expected next year, might launch without photo or video recording capability.
HUAWEI has introduced the MatePad Air, a slimmer and more affordable alternative to its MatePad Pro Max lineup, priced from €849 for the configuration with an 8GB RAM, 256GB storage, PaperMatte display and M-Pencil Pro support. Like other HUAWEI devices, the tablet remains unavailable for official purchase in the United States and continues to lack Google Mobile Services due to the ongoing US trade restrictions.
The European Commission unveiled the EU Kids Act, a proposal that would bar children under 13 from social media entirely, require parental-managed sub-accounts with restrictions for 13- and 14-year-olds, and only allow independent accounts at 15. The plan also mandates platforms remove addictive design features like infinite scroll, nighttime notifications, and unsolicited contact from strangers, while requiring AI chatbots be disabled by default for minors.
Snap allowed journalists to try its upcoming consumer AR glasses, called Specs, which will retail for $2,195 and launch this fall. The chunky, standalone glasses run without a phone or external battery and enable shared augmented reality experiences, such as two wearers playing a virtual game of dominoes together on a real table.