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Tech News
Meta has released the Ray-Ban Meta Audio, a version of its smart glasses that strips out the camera found in earlier models. The glasses retain features like voice-activated AI assistance and turn-by-turn navigation through 'Hey Meta' voice commands, delivered via built-in speakers.
A reviewer testing the Even Realities G2 smart glasses found the ring-based touch controller, meant to let users navigate menus via swipes, taps and long presses, frequently misread gestures, causing accidental app launches and scroll errors. The reviewer notes Even Realities representatives suggested this may be an isolated experience, as few other users have reported similar issues online.
HTC has launched Vive Eagle smart glasses offering 4.5 hours of continuous music playback and 36 hours standby, with an optional $49 clip-on Power Boost battery. The glasses include an AI assistant built on ChatGPT or Gemini that requires no login, keeping users de-identified, and video is encrypted and stored on-device rather than automatically uploaded to a phone or cloud. A bright indicator light disables recording if covered, and the device stops recording when told verbally to stop.
Some Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses users reported their devices recorded and transcribed conversations even though they hadn't activated the AI assistant with the wake phrase, including users who had disabled the 'Respond without Hey Meta' setting. Meta told Android Authority the issue has been resolved and that users can review or delete voice logs through settings, but has not explained what caused the bug or how many devices were affected.
Ash Saulsbury, who previously worked on Meta's smart-glasses technology, is building Awear AI, a platform designed to let wearers carry their AI assistant's learned preferences and memories across different devices and brands. The effort targets a market where Meta and Google currently tie their AI assistants tightly to their own glasses hardware and services.
Multiple Reddit users reported that their Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses, including 2nd- and 3rd-generation models, saved audio recordings and transcripts to the Meta AI app even though they hadn't said the wake phrase and had the 'Respond without Hey Meta' setting disabled. The issue reportedly appeared after a firmware update, and Meta's initial support response only suggested disabling core features like microphone permissions and automatic updates rather than explaining the cause. Meta later told users the issue 'has been resolved' without detailing what caused it.
A Reddit thread alleges that Meta's smart glasses have captured audio of conversations even when users did not say the required 'Hey Meta' wake phrase. The claims suggest the device's microphone may activate recording unintentionally, raising privacy concerns among users.
Alibaba has introduced the Qwen Glasses N1, a smart glasses product that the company says offers longer battery life and a higher-resolution camera sensor than Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses. The announcement positions Alibaba among a growing list of Chinese manufacturers releasing smart glasses hardware that rivals Meta's specs on paper.
A report from SammyGuru reveals design and spec details for Samsung's upcoming smart glasses, expected to launch next month possibly under the Galaxy Glasses name. The glasses will come in nine styles combining frames from Gentle Monster and Warby Parker, weigh 41 grams, and include a Snapdragon AR1 Gen 1 chip, 12MP camera, and battery life up to 9 hours (72 with the charging case). They'll be sold at Warby Parker, Gentle Monster, and Samsung Experience Stores, though pricing hasn't been disclosed.
Meta has released two new camera-free Ray-Ban smart glasses models, the Clubmaster and Burbank, priced between $349 and $429 for frames alone depending on lens options. Removing the camera makes the glasses lighter (43-47 grams versus over 50 grams for camera models) and improves battery life, but they remain pricier than Meta's existing $249 camera-equipped glasses.
Meta has released an audio-only version of its Ray-Ban smart glasses that drops the camera entirely, offering Bluetooth audio, calls, and a voice AI assistant in Clubmaster and Burbank frame styles. A reviewer who tested the glasses over several days reported that no one noticed them being worn, since they look like ordinary eyewear, and found setup now includes more prominent privacy disclosures about how AI voice and visual data are handled.
Designer Guillaume Ardaud has published a speculative hardware concept called the Lightbulb Computer, which combines a projector and computer vision inside a standard lightbulb form factor. The device, shown via design prototypes and an accompanying video, responds to voice commands and pointing gestures, projecting interactive overlays like recipes, timers and answers to questions directly onto household surfaces.