New, all-in-one AI technology is here, but where exactly is it? On your face and wrist.
From navigation displayed in your field of vision, to hands free recipe instruction allowing people to cook with ease to even getting a quickly summarized history lesson of the landmark you’re staring at, Meta glasses seem to be able to be used for just about anything.
Ray-Ban Meta glasses have discretely implemented AI assistance, photography capabilities and communication features all within standard looking glasses. These high tech specs go well beyond the scope of normal glasses, but aside from that, they still carry some of the award winning design features of typical Ray-Bans. Ray-Ban incorporates their traditional frames, transition lenses and the option of prescription and polarized lenses. The glasses are marketed to provide technology that is accessible without being obvious like other high-tech gadgets like VR goggles.
Diving into the world of Meta capabilities, the newest model, the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, feature a visual display controlled directly from the Meta Neural Band which reads and translates wrist muscle signals to inconspicuously control the device. Whether it’s transcribing audio, allowing for live translation using any one of the five embedded microphones or engaging hands-free with the built in Meta AI assistant, tech users have found numerous different uses for the new Meta glasses.
Solon High School sophomore and “Jam by Josh” business owner Josh Friedlander, an avid user of Gen 2 Meta glasses, said his favorite features revolve around the camera and audio powers of the device.
“You can listen to music or videos without anyone realizing it, and calls sound great,” Friedlander said. “The funny part is most people are trained to look for AirPods — not glasses — so half the time they don’t even realize you’re on the phone. I was in a store recently taking a call and people kept thinking I was talking to them.”
The frames’ functions have numerous, creative applications, whether they make people think you’re overly chatty or not.
Friedlander utilizes his Meta glasses into his time working on his business.
“I mostly use the Meta glasses to film POV content for my business, but they’re also super useful when I’m in my production facility,” Friedlander said. “Everything there has to stay sanitary, so I can’t be touching my phone. With the glasses, I can make quick calculations, place calls, ask questions or look something up hands-free which makes my workflow way easier.”
Additionally, when the Meta Glasses are paired with the “Be My Eyes App”–an app owned by the company Accessibility Inc.– they gain the capability to allow the visually impaired to navigate their surroundings by virtually connecting them with someone who can guide them via the cameras and speakers embedded within the frame. Meta claims they also extend accessibility to the hearing impaired community via their audio amplification and audio transcription functionalities.
The newest and most advanced variation of the glasses, the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses released on Sept. 30, starts at $799, however, older, less technologically advanced generations start at $299. The differences in price account for the type of lens (prescription vs non prescription) and the type of display (heads up or no virtual display).
While this may have seemed like a hefty price tag, Friedlander put into perspective how he rationalized his purchase.
“I think the price is very reasonable for what they do, ” Friedlander said. “Mine were prescription so they were closer to $450, but considering normal glasses run a couple hundred, AirPods are around the same. And, cameras aren’t cheap either, you’re basically getting all three in one device.”
Solon High School technology resource teacher Whitney Ames recognizes their utilities and hopes for a future where these helpful innovations could become suitable for usage within classrooms.
“As a technology resource teacher, any new technology is always something I find exciting, especially in cases where the technology can help fill gaps/help others in need,” Ames said. “The abilities that these glasses have in terms of translation, etc. do make them a desirable option to help our students with specific learning needs. As with all new technology, I am hopeful that other companies might be able to produce devices with similar capabilities that would be appropriate for school use.”
While the glasses give you freedom to interact with the AI world from virtually anywhere, they still fall under Solon High School’s electronic policy and cannot be seen or heard within SHS during the school day. Solon High School’s electronic policy states that “Electronic Devices may not be seen, heard or used between 7:50am – 2:55pm (this includes, but is not limited to cell phones, AirPods, headphones, smart watches, tablets, personal computers, etc.)” Where the glasses lack appropriate functionality is the absence of regulation surrounding the camera and AI technology which may lead to academic dishonesty, cyberbullying and overall misconduct.
Solon High School Principal Erin Short said the glasses are inappropriate and unsuitable for school usage.
“The problem is that those valuable tools are inseparable from features that directly conflict with our policies,” Short said. “The core issue is the always-on recording capability. As the glasses are currently designed, there is no way for us—as a school—to disable the camera and microphone.”
While Ames is open to and hopeful of the device’s potentials, the technology must fit within school code in order for it to be utilized within Solon High School.
“It is a technology device that I believe will evolve overtime and I hope that it can be something that would fit within the bounds of not only our school district policy, but other school’s technology policies as well,” Ames said.
