Ray-Ban and Facebook Ray-Ban is hoping to fix all of these design issues with their new smart glasses called Ray-Ban Stories launched in partnership with Facebook. The classic Wayfarer’s get a technological upgrade clubmaster with a discreet camera that can take photographs and videos through voice command or with a touch button on the temples. Ray-Ban Stories glasses also have speakers that let you listen to music in lieu of earbuds.
Ray-Ban Stories smart glasses weigh only about five grams more than the original Wayfarer design — that’s equivalent to the weight of about a teaspoon of salt. After testing a pair of Ray-Ban Stories for the past week, I’m impressed with the build quality and how well they work. Initial pairing was easy, and syncing footage from the glasses back to the View app took only a few seconds through a Wi-Fi connection the glasses initiate.
Prizm lenses come in both polarized and non-polarized options, plus there are sport-specific Prizms that cater to the visual environments of each activity. For example, Prizm Golf lenses enhance greens and browns while Prizm Deep Water filters out blues, adding reds and greens for better contrast on the open ocean. What you might not know is that Chromance lenses use the same technology as Oakley’s Prizm (courtesy of the fact that they’re both Luxottica companies).
The WIRED conversation illuminates how technology is changing every aspect of our lives—from culture to business, science to design. The breakthroughs and innovations that we uncover lead to new ways of thinking, new connections, and new industries. Facebook’s slowness may have been intentional; Andrew Bosworth, who runs the company’s Reality Labs, ray ban caravan has said multiple times that the company doesn’t want to “surprise” people as it introduces new technologies. This has been in response to Facebook’s move-fast-and-break-things mantra, its questionable data-collection practices, and its cascade of somewhat impotent privacy settings. Where Facebook goes next with glasses is the interesting part.
As ambitious as they may seem, Ray-Ban Stories are also yet another example of how Facebook seemingly can’t help but imitate Snapchat, which has been dabbling in smart glasses since 2016. Even their name hearkens back to the social story format that Snap kicked off and was later copied by Facebook, Instagram and pretty much every other social media outfit. But at this point, I don’t think Facebook cares if everyone calls them copycats if it ultimately leads to more engagement. And, well, we know how much Mark Zuckerberg wants to transform it into a “metaverse company.” As with any new device, we have a big responsibility to help people feel comfortable and provide peace of mind, and that goes not only for device owners but the people around them, too.