Last week, I walked into my home office in the morning and opened the blinds to see a beautiful bird sitting on the windowsill outside. It had a long beak, brown feathers with speckles, and it seemed like a juvenile. Instead of just enjoying the moment, I reached for my phone, and the sudden movement prompted the bird to fly away.
Instead, if I had been wearing the new Meta Ray-Ban Glasses, I could instead have taken a photo or video of the bird with a slight flick of the wrist while also asking Meta to identify the bird. The technology is now at the level that it reduces barriers between you and the world instead of adding them.
I’m fortunate to have 20/20 vision; I’ve never worn glasses beyond sunglasses (which I also generally avoid unless the sun is actively irritating my eyes). So this is the first time I’ve been intrigued by the possibility of wearing glasses on occasion.
It isn’t just the built-in camera. The glasses can also zoom in and magnify anything you’re looking at. In real time they can caption (words projected on the glasses that only you can see) the person you’re looking at–while even translating what they’re saying–and potentially save the captioned text. The glasses can show you directions while walking down the street or a recipe while you cook. Speakers are built into the part of the glasses that rest on your ears.
Am I actually going to buy an $800 pair of glasses with this fascinating technology? Probably not. But they’re starting to sound nearly as revolutionary as the smartphone. I can only imagine how much further they’ll develop in just a few years.
What do you think? Would you wear a pair of glasses like this?
I would definitely wear a pair of glasses like this but one that is not made by Meta.
Which feature (that exist or could exist) are you the most excited about?
The ability to get instant information on anything I’m looking at, that’s very cool. I would also like a Terminator 2 mode… like the glasses Arnold wore in the movie, the ability to scan anything and anyone. Creepy but cool and could be useful.
So, Jamey, unlike you, my friend, I’ve been myopic my entire life. Having said that, yes, like the television set, VCRs, and iPhones, I can see (no pun intended) this technology plummeting in price if the early adopters really like it and the producers make more. In short, yes, I would wear these in a heartbeat.