Tech

Ray-Ban’s Meta Sunglasses: A Fashion Choice for Influencers

(CTN NEWS) – In the realm of mixed-reality headsets, there exists an ideal device that bridges the gap between the Ray-Ban Meta and Meta Quest 3.

This hypothetical headset is characterized by its sleek, lightweight design, offering features like hand tracking, passthrough, and the ability to livestream video when needed.

It’s intended to be comfortably worn outdoors without drawing much attention, seamlessly transitioning to content capture when the moment arises.

At the present moment, the Ray-Ban Meta and Meta Quest 3 are distinct devices with minimal overlap, sharing only their head-worn nature and integrated sensors.

The Meta Quest 3, specifically designed for indoor use, is a lightweight mixed-reality headset. Wearing it outdoors might prove less enjoyable due to the circumstances.

This is where the Ray-Ban Meta excels, allowing freedom of movement outside the home while maintaining a discreet appearance.

Just before writing this piece, I casually donned a pair of Ray-Ban Meta glasses while en route to the JFK airport.

These glasses, though inconspicuous in design, stood out due to the fact that I was indoors wearing sunglasses.

Additionally, they featured essential recording lighting to prevent surreptitious photography without subjects’ knowledge.

Our initial encounter with the Ray-Ban Meta occurred during a pre-Connect conference briefing, where the design prowess of the collaborative team left a strong impression.

The Ray-Ban Meta’s industrial design seamlessly blends technology and style, to the point that most people would struggle to differentiate its charger from a typical Ray-Ban eyeglass case.

While it’s slightly thicker, a touch heavier, and more rigid than some cases, the team managed to keep compromises to a minimum.

This case incorporates several clever features. Instead of a snap closure, it utilizes a ring, which, when opened, emits a green glow to indicate a full charge and an orange one when the battery is not at its peak.

The orange light blinks when the battery is running low. The interior space is optimized to accommodate the battery directly beneath the folded temples of the glasses.

In front of this area, a dock with two flush charging pins interfaces with contact pads hidden on the glasses’ bridge, secured by magnets and a small tab.

The USB-C port is conveniently located on the exterior bottom of the case, allowing it to rest on its back while charging. Positioned just above this port on the rear of the case is the Bluetooth pairing button.

This newer case iteration is slimmer, making it easily pocketable and more comfortable to carry.

Meta specifies that the glasses offer “up to” four hours on a single charge, while the case can provide a total of eight charging cycles, totaling up to 36 hours of usage.

As with all tech, actual battery life may vary depending on use, configuration, settings, and various other factors. Notably, video consumption tends to be a more power-intensive activity.

The focus of this collaboration heavily leans into the style aspect, which is a smart decision when designing tech meant to be worn on the body.

The glasses come in two primary designs: the classic Wayfarer, which is likely the first image that comes to mind when thinking of sunglasses, and the new Headliner, which shares some similarities with the Wayfarer but features more pronounced curvature at the top and bottom.

According to Meta, there are 150 potential design combinations, taking into account various options such as frame color, style, and types of lenses, including sunglasses, clear, prescription, transitions, and polarized.

The temples of the glasses are slightly thicker than the average pair of sunglasses, a design choice dictated by the inclusion of speakers and other components (there’s a transparent option available if you want to take a look).

Nevertheless, the designers have managed to keep the size within reasonable limits.

While these glasses are marginally heavier than a typical pair of Wayfarers (50.8 g compared to 44 g), they remain comfortable for extended wear throughout the less than four hours of battery life.

The left temple of the glasses features a touchpad on the outside. A simple swipe gesture adjusts the volume, and users can customize other functions within the app.

This touchpad also serves as a control hub for livestreaming, eliminating the need to handle a phone or repeatedly use voice commands.

A quick tap allows users to check real-time comments and viewers on platforms like Instagram or Facebook, and the capture button is conveniently located next to the hinge on the left temple.

The end pieces of the glasses are equipped with two small circular modules, both similar in appearance for the sake of symmetry but performing distinct, though related, functions.

On the top right side (when facing the glasses) is a 12-megapixel camera, while the top left side features an LED indicator that alerts those around you when the glasses are recording.

When the LED light is covered, the glasses emit an audio alert to signal that recording has ceased, a precautionary measure to prevent users from simply covering the light with tape.

While Meta reported no specific incidents of light tampering, this feature underscores the paramount importance of privacy for a device like this, especially given that most people around you are likely unaware of its recording capabilities.

When the battery is running low, users will receive a spoken alert, and the light will flash orange and then turn red just before powering down.

The light also serves various purposes, such as blinking white when receiving a call, performing a single flash during a photo capture, and remaining steadily lit during video recording.

The pairing process is straightforward, with the glasses flashing blue during pairing and becoming solid when successfully connected.

Users must download the Meta View app, choose between Meta Ray-Ban and Ray-Ban Stories, and grant Bluetooth permissions.

Images and videos are stored in the glasses’ 32 GB of internal storage, which equates to approximately 500 photos or 100 videos, each with a maximum duration of 30 seconds.

To transfer content to a phone, users can tap “Import” within the app to connect via Wi-Fi or set up automatic imports in the settings.

Once the glasses are paired, wearing them and opening either Facebook or Instagram allows you to initiate a livestream.

By tapping the plus icon, you’ll access the livestream screen, with your phone’s camera as the default choice. However, a quick double press of the capture button seamlessly switches to the glasses’ camera.

Livestreaming stands out as one of the most significant features that was previously missing in Ray-Ban Stories.

The glasses are equipped with barely noticeable down-firing speakers located at the bottom of the temple tips. When tested in a quiet room, these speakers delivered surprisingly loud and clear audio.

These are open-ear speakers, distinct from bone conduction technology, which has its own set of advantages and drawbacks.

Bone conduction tends to be quieter but does a better job with ambient noise since it reaches your eardrums through a different mechanism.

In the bustling airport environment, it was expected that I’d need to turn up the volume quite a bit.

I would recommend using these glasses in quieter surroundings whenever possible, but of course, that’s not always feasible. Sound plays a crucial role in the glasses, extending beyond music listening.

For example, there’s an audible shutter click when taking a picture.

After familiarizing myself with the various button functions, using the glasses became effortless. During my time in Seattle, I decided to embrace my inner tourist and explore the video capture and photography capabilities.

I even dabbled in livestreaming on both Instagram and Facebook. The 12-megapixel still images are serviceable for impromptu shots.

They won’t be replacing my iPhone camera anytime soon, but the pictures are certainly suitable for social media, and the built-in machine learning does a commendable job of keeping subjects in focus, addressing one of my initial concerns.

However, there was some difficulty in achieving accurate color balance, particularly in the presence of neon signs’ red glow in the market.

I initiated a livestream from Pike Place Market in the morning. The experience is incredibly smooth, simply involving a switch from the phone’s camera to the Ray-Ban’s camera.

There’s no official word on when, or if, this functionality will extend to non-Meta owned platforms, but it wouldn’t be surprising if the company keeps it exclusive.

Surprisingly, as you walk around, your head naturally helps stabilize the shot.

Once again, it’s important to note that the 1080p video isn’t the best quality you’ll find on a mobile device, but it handles the mixed lighting conditions of Pike Place and the bright, overcast skies around the Space Needle quite well.

When wearing the glasses, you’ll likely find yourself making more head movements to take in your surroundings.

The glasses also exhibit strong audio performance, capturing both my voice and the ambient tourist sounds of my surroundings effectively.

If you decide to try these glasses, I would recommend thoroughly testing them before going live.

It’s surprisingly easy to momentarily forget you’re wearing them and accidentally look down at your phone or something else you wouldn’t want to be broadcast live on the internet.

As with most new computing platforms, there’s a learning curve involved.

The glasses feature built-in microphones that listen for the “hey Meta” wake word.

Voice commands make perfect sense for a device like this, allowing you to take a photo, start or stop video, and adjust volume (though it turns out voice control for volume adjustments can be a bit cumbersome).

You can also ask the glasses for the current time, weather conditions, and remaining battery life.

Furthermore, you can pose Alexa-style questions, and Meta AI will attempt to provide answers. Currently, this feature is only available in the U.S. through an open beta.

The pricing for the Ray-Ban Meta glasses starts at $299 for standard lenses, while polarized lenses are priced at $329, and transitions lenses at $379.

Prescription lenses are available at varying prices. The cost may indeed deter many potential buyers, and that’s entirely understandable.

Ultimately, you should consider how much value a face-worn camera will bring to your life. If you earn a living through livestreaming, it could be a sensible investment. However, for sheer novelty, it’s a significant expense.

It’s worth noting that future updates will enhance the device’s value, introducing features like sign translation (via voice) and the ability to identify landmarks in front of you.

The future of head-worn computing is visible on the horizon, but it will still take some time before we fully arrive there.

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Tech

US: A Judge Mandates that Google Allow Competing App Stores to Access Android

(VOR News) – The ruling is that Google, the greatest technology firm in the world, is required to make its Android smartphone operating system available to merchants that supply applications that are in direct rivalry with Google’s. This decision was reached by a judge in the United States of America.

The Android Play store, which is owned and operated by Google, was found to be an example of an illegal monopoly arrangement by a jury in the state of California on Monday. The finding was reached by a jury. Monday is the day that this decision was come to.

An earlier federal judge ruled Google’s search engine illegal.

This finding, which came after that decision, has forced the company to suffer yet another setback. As a result of the corporation having already encountered its initial obstacle, this decision has been established. This particular decision was made by the judge during the month of August, when the month was in progress.

In light of the fact that the decision was made, what exactly does it mean that the choice was accepted?

In accordance with the verdict, Google is obligated to make it possible for users to download Android app stores that are offered by third-party competitors. For a period of three years, the corporation is prohibited from imposing restrictions on the usage of payment mechanisms that are integrated into the application.

In addition, it is important to keep in mind that Google does not possess the right to impose restrictions on the utilization of ways to make payments online.

Additionally, the verdict makes it unlawful for Google to give money to manufacturers of smartphones in order to preinstall its app store. Smartphone manufacturers are prohibited from doing so.

Furthermore, it prevents Google from the possibility of sharing the revenue that is generated by the Play store with other companies that are in the industry of delivering mobile applications.

In addition to this, the court has mandated the establishment of a technical committee that will be made up of three different people chosen at random.

The committee will be responsible for monitoring the implementation of the reforms and finding solutions to any disagreements that may occur as a consequence of the implementation of the reforms while they are being implemented. This task will fall under the committee’s purview so that it may fulfill its duties.

However, certain components were allowed to be put into action until July 1st, despite the fact that the judge’s statement suggested that the ruling would take effect on November 1st. The statement was the basis for the ruling, which ultimately became effective.

Particularly, I wanted to know what Google’s reaction would be.

There is a fact that Google does not adhere to this directive, which has been brought to their attention. This document argued that the alterations that the judge had ordered to be made would “cause a range of unintended consequences that will harm American consumers, developers, and device makers.”

The judge had ordered the modifications to be implemented. The alterations were to be carried out as indicated by the judge’s ruling. The judge made it clear that he expected these revisions to be carried out in accordance with his guidance.

The company’s regulatory affairs vice president, Lee-Anne Mulholland, provided the following statement: “We look forward to continuing to make our case on appeal, and we will continue to advocate for what is best for developers, device manufacturers, and the billions of Android users around the world.”

On average, over seventy percent of the total market for smartphones and other mobile devices is comprised of mobile devices that are powered by the Android operating system. Both smartphones and other small mobile devices are included in this category.

In the event that the Play app store continues to be shown on the home page and that other Google applications are pre-installed prior to the installation of the Android application, smartphone manufacturers are entitled to install the Android application at no cost at their discretion.

Additionally, the Android application can be installed on devices that are manufactured for smartphones.

SOURCE: DWN

Tech

WhatsApp Now Features a “Mention” Tool for Status Updates and Stories.

(VOR News) – Those who use WhatsApp now have the ability to mention other people in their stories or status updates as a consequence of a feature that was only recently enabled on the platform.

Previous to this point, this capability was not available. It wasn’t until quite recently that this capability became available to the public.

According to the information that was provided by the company, users now have the opportunity to tag close friends in their stories, and the person who is mentioned will have the option to go back and re-share an earlier version of that story. This information was provided by the company. The corporation was kind enough to reveal this information to us.

Because of a new feature that has been added to the WhatsApp app, users now have the opportunity to like individual stories and status updates.

This capability was previously unavailable to WhatsApp users.

A significant amount of progress has been made in this context. Alternative readers now have the chance to “like” a work, which is comparable to liking a post on Facebook. This feature was introduced in recent years. When compared to the past, this is a tremendous shift.

At one point in time, viewers were only permitted to observe the total number of views that a particular story had gotten. These restrictions were eliminated in later versions of the software.

Additionally, it is essential that the likes and reactions to a story be kept anonymous during the entire process. One of the factors that contributes to the general mystery that surrounds this characteristic is the fact that this is one of the elements.

The person who brought it to the attention of others is the only person who will be able to judge who enjoyed it and who did not care about it. These individuals will be able to make this determination.

A notification will be issued to the individual who was referenced earlier in the sentence and who was named in the story or status update that was discussed. A notification of this nature will be sent to the individual via WhatsApp.

This message will be sent to the user in question whenever that person makes a reference to another person while they are in the process of elaborating on a narrative or updating their status. You will receive a notification alerting you that you have been tagged in the narrative.

This notification will be delivered to the person who receives this message. In addition, students will be provided with the opportunity to re-share the tale for themselves.

It is important to note that if the names of individuals who have been referenced in a narrative or a status update are included in any of these, then the names of those individuals will not be accessible to any third party through any of these. In light of the fact that the identities of those individuals will be concealed from public disclosure, this is the condition that will be required.

While WhatsApp recently made the announcement that it will be incorporating this functionality, it is highly likely that not all users will have access to it at the same time.

This is despite the fact that WhatsApp recently made this announcement.

Despite the fact that WhatsApp has only recently made a public announcement that it will move forward with the deployment, this is the situation that has presented itself.

As soon as a short period of time has elapsed, access will be made available to each and every person on the entire world.

Additionally, WhatsApp has hinted that new functionalities might be introduced to the status and updates tab in the future months.

The purpose of these capabilities is to provide users with assistance in maintaining healthy connections with the individuals who play a vital role in their living experiences. This is done in order to give users with support in maintaining close relationships with the folks who are the subject of the inquiry.

It is with the purpose of supporting users in successfully keeping close ties with the individuals in question that this step is taken.

SOURCE: DN

Tech

Over The Planned “Link Tax” Bill, Google Threatens to Remove NZ News Links.

(VOR News) – Google has sent a strong message to the New Zealand government, threatening to stop boosting local news content should the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill become law.

The law, put up by the Labour government and backed by the coalition in power at the moment, mandates that digital companies such as Google pay back news organizations for links to their material.

News publishers, on the other hand, charge the tech giant with “corporate bullying.”

Google says this measure may have unanticipated effects.

Google New Zealand’s country director, Caroline Rainsford, voiced her worries that the law, which is being referred to as a “link tax,” is not doing enough to support the media industry in New Zealand right now.

She underlined that Google would have to make major adjustments if the previously mentioned law were to pass, including cutting off links to news articles from its Search, News, and Discover platforms and cutting off financial ties with regional publications.

According to Rainsford, similar legislation has been proposed and approved in other nations including Australia and Canada, but it has not been proven to be effective there and breaches the principles of the open web.

She drew attention to the fact that smaller media outlets will be most negatively impacted, which will limit their capacity to reach prospective audiences.

Google says its alternative options will protect smaller, local media from negative effects.

Conversely, it conveys apprehension regarding the possible fiscal obligations and vagueness of the legislation, which it feels generates an intolerable level of ambiguity for enterprises functioning within New Zealand.

The New Zealand News Publishers Association (NPA) has reacted to Google’s warnings by alleging that the internet behemoth is using coercive tactics.

They specifically contend that the need for regulation stems from the market distortion that Google and other tech giants have created, which has fueled their expansion into some of the most significant corporations in global history.

The legislation aims to create a more equal framework that media businesses can use to negotiate commercial relationships with technological platforms that profit from their content.

New Zealand Media Editors CEO Michael Boggs stated that he was in favor of the bill, citing the fact that Google now makes a substantial profit from material created by regional publications.

He also emphasized that the use of artificial intelligence by Google—which frequently makes references to news articles without giving credit to the original sources—highlights the significance of enacting legislation.

Paul Goldsmith, the Minister of Media and Communications, has stated that the government is now evaluating various viewpoints and is still in the consultation phase.

He stated that the government and Google have been having continuous talks and will keep up these ongoing discussions.

However, not all political parties accept the validity of the Act.

The ACT Party’s leader, David Seymour, has voiced his displeasure of the proposal, saying that Google is a game the government is “playing chicken” with. He threatened the smaller media companies, saying that they would suffer from worse search engine rankings if the internet giant followed through on its promises.

Seymour contended that it is not the government’s responsibility to shield companies from shifts in the market brought about by consumer preferences.

The things that have happened in other nations are similar to what has happened in New Zealand.

Google has agreements with a number of Australian media firms that are in compliance with its News Media Bargaining Code. These agreements contain provisions that permit an annual cancellation of these agreements.

Due to the government’s decision to exempt Google from the Online News Act, the company has committed to supporting news dissemination by contributing annually to the Canadian journalistic community.

The New Zealand measure is consistent with global approaches aimed at regulating the relationships that exist between technology corporations and media organizations.

It’s hard to say what will happen with the Fair Digital News Bargaining Bill as the discussion goes on. Google and the New Zealand media landscape are preparing for what might be a protracted legal battle.

SOURCE: TET