Facebook’s New Camera Glasses Are Stylish and Easy to Use

The tech giant has partnered with Ray-Ban to develop a pair of camera-equipped Wayfarers. They are called Ray-Ban stories and are going on sale for $299. You can find them pretty much anywhere Ray-Bans are sold – including Sunglasses Hut stores and LensCrafters.

Facebook’s latest launch is a pair of photo and video capturing sunglasses known as Ray-Ban stories. It is a product collaboration between two globally recognized brands – Facebook and Ray-Ban. This is Facebook’s first piece of wearable tech that is designed for casual use. The sunglasses are designed for a smooth and easy media capture of everything around you – and it does just that.

The frames feature two-front facing cameras and they sync with a camera roll application known as Facebook View. The app can be used to edit the recorded clips and share them with other apps on your phone. The glasses come with a button on the sides for recording. Or you can also say, ‘Hey Facebook, take a video’ to manage them hands-free.

But more importantly, they completely look and feel like regular glasses and can be used by anyone. However, this ease in usage comes with its own set of apprehensions. 

Nevertheless, let’s take a look at some of the features it offers.

·       They weigh 49.3 grams and are quite comfortable to handle.

·       They look very stylish and do not look like they are tech-laden shades.

·       The arms of the glasses are equipped with a power button, a capture button, two tiny speakers, three-microphone arrays, and a touch panel.

·       There are two 5-megapixel cameras on the front of the specs along with an LED indicator light that lets people know that the wearer is recording.

·       The speakers not only provide audible cues for media capture but also let you stream music from your phone into your ears.

Media capturing is extremely easy with the glasses. To take a photo, you long-press the button, and the shutter sound confirms that a photo has been snapped. If you press quickly on the same button, the glasses will start recording a 30-second video.

The photos measure 2592 x 1944 pixels and the videos come out crisp and stable. You can use the glasses as a temporary WiFi hotspot for faster sharing and edit them easily through Facebook’s View app.

The broader implications of these smart glasses are yet to be explored. If they are eventually adopted by a lot of people, it could become a tool for stalking or have an adverse effect on public privacy. However, Facebook hopes that Ray-Ban Stories can avoid past mishaps and show that its keeping privacy in mind.