Facebook has also tapped the wearable smart tech market. In collaboration with Ray-Ban, they’ve created Ray-Ban Stories. But you might be wondering, am I safe when I use this? And what does it do?
The Ray-Ban Stories
On Sept 9, 2021, the social media network announced that it launched Ray-Ban Stories. It’s a pair of glasses like no other. Instead of the regular wayfarers, these glasses are packed with features like:
- Take photos and videos
- Share your adventures
- Answer phone calls
- Listen to music
To use the glasses, you need the Facebook View app. You can capture photos and upload them directly to Facebook View. Plus, you can even share your content on other social networking sites, namely Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Snapchat. Moreover, you can also sync your photos to your phone, which you can edit further.
Features and Styles
- Comes in different glasses styles: Wayfarer, Large, Round, and Meteor
- Available in different colors and lenses, including prescription, transition, clear, and sun
- 5 MP camera
- Portable charging case giving you three days worth of use
- Micro-speakers
- Microphones
- Snapdragon processor
Where are the Facebook glasses available?
Only select stores in the US, UK, Australia, Canada, Ireland, and Italy carry the smart glasses. The price for these glasses starts at $299.
Do Facebook Glasses Ensure Your Privacy?
Well, you know it’s Facebook. Privacy is not exactly the tech company’s strong suit. Despite their bad reputation, they have privacy features built in the glasses.
Settings control is one privacy feature. You can control what you share and your preferences. Plus, Facebook Assistant is optional, and you can always turn it on or off.
Another feature is data collection. This one may enhance hesitancy and buying the glasses, but here are the data they collect from you:
- Battery life
- Facebook login credentials (email and password) for verification
- Wifi
- Number of images captured
- Video taking duration
For hardware, they have a power switch for the cameras and microphones. Plus, they installed a white light to notify other people that you’re taking a photo.
And those ads that you see on Facebook? Nope, these glasses won’t have any ads that would bother your viewing experience. Aside from that, you won’t have personalized ads on Facebook and other social networking sites.
Finally, if you lose your glasses (we hope not, though!), your photos will be deleted thanks to the encryption they installed.
However, Dan Howley from Yahoo Finance tried the glasses and mentioned that people in public could hear you when you’re on a call. Plus, the music you blast on your smart glasses will also be heard.
Long story short, you’ll look stylish with Ray-Bans, and you’ll have privacy in certain areas.
How Do Ray-Ban Stories Compare to Others?
Facebook’s glasses aren’t the first smart glasses available to the public. For one, Google released one of the first glasses—Google Glass. In 2013, the public got a glimpse of what smart glasses would be like. However, it was met with criticism due to privacy concerns. The tech company discontinued the glasses but released an Enterprise version in 2017.
Manufacturing and logistics have used Google Glass to make their systems more efficient. Plus, healthcare has used Google Glass to treat patients.
Amazon also has its pair of smart glasses, the Echo Frames. You can sync it with their virtual assistant, Alexa. Similar to Facebook’s glasses, Echo Frames care about the wearer’s privacy. However, its edge over the Ray-Ban Stories is it will minimize audio when you’re on a call or listening to audiobooks, podcasts, or music. Plus, it will also adjust volume, depending on the noise levels wherever you are. In addition, their glasses are also water and sweat-resistant.
One other competitor to the Ray-Ban glasses is Vue. Similar to the Echo Frames and Ray-Ban Stories, you can listen to music and take calls. You can connect Vue to your Bluetooth to answer calls. Plus, Vue has blue light lenses for those who have their eyes glued to the screen for a long time.
