Ray-Ban Stories are
smartglasses
Smartglasses or smart glasses are eye or head-worn wearable computers that offer useful capabilities to the user. Many smartglasses include displays that add information alongside or to what the wearer sees. Alternatively, smartglasses are some ...
created as a collaboration between
Meta Platforms
Meta Platforms, Inc., (file no. 3835815) trade name, doing business as Meta and formerly named Facebook, Inc., and TheFacebook, Inc., is an American multinational technology conglomerate based in Menlo Park, California. The company owns Facebo ...
and
EssilorLuxottica
EssilorLuxottica SA is a French vertically integrated multinational corporation based in Paris and founded on 1 October 2018 from the merger of the Italian Luxottica with the French Essilor. The group designs, produces and markets ophthalmic len ...
. The product includes two cameras, open-ear speakers, a microphone, and touchpad, all built into the frame.
The glasses, announced in August 2020 and released on September 9, 2021, had a controversial reception stemming from
mistrust
Distrust is a formal way of not trusting any one party too much in a situation of grave risk or deep doubt. It is commonly expressed in civics as a division or balance of powers, or in politics as means of validating treaty terms. Systems based o ...
over
Facebook’s privacy scandals.
The small size of the recording indicator light has also led to controversy post-release.
Ray-Ban Stories are the latest in a line of smartglasses released by major companies including
Snap Inc
Snap Inc. is an American camera and social media company, founded on September 16, 2011, by Evan Spiegel, Bobby Murphy, and Reggie Brown based in Santa Monica, California. The company developed and maintains technological products and services, ...
and
Google
Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...
and are designed as one component of Facebook’s plans for a
metaverse
In science fiction, the "metaverse" is a hypothetical iteration of the Internet as a single, universal, and immersive virtual world that is facilitated by the use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) headsets. In colloquial usage, ...
. Unlike smart glasses previously created by other companies, the Ray-Ban Stories do not include any
HUD
Hud or HUD may refer to:
Entertainment
* ''Hud'' (1963 film), a 1963 film starring Paul Newman
* ''Hud'' (1986 film), a 1986 Norwegian film
* ''HUD'' (TV program), or ''Heads Up Daily'', a Canadian e-sports television program
Places
* Hud, Fa ...
or
AR head-mounted display
A head-mounted display (HMD) is a display device, worn on the head or as part of a helmet (see Helmet-mounted display for aviation applications), that has a small display optic in front of one (monocular HMD) or each eye ( binocular HMD). An H ...
.
Partnership and release
![Ray-Ban_Stories](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/bf/Ray-Ban_Stories.jpg)
The partnership between EssilorLuxottica,
Ray-Ban
Ray-Ban is an American-Italian brand of luxury sunglasses and eyeglasses created in 1936 by Bausch & Lomb. The brand is known for its Wayfarer and Aviator lines of sunglasses. In 1999, Bausch & Lomb sold the brand to Italian eyewear conglomerate ...
's parent company, and Facebook to create the first generation of Ray-Ban Stories was publicly announced on September 20, 2020 by CEO
Mark Zuckerberg
Mark Elliot Zuckerberg (; born ) is an American business magnate, internet entrepreneur, and philanthropist. He is known for co-founding the social media website Facebook and its parent company Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook, Inc.), o ...
during the seventh annual Facebook Connect conference. During the
keynote
A keynote in public speaking is a talk that establishes a main underlying theme. In corporate or commercial settings, greater importance is attached to the delivery of a keynote speech or keynote address. The keynote establishes the framework fo ...
video, Zuckerberg described several new Facebook innovations, such as the
Oculus Quest 2
Meta Quest 2 (initially sold as Oculus Quest 2) is a virtual reality (VR) headset developed by Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook, Inc.). It was unveiled on September 16, 2020 and released on October 13.
As with its predecessor, the Oculus Que ...
, a new
augmented reality
Augmented reality (AR) is an interactive experience that combines the real world and computer-generated content. The content can span multiple sensory modalities, including visual, auditory, haptic, somatosensory and olfactory. AR can be de ...
division called Project Aria, and the Ray-Ban Stories themselves.
In the following year after its initial announcement, Zuckerberg and Facebook
Chief Technology Officer Andrew Bosworth
Andrew "Boz" Bosworth is an American business executive who has been Chief Technology Officer of Meta since 2022.
After graduating from Harvard University in 2004, he worked as a developer on Microsoft Visio for almost two years, then joined Mar ...
would hint at a 2021 release date through FPV (first person view) video clips appearing to be taken using a Ray-Ban Stories prototype.
On September 9th, 2021, Facebook launched Ray-Ban Stories, which were touted as the company’s first product related to its plans for a metaverse.
Development
![Ray-Ban_Stories_on_user](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a2/Ray-Ban_Stories_on_user.jpg)
According to Facebook, the
Luxottica
Luxottica Group S.p.A. is an Italian eyewear conglomerate and the world's largest company in the eyewear industry. It is based in Milan, Italy.
Luxottica is a vertically integrated company, which has been described as a monopoly—it designs, m ...
team re-engineered the components of the glasses to fit technology such as: a set of micro-speakers, a three-microphone audio array, an optimized
Snapdragon® processor, a capacitive touchpad, and a battery. As the glasses are very small, their size caused the engineers to miniaturize each component.
Facebook also states that their engineers used a bass-reflex system in developing the microphones to improve audio quality. For the camera system, an extensive
image processing pipeline
An image is a visual representation of something. It can be two-dimensional, three-dimensional, or somehow otherwise feed into the visual system to convey information. An image can be an artifact, such as a photograph or other two-dimensiona ...
was utilized to produce high quality video.
To find a viable charging solution, Facebook said they explored multiple solutions and created 20 engineering
validation tests to ensure the charging worked.
To address privacy concerns of users and those around them, engineers said they created a hardware power switch and a hardwired LED light to indicate when the camera is recording.
Components and features
Hardware
![Ray-Ban_Stories_charging_mechanism](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Ray-Ban_Stories_charging_mechanism.jpg)
Ray-Ban Stories glasses come in three designs; Round,
Wayfarer, and Meteor.
Each of these designs come in up to six colors with
polarized, transitioning, blue-light filtering, and single or
progressive prescription lenses.
The glasses also come with two cameras- one for pictures and one video- and connect to the phone with
Bluetooth
Bluetooth is a short-range wireless technology standard that is used for exchanging data between fixed and mobile devices over short distances and building personal area networks (PANs). In the most widely used mode, transmission power is limi ...
.
Photos and videos are automatically stored on the users Facebook account, so an account is necessary for these glasses.
The temples of the frames contain speakers and microphones which are used for Facebook Assistant voice control.
On the top of the right temple there is a
touchpad
A touchpad or trackpad is a pointing device featuring a tactile sensor, a specialized surface that can translate the motion and position of a user's fingers to a relative position on the operating system that is made output to the screen. Touchp ...
for touch control to either take a 30 second video by tapping once or take a photo by holding down on the touchpad.
Every pair comes with a charging case and
USB-C
USB-C (properly known as USB Type-C) is a 24-pin USB connector system with a rotationally symmetrical connector. The designation C refers only to the connector's physical configuration or form factor and should not be confused with the conne ...
charging cable, which can fully charge the glasses in just over an hour with three hours of battery life.
The cameras, microphones, speakers, and touchpad are all connected to a Qualcomm Snapdragon® processor. There is also a corresponding Facebook view app.
Compatibility
Stories are compatible with
IOS
iOS (formerly iPhone OS) is a mobile operating system created and developed by Apple Inc. exclusively for its hardware. It is the operating system that powers many of the company's mobile devices, including the iPhone; the term also includes ...
and
Android.
They currently work with
IOS 13
iOS 13 is the thirteenth major release of the iOS mobile operating system developed by Apple Inc. for their iPhone, iPod Touch, and HomePod lines. The successor to iOS 12 on those devices, it was announced at the company's Worldwide Developer ...
and
Android 8.1 and later and do not have
backwards compatibility
Backward compatibility (sometimes known as backwards compatibility) is a property of an operating system, product, or technology that allows for interoperability with an older legacy system, or with input designed for such a system, especially i ...
.
They support Bluetooth 5.0.
The Ray-Ban Stories connect to
Wi-Fi 802.11ac.
Facebook view app
To view, manage, and edit content captured on Ray-Ban Stories, Facebook released the Facebook View mobile app on August 23, 2021 in both the
Apple App Store
The App Store is an app store platform, developed and maintained by Apple Inc., for mobile apps on its iOS and iPadOS operating systems. The store allows users to browse and download approved apps developed within Apple's iOS Software Deve ...
and
Google Play Store
Google Play, also known as the Google Play Store and formerly the Android Market, is a digital distribution service operated and developed by Google. It serves as the official app store for certified devices running on the Android operating sys ...
. When using the app, users are prompted to log in with their Facebook account before pairing their Ray-Ban Stories to get access to sharing and management features. Current features on the app include importing, editing, and formatting photos and videos shot on Ray-Ban Stories for sharing on Facebook affiliated products such as
Instagram
Instagram is a photo and video sharing social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. The app allows users to upload media that can be edited with filters and organized by hashtags and geographical tagging. Posts can ...
,
Messenger
''MESSENGER'' was a NASA robotic space probe that orbited the planet Mercury between 2011 and 2015, studying Mercury's chemical composition, geology, and magnetic field. The name is a backronym for "Mercury Surface, Space Environment, Geoche ...
,
WhatsApp
WhatsApp (also called WhatsApp Messenger) is an internationally available freeware, cross-platform, centralized instant messaging (IM) and voice-over-IP (VoIP) service owned by American company Meta Platforms (formerly Facebook). It allows us ...
, and other social media sites. The app also shows the Stories’ battery percentage.
Specifications
* Dual 5MP cameras (One photo, one video)
* Photo captures 2592x1944px
* Video captures 1184 x 1184 at 30fps
* 2 Micro Speakers
* 3 Microphone array
* Touch Controls
* Facebook claims there is memory for more than 500 photos and 30 videos, but there is no solid number available currently
*
Qualcomm Snapdragon
Snapdragon is a suite of system on a chip (SoC) semiconductor products for mobile devices designed and marketed by Qualcomm Technologies Inc. The Snapdragon's central processing unit (CPU) uses the ARM architecture. A single SoC may include mu ...
processor
Privacy concerns
Commentators have raised concerns about the potential invasion of privacy.
Without prior knowledge of the product, the glasses could be confused for a regular pair of
Ray-Ban sunglasses by individuals in close proximity to the user.
Another feature that poses a potential privacy concern has to do with the device’s listening capabilities. Individuals have voiced concerns about the ability of our
smart device
A smart device is an electronic device, generally connected to other devices or networks via different wireless protocols (such as Bluetooth, Zigbee, near-field communication, Wi-Fi, LiFi, or 5G) that can operate to some extent interactively and ...
s to record and listen to us, with or without our permission. However, Facebook alleges that the glasses are only able to listen to the user after hearing the “Hey, Facebook” wake phrase, which in turn will alert the glasses to one of three commands, take a photo, record a video, or stop recording.
Additionally, in light of the recent privacy and security breaches happening at Facebook, there has been a growing number of concerns over how data is stored and retrieved from different devices.
Facebook, in response to this concern, stated that they will not be able to access the content captured via Ray-Ban Stories without authorization from the user. In contrast to this, the Facebook View app says that the user's voice commands could be sent to Facebook unless the user explicitly opts out.
According to the company, this data would be used to "personalize" the user's experience.
The company also shared that it has a team dedicated to
encrypting
In cryptography, encryption is the process of encoding information. This process converts the original representation of the information, known as plaintext, into an alternative form known as ciphertext. Ideally, only authorized parties can deci ...
photos and data in order to prevent cyber hacking.
The concern that has generated the most vocal response- including concerns from Facebook’s lead privacy regulator in Europe, the Irish Data Protection Committee (DPC), centers on the effectiveness of the glasses at alerting other individuals when they are being photographed or recorded.
Facebook claims that the
LED light
An LED lamp or LED light bulb is an electric light that produces light using light-emitting diodes (LEDs). LED lamps are significantly more energy-efficient than equivalent incandescent lamps
and can be significantly more efficient than mos ...
feature in the upper right hand corner of the glasses is able to notify individuals that the person wearing the glasses is recording a video or capturing a photo from up to 25 feet away.
However, the article issued by Facebook does not mention anything about the implications if a user were to cover the LED light.
Nonetheless, the article released by the company does mention some suggested good practices for safety and being a good community member, including: respecting people’s preferences, explaining how the LED light works, not capturing images while operating a vehicle, and powering off the glasses in private spaces.
Competition
Facebook introduced Ray-Ban Stories in a competitive market filled with products from other technology giants.
In 2013, Google released
Google Glass
Google Glass, or simply Glass, is a brand of smart glasses developed and sold by Google. It was developed by X (previously Google X), with the mission of producing an ubiquitous computer. Google Glass displays information to the wearer using ...
which was the first product in this space created by the big tech firms. In 2016, Snap, Inc. launched the first generation
Spectacles
Glasses, also known as eyeglasses or spectacles, are vision eyewear, with lenses (clear or tinted) mounted in a frame that holds them in front of a person's eyes, typically utilizing a bridge over the nose and hinged arms (known as temples o ...
which were glasses that had a camera that syncs photos and videos to users' phones. Snap followed up with a second version in 2018, and a third version in 2019. There are also rumors that
Apple
An apple is an edible fruit produced by an apple tree (''Malus domestica''). Apple fruit tree, trees are agriculture, cultivated worldwide and are the most widely grown species in the genus ''Malus''. The tree originated in Central Asia, wh ...
and
Microsoft
Microsoft Corporation is an American multinational technology corporation producing computer software, consumer electronics, personal computers, and related services headquartered at the Microsoft Redmond campus located in Redmond, Washing ...
are developing their own augmented reality or tech-assisted glasses.
See also
*
Smartglasses
Smartglasses or smart glasses are eye or head-worn wearable computers that offer useful capabilities to the user. Many smartglasses include displays that add information alongside or to what the wearer sees. Alternatively, smartglasses are some ...
**
Google Glass
Google Glass, or simply Glass, is a brand of smart glasses developed and sold by Google. It was developed by X (previously Google X), with the mission of producing an ubiquitous computer. Google Glass displays information to the wearer using ...
- Smartglasses developed by Google
**
Spectacles (product)
Spectacles are smartglasses dedicated to recording video for the Snapchat service. This term is often used to address sunglasses and eyeglasses. They feature a camera lens and are capable of recording short video segments and syncing with a smar ...
- AR smart glasses by Snapchat
**
EyeTap
An EyeTap is a concept for a wearable computing device that is worn in front of the eye that acts as a camera to record the scene available to the eye as well as a display to superimpose computer-generated imagery on the original scene availabl ...
– eye-mounted camera and head-up display (HUD)
**
Golden-i
The Golden-i platform consists of multiple mobile wireless wearable headset computers operated by voice commands and head movements. It was developed at Kopin Corporation by a team led by Jeffrey Jacobsen, chief Golden-i architect and senior ddviso ...
– head-mounted computer
**
Microsoft HoloLens
Microsoft HoloLens is an augmented reality (AR)/ mixed reality (MR) headset developed and manufactured by Microsoft. HoloLens runs the Windows Mixed Reality platform under the Windows 10 operating system. Some of the positional tracking techn ...
– Windows 10 based AR unit, with high-definition 3D optical head-mounted display and spatial sound
**
Looxcie Looxcie was a mobile-connected, handsfree, streaming video camera created by Looxcie, Inc., a privately owned Sunnyvale, California company. The Looxcie video camera was named a top 50 best invention of 2010 by ''Time Magazine'' (November 2010), and ...
– ear-mounted streaming video camera
**
Oculus Rift
Oculus Rift is a discontinued line of virtual reality headsets developed and manufactured by Oculus VR, a division of Meta Platforms, released on March 28, 2016.
In 2012 Oculus initiated a Kickstarter campaign to fund the Rift's development, af ...
– wide field of view virtual reality (VR) goggles with low latency head tracking
**
Pristine – enterprise video collaboration and support software
**
SixthSense
SixthSense is a gesture-based wearable computer system developed at MIT Media Lab by Steve Mann in 1994 and 1997 (headworn gestural interface), and 1998 (neckworn version), and further developed by Pranav Mistry (also at MIT Media Lab), in 200 ...
– wearable AR device
**
Virtual retinal display
A virtual retinal display (VRD), also known as a retinal scan display (RSD) or retinal projector (RP), is a display technology that draws a raster display (like a television) directly onto the retina of the eye.
History
In the past similar sy ...
– display technology that projects images directly onto the retina
**
Vuzix
Vuzix () is an American multinational technology company headquartered in Rochester, New York. Founded in 1997 by Paul Travers, Vuzix is a supplier of wearable display technology, virtual reality, and augmented reality. Vuzix manufactures and se ...
– augmented reality smart glasses
* Privacy Concerns
**
Criticism of Facebook
Facebook (and parent company Meta Platforms) has been the subject of criticism and legal action. Criticisms include the outsize influence Facebook has on the lives and health of its users and employees, as well as Facebook's influence on the wa ...
**
Privacy concerns with Facebook www
Meta Platforms Inc., or Meta for short, (formerly known as Facebook) has faced a number of privacy concerns. These stem partly from the company’s revenue model that involves selling information collected about its users for many things inclu ...
**
Facebook–Cambridge Analytica data scandal
In the 2010s, personal data belonging to millions of Facebook users was collected without their consent by British consulting firm Cambridge Analytica, predominantly to be used for political advertising.
The data was collected through an app ca ...
*
Metaverse
In science fiction, the "metaverse" is a hypothetical iteration of the Internet as a single, universal, and immersive virtual world that is facilitated by the use of virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) headsets. In colloquial usage, ...
External links
Discover Ray-Ban StoriesRay-Ban Stories- official site
References
{{improve categories, date=September 2021
Facebook software
Wearable devices