That’s why we baked privacy directly into the product design and functionality of the full experience, from the start. The most compelling part of Ray-Ban Stories is the form factor. I’ve tried a bunch of smart glasses over the years, and these are by far the most comfortable. You’ll also be able to get them with prescription lenses (although my ability to test the glasses was limited since the clubmaster pair Facebook sent me to try didn’t have my prescription and I don’t wear contacts). That’s because tucked into the stems of the glasses are also discreet speakers, which mean that you can listen to music without anyone even realising. They’ll play music into your ears – but also allow you to take calls, all without needing to pluck your phone out of your pocket or stop what you’re doing.
Streamlined, open-ear speakers are built in, and Ray-Ban Stories’ three-microphone audio array delivers richer voice and sound transmission for calls and videos. Beamforming technology and a background noise suppression algorithm provide for an enhanced calling experience like you’d expect from dedicated headphones. The smart glasses are designed with two 5MP cameras, which you can use to take photos and record videos as long as 30 seconds. To capture a moment, either click the capture button on the frame or use Facebook Assistant voice commands — just say “Hey Facebook” and direct the device to snap a shot or start recording. Still, I was surprised by how smooth video footage looked; it reminded me of YouTube professionals like J. It was also nice to have both hands free to capture fleeting moments of play with my daughter.
I also had trouble using the touchpad, which often interpreted my attempts to turn the volume up as pausing the music, or turned it down rather than up. Then again, we’re already in a world where our phones take photos all the time. But that doesn’t mean that camera glasses are an acceptable social norm, either. Facebook’s glasses pair via Bluetooth using the new Facebook View app, like a smartwatch. The glasses’ right arm is a touch surface, so I can tap, double-tap and triple-tap to accept or end calls, play and pause, and skip tracks.
At this point, you can edit and share photos and videos directly to Facebook or Instagram, or usher them out of the walled garden by adding them to your photo roll. The glasses’ nicest surprise might be the tiny speakers embedded in the rear of each temple. These not only provide audible cues for media capture, but let you stream music from clubmaster your phone into your ears. Playing music through the glasses tends to eat up the battery, though. After one three-hour session using the glasses to take sporadic photos and video, Peter’s battery was still at 70 percent. Lauren noticed, when she accidentally had music streaming to her glasses, that battery life drained more quickly.
I was less impressed with the Stories’ photo quality, but I suppose it could be useful if you wanted to take a pic without pulling out your phone. You can import your photos and videos from the smart glasses into Facebook View, a new app that lets you quickly edit your media and share it to practically every social media site (yes, even Snapchat!). Ray-Ban Stories’ dual integrated 5MP cameras let you capture life’s moments as they happen from a unique first-person perspective. The social network on Thursday showed off the glasses, called Ray-Ban Stories—a direct rival to Snapchat’s Spectacles. The $299 Facebook glasses, which use EssilorLuxottica SA-owned Ray-Ban’s classic Wayfarer frame style, let users take photos and video, listen to music and answer phone calls.
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I was able to say “Hey Facebook, take a photo” or “Hey Facebook, take a video” and the glasses understood me. You can also short press a button on the top of the right temple of the glasses to shoot a video or press and hold the button for a photo. Facebook’s glasses look fashionable, not dorky, and aren’t obviously equipped with technology.
I was able to take a number of photos and videos of my kids that are usually tough to catch while we’re roughhousing. Ray-Ban Stories are surprisingly good for listening to music or making phone calls. The audio sounded crisp and dynamic during a nature walk, while not obscuring the sounds of birds and squirrels. I was a bit self-conscious while listening to tunes, though, since I could tell that anyone within a few feet could hear bits of the music.