Facebook Launches Smart Glasses With Ray

The glasses don’t talk to me when I say, “Hey, Facebook.” They just make little approving beeps or confused beeps to indicate understanding. There’s a light inside the glasses, too, for battery status and as a recording indicator. That light goes on when it’s recording, right near one of the camera lenses in the corners. Ray-Ban Stories are available in three frame styles, and you can choose between different colors and lenses, too. Upgrade and repair your Ray-Ban sunglasses with replacement lenses from Revant, designed to match the quality of your original Ray-Ban lenses at a fraction of the cost of new sunglasses. Facebook and Ray-Ban are also playing up the Stories’ audio features.

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 ray ban new wayfarer 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.

Apple is working on its own AR glasses that are still several years out. In June of last year, Google bought the AR glasses startup North, signaling its interest in re-entering the consumer market after Google Glass failed nearly a decade ago. The deal was sealed when Zuckerberg flew to Milan in early 2019 to meet with Leonardo Del Vecchio, Luxottica’s founder and chairman.

Introduced to the silver screen in 1961, and appearing throughout hundreds of films since then, Ray-Ban sunglasses have been a favorite on the Hollywood scene for years, both on and off the screen. With a range of men’s and women’s designer glasses, you don’t have to wait until summer to break out your signature Ray-Bans. This product’s price has not been finalized and is subject to change.

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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 ray ban caravan 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.

Despite a teaser video recently posted by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg showing him out in the ocean with them on, the glasses aren’t designed to get wet. Starting Thursday, the first pair of smart glasses made by Facebook and Ray-Ban are going on sale for $299. They’re called Ray-Ban Stories, and you’ll be able to find them pretty much anywhere Ray-Bans are sold, including LensCrafters and Sunglasses Hut stores. With almost a century of experience manufacturing quality eyewear, Ray-Ban remains a global leader in sun and prescription lens technology. Three iconic Ray-Ban frames merge with Facebook technology to create the latest in wearable tech. Discover the first generation of Ray-Ban smart glasses that keeps you connected.

The Ray-Ban Stories are fully compatible with prescription lenses. The glasses will start at $299, with polarized and transition lens options coming in at a higher price point. A white LED lights up on the top right of the glasses when users take a photo or video to indicate the glasses are shooting a photo or video.

Your best chance of finding a specific pair of Ray-Ban frames with prescription sunglass lenses is to shop with an authorized dealer who offers a wide selection of them, like FramesDirect.com. Ray-Ban was founded in 1937 by the American Company Bausch & Lomb, and is best known for its Wayfarer and Aviator styles of sunglasses. The sunglasses were developed in response to a request from the US military because pilots were reporting headaches and altitude sickness due to the intense blue and white hues of the sky.