All Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Users Get Live Translation, Live AI Coming Soon

[MacRumors]

Meta today announced that it is rolling out a new live translation feature to all Ray-Ban Meta glasses users, providing wide access to functionality that was previously only available to early access users in a beta capacity.

Live translation supports English, French, Italian, and Spanish, allowing users to translate between those languages in real-time while having a conversation. As long as a particular language pack has been downloaded in advance, no Wi-Fi or cellular connection is required to use the feature.

When you're speaking to someone in one of those languages, you'll hear what they say in your preferred language through the glasses in real time, and they can view a translated transcript of the conversation on your phone. To get started, just say, "Hey Meta, start live translation."

Live translate will translate what the person speaking in another language is saying, while responses can be seen on a connected smartphone.

In the near future, Meta plans to introduce live AI, a feature where the Meta smart glasses can see whatever the wearer sees through the built-in camera, allowing for real-time AI conversations.

Meta says the glasses will be able to provide hands-free help with meal prep, gardening, exploring, and more. Questions can be asked without the need to say a wake word, and the AI can understand context between requests for referencing prior queries.

Meta's smart glasses should be of interest to Apple users because they provide some insight into what we might see from Apple in the future. Rumors suggest that Apple is considering developing smart glasses that are similar to Meta's Ray-Bans. Apple glasses could feature AI, microphones, and cameras, though there wouldn't be augmented reality capabilities.

Article Link: All Meta Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Users Get Live Translation, Live AI Coming Soon

 

[DocMultimedia]

And as is the issue for many people, does it support prescriptions? Bifocals?

I'm somewhat shocked the AVP required inserts rather than doing the software correction (which things at the optometrists do).

 

[rgeneral]

It is too heavy to wear for a long period of time.

 

[akatsuki]

AR feels so much more realistic of a play than VR. Not sure how Apple went down the wrong path so badly.

Especially when they are going to do live translation through Airpods which maybe is okay, but could get confusing in groups.

 

[DribbleCastle]

Too bad, Mandarin doesn't seem to be supported yet.

 

[surferfb]

I am definitely getting Apple’s version of these. Can’t come soon enough!

 

[bulbousnub]

And as is the issue for many people, does it support prescriptions? Bifocals?

I'm somewhat shocked the AVP required inserts rather than doing the software correction (which things at the optometrists do).

Yes - I have a pair with prescription transition progressive lenses used as a daily driver. And my insurance paid the lion's share for them (~80%)

 

[ThomasJL]

I was planning on buying a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses, but after seeing that Ray-Ban partnered with that extremely disgusting corporation Meta, I decided to never purchase any Ray-Ban products.

 

[Charles50]

I remember an old Apple conceptual video showing live translation "subtitles" in eyeglasses. A woman is conversing with a French waiter IIRC. I looked around and couldn't find it. I thought it was in the Knowledge Navigator video but apparently not. Same era of Apple.

 

[turbineseaplane]

Speaking of MetaAI (and they are all doing some variation of this)

Saw this again yesterday and I got disgusted all over again:

 

[AppleofyourI]

I was planning on buying a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses, but after seeing that Ray-Ban partnered with that extremely disgusting corporation Meta, I decided to never purchase any Ray-Ban products.

Funny enough, after the initial Meta announcement, I was able to contact Ray-Ban 18 months after buying a pair of glasses, and they took them back for a full refund. Blew my mind. Haven’t looked back since.

 

[subjonas]

AR feels so much more realistic of a play than VR. Not sure how Apple went down the wrong path so badly.

Especially when they are going to do live translation through Airpods which maybe is okay, but could get confusing in groups.

I think you’re mixing up terminologies. The Meta Raybans aren’t capable of AR (augmented reality)—they have no visual display at all in fact, only audio speakers. But the Apple Vision Pro does both AR (via video pass through) and VR.

I believe Meta is planning to put some sort of screen in a future iteration of the Raybans but it likely won’t be AR either, just an HUD (head up display) like the old defunct Google Glass.

 

[switz]

What could possible go wrong watching a movie in the glasses while driving???????

 

[Fraserh02]

It is too heavy to wear for a long period of time.

I don’t find this at all. I have a prescription in mine and wear them all day no issues, and I’m even new to glasses so thought I’d notice that but I don’t!

 

[frownface]

What could possible go wrong watching a movie in the glasses while driving???????

You can't do that on these, these aren't AVPs, they don't have a display. They have little cameras, speakers and microphones as well as a couple buttons and all the interaction you do with them is via voice or tapping those buttons.

Supposedly they're great for blind people, as they can stand infront of something like a shelf and say "hey meta what am i looking at" and it'll describe it to them in audio.

 

[ds2000]

I've quite enjoyed seeing Chris Harris filming with them recently, gives a great POV

 

[svish]

Interesting. Hopefully user privacy is respected. Will be very useful if it works as advertised. Waiting to see Apple release such a device/AR glasses.

 

[Veinticinco]

I was planning on buying a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses, but after seeing that Ray-Ban partnered with that extremely disgusting corporation Meta, I decided to never purchase any Ray-Ban products.

They really have sold their soul (and seriously devalued their brand) with this partnership. I guess that's what $5 billion into the parent group (Luxxotica) buys you.

Then again, Zuckerberg knows all about toxic brands what with his "Facebook is now Meta" guff that hasn't fooled anyone. That and he's been pathetically uncool his entire life, no matter how desperately hard he tries, so it's not surprising he went after Ray-Ban here.

 

[Veinticinco]

Ugh. I see anyone wearing this Wayfarer Joe 90-style of optical frame (non-sunglass lens) and I steer well clear.

They should be forced to put a massive red LED on the bridge, just to indicate you're being recorded. Creepy AF.

 

[hanske68]

Privacy by design should also respect other peoples privacy = trash glasses with camera's.

My world's nighmare is poeple not only looking at their phone all the damn time, but also record everything around them. People should re-evaluate personal relationships and direct communication with each other.

 

[telepheedian]

I would’ve never guessed in 1 million years that I would eventually own and wear Facebook glasses, but these are an excellent product. They’re really not much heavier than regular glasses. The mics are better than any other headset I have, just being able to take conference calls without having to wear headphones or go on speaker is great. They don’t sound as good as AirPods, but they’re better than you’d think. I find I hardly ever use my AirPods Pro anymore, if I want better audio quality, I have other headphones, and the glasses are always there and ready. I can understand why Apple is looking to copy this.

You don’t have to link these to any of your accounts with them, and you can choose to completely forgo cloud storage for photos, your phone downloads them from the glasses via Wi-Fi. They have an LED indicator that lights up whenever the cameras are active, and if you try to block or disable this, the camera fails to work.

The only nitpicks I have is that Meta AI is quite a bit behind everybody else (serious contenders, not Siri) in terms of quality and depth of answers, and the battery life could be quite a bit better (depends on usage, worst case is roughly 2.5 hours, calls drain them very quickly). There’s nothing else like it on the market, and the easy accessibility of the assistant means I still use Meta AI occasionally anyway.

 

[Gannon98]

Will this be available internationally finally?

 

[SteveWouldApprove]

I’m really torn - RayBan are my favourite glasses brand, but such an interwoven partnership being forged with Meta (yuck) isn’t sitting right with me. This coupled with the fact that I’m due for new glasses, I don’t know what to do!

🫤