Recently Meta, formally Facebook, announced its latest stab at smart glasses in conjunction with Ray-Ban. Here is said announcement:
https://about.fb.com/news/2023/09/new-ray-ban-meta-smart-glasses/
the most interesting part of this, aside from Bose Frames like audio being piped into your ears without the need for headphones, is the ability to video stream. As it stands, on release they will be able to stream to Facebook and Instagram, interesting, but not very useful unless we want to broadcast our clumsy escapades to the world. What I do find interesting however, is that you can make WhatsApp calls through the glasses by voice. It therefore isn't a huge leap to hope that one could start a video stream via voice on WhatsApp to a friend or family member for sighted assistance.
I know that many folks on here are from the states and WhatsApp isn't quite as big over there as it is here in the UK and Europe, you're welcome for USB-C by the way... But, from a personal perspective, this could be awesome.
Saying that, there is no sign that they will add such functionality to the glasses and companion app and, unless there is an obvious need for it, I don't know if they will. It is certainly tantalisingly close though.
I, like many, was interested when Apple announced their vision headset but, since then, as with many, my interest has cooled. It is over priced and under featured for people such as ourselves. We don't need a screen, but we do need a camera. Considering Envision has just announced a $150 a month subscription service, which is ridiculous and, forgive me for saying it, just another example of a company tapping into community and government provided funding, a DIY system such as a pair of these glasses, for a little more than a single month of Envision's subscription service, seems all the more appealing.
Anyway, just my thoughts on these. They've not even been released yet and I'm already demanding functionality... I'm a monster... It's all headed in a good direction though, as long as we can nudge it to fit our needs.
Comments
You'd have to worry about controls for privacy
I don't use what's app, gave it up years ago. Of course these glasses will start out with insta, FB and what's app, those are all Meta already owns. I see a war starting between headset manufacturers just like works on Android not IOS and vice versa. You're absolutely correct, 3500 American dollars is ridiculous for a headset but I'd be game to at least look at it. Plus this is the first generation, there's bound to be things that need work, least of all accessibility on any front. I'll see what happens when the meta glasses come out. I'll also happily stream my "clumsy escapades" to the world and let someone have fun at my expense. :)
As I understand it, there is…
As I understand it, there is a light on the glasses that indicates recording mode. It's not much different than thrusting a phone at someone, it's just making others aware that they are being recorded.
An Alternative To Going The Meta Route (Not Sponsored)
Lucyd:
https://lucyd.co/
, the first glasses to have ChatGPT built-in.
Normally starting at $269, though it looks like they are (at time of posting) on sale at $199.
They also have a companion app:
https://lucyd.co/pages/lucyd-app
, which the glasses are not needed for said app to work and is 'free'! And as you'll see, they work directly with Siri.
FYI:
For some odd reason, they say on the site that the Android version is still 'coming soon', when in fact you can get it here:
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ie.chatgbt
Though judging by the reviews, it seems to still be buggy for a 1.0 release (last updated April 13, 2023) thus why the 'coming soon' warning.
Check out the FAQs as well among the site for more details, particularly if you wish to pay for said glasses over time.
I'm keeping an eye on…
I'm keeping an eye on another company.
This one is a start up calling themselves Humane.
On the 14th of October, they should hopefully reveal more information on their product called the AI Pin.
While most of these companies want you to keep staring at screens, Humane are going in the opposite direction.
The question is, will it be accessible for us?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMsQO5u7-NQ
Not for Me
As I wrote in the thread that got removed. I'm starting to feel uncomfortable with the idea of wearing glasses with a camera in them for blind related AI things. I move my eyes to shift my mental/visual focus a bit mor than my head. I think I said I don't want to become a total wind sock, and I can aim the phone just as well as I can aim my face, and I can mount a phone on a tripod to keep it and the camera's view steady. That isn't going to happen with a face mounted camera in glasses, unless you want to get into some kind of posture-correcting, torture device...
So why spend the money?
I think the form factor, for…
I think the form factor, for me, could be useful. navigation assistance from people or AI, for example. Holding a document up, or even a book and having the device read it to you in one of the new AI driven voices would be great. Waving a phone about isn't efficient and, I'd have to imagine, aiming our heads with a wide field camera is going to be far easier than holding our iPhones out. True, it doesn't account for eye movements, though I don't think I have many of those, but it will certainly be more natural and, better, hands free.
I think Humane is the one to watch.
I’m basing that on good information too, not just a guess and a hope. Watch this space. Good things are in the works.
Re: "Waving a phone about isn't efficient"
I don't know that aiming the phone is less efficient than aiming one's face, or even having the phone attached to a shirt collar or pocket and aiming one's body. I think I would need to try the glasses and have a sighted person critique my aiming technique. It could be horrible. To be clear though, this is completely specific to me.
Yeah, of course... And…
Yeah, of course... And without trying it, I can't be sure it would work for me either... I'd just like to think it would.
Yeah, the Humane thing is a pin you wear on your clothes, or as far as I can tell. it sounds like it could be pretty powerful though the demo is pretty tame. the issue I'd imagine with this would be the back end servers required for the AI... I hate using that term because it's machine learning, not AI... Anyway... To get a rapid response you'd need a lot of junk on the back end. Try Chat GPT, Bing or Be My Eyes, and you'll know what I'm talking about. This leads me to think that the Humane Pin will also be a subscription to keep the back end rolling.
Still, I'll be interested to see what it does in the real world.
I would be interested in a glasses option
I recently travelled abroad and realised how powerful Generative AI can be. SeeingAI and Be My Eyes, when paired to my Bose Open Ear Sunglasses, gave me amazing access to my hotel Accommodations, new surroundings and restaurant menus.
The Bose Open Ear Sunglasses kept my audio access discreet, without cutting me off from the environment.
Generative AI was able to describe my surroundings in wonderful detail, and being able to interrogate the Menu and Drinks List by myself was great.
I did feel that having to use my phone as a camera did take me out of the moment just a little, so the idea of a Camera in my Glasses seems like a great solution.
Meta claim that the new generation Raybans will have their own AI engine built in, but I am not sure how their efforts compare. Still, I do find this intriguing, and will keep an ear out for developments...
Cheers
@SeaNoEvil00
Humane is the one to look out for.
Like Andy said,, humane is the one to watch.
I think they're going to be very useful for us in the near future.
I'd prefer something I can put on a cote compared to glasses so I doubt i'd ever go with that option.
I like to rampage around…
I like to rampage around topless.
Wait, wait, wait...
Did I read that correctly above? I can stream my stream when I take a pee? 😹
Yes. though, if you're…
Yes. though, if you're anything like me, you don't have to look.
Oh no, it would not be for "me" to "see".
We are, after all, talking about streaming for others to view..... 😇
Seleste Glasses
I think the best option right now might be the Seleste smart glasses. They are designed for the blind, and you can get them by paying a $100 deposit and then $50 a month. They act as bone conduction headphones and have a built-in high quality camera, and they connect to an app running on your phone where all the processing takes place. In addition to video calling with people you know and with volunteers, they also have many AI features, including many features from Seeing AI, vehicle recognition, and now GPT-4 integration as well. They have also stated that new features will be released frequently. The glasses can be controlled by voice, with buttons or touchpad gestures, or by using the app. They are also supposed to be very light and look almost the same as regular glasses, although I have not ordered them to test yet. I think they are still in beta but I have heard many good things about them.
I'm very much against…
I'm very much against subscription based services like this. I understand there is a cost to keeping servers running, but it's a cheat. Over a year you've paid $700, the following year, another $600. How many years are you keeping them for? How much can you recoup if you sell them second hand?
I understand that not many people have instant access to money, but that should be met with a payment plan, not a subscription that, lets be fair, if you stop paying, you've got a useless piece of tech.
I'd pay £10 a month for a subscription like this, no more though would be happy with a finite payment plan otherwise, it seems greedy and presumptuous that every blind person has access to funding they can leech off.
I like the sound of these
I like to wear shades when outside anyway as I am a bit of a vampire with light sensitivity. So having one thing that covers that plus sound plus maybe some AI smarts is really interesting. I love my Bose Frames but if this could add something like Be My AI to that I'd be very happy. oxo the battery seems reasonable, particularly when factoring in the charging case.
I agree that I think glasses should be much more convenient for scanning things with something like Seeing AI than a phone. Just because a phone takes up one hand so if you are out it can get a bit tricky. Cane plus dog lead plus holding phone out is likely not to go well. After dropping and cracking the screen on my previous phone I have become a bit paranoid, particularly given how dependent I am on my iPhone these days.
Has anyone been able to try them yet? I am guessing they won't work with any accessibility apps we currently use, although they are supposed to be adding in some AI things like object detection. I also don't believe there isn't a subscription is there?
They are a bit pricey if only useful as bluetooth speakers but would be a bargain if they could be used for other accessibility needs. They actually cost less I think than the top of the range Bose Frames.
The Humane AI Pin is also pretty interesting to me but I think I would need more convincing. Firstly that the magnetic system is going to be secure enough. But then if I'm wearing that it just feels more of a faff than just sticking on glasses, particularly because I'd probably want bluetooth glasses or similar to go with it. Is the only interface to the AI Pin through voice? In which case I'm not convinced it could replace the phone entirely. Sometimes it's nice to just sit somewhere and quietly browse rubbish on the phone while waiting. Maybe it can work that way, or maybe it is just meant to be a more social thing so you can't just lose yourself in it at the expense of everyone around you. I can't wait to find out more about how this works in practice.
The subscription does put me off, though, particularly if I am also spending almost £700 on the device. I guess it does include a mobile plan, which maybe makes it better if you can legitimately abandon the phone altogether and just use this.
I have a similar problem with the Celeste glasses. I'd rather pay a higher up-front fee and keep something than going the subscription route.
I guess with Envision they are just providing an alternative aren't they? I think you can still buy the glasses outright if you don't want to pay the subscription. Although there is another subscription if you want product updates I believe.
We're in interesting times, though. Feels like the ideal product for us is just around the corner.
The Meta Ray-bans have everything I would need from a hardware point of view, plus the price, but I'm not convinced that accessibility is exactly a priority for them.
The Vision Pro feels like a reasonable prototype and maybe a sign of what's to come. But for the price I'd want a lot more than a one hour battery, and I'd want it to be something I could wear outside without looking like I'm about to rob a bank. I think we are still a few years away from a good Apple solution to our needs even if this is a step in the right direction.