If it says Ray-Ban on it, there will be Facebook in the future. Together, the companies have developed smart sunglasses that can hardly be distinguished from a classic Ray-Ban. But there is a lot of technology in the frame: Whoever wears the “Ray-Ban Stories” can take photos and videos, listen to music and make phone calls. The $ 300 gadget is initially only available in the USA and five other countries, Germany is not one of them.
Facebook has already achieved one goal: they want to trigger a discussion about privacy and social norms, said Facebook manager Andrew Bosworth. That’s exactly what happened. When Facebook presented the glasses at the end of last week, dozens of US media asked the same question: Are these sunglasses – or spy glasses?
A small white LED lights up as soon as a video is recorded. Testimonials from the USA but show that almost nobody notices the light, especially not outside in the sunshine. A journalist who masked the LED for her test told Facebook, that violates the terms of use. Stalker should hardly be deterred.
After all, it becomes difficult to secretly film people over a long period of time. Facebook limits the duration of the recording to 30 seconds. If you want to take more photos or videos, you have to touch the temple or speak to the glasses: “Hey Facebook, take a video.” The Ray-Ban is therefore out of the question as a new James Bond toy.
Eight years ago, Google Glass flopped, and Snapchat also failed with smart glasses. In contrast to the competition, Facebook focuses more on design than on technology. You can neither stream live, nor is information about the environment projected into the field of vision. The “Ray-Ban Stories” should be a fashion accessory with a few additional functions. At least Facebook manager Bosworth is convinced that the glasses will shift social norms: in ten years one will ask: “Why don’t your glasses take photos? That’s weird.”