What you need to know
- Meta is bringing Calm, Amazon Music and integrating Instagram stories with a new update to their Ray-Ban smart glasses.
- These apps will be powered by Meta’s Llama 3 AI model, giving users a hands-free experience without needing to reach for their phones.
- The new update will be “rolling out gradually,” according to the company.
Meta announced on Monday, May 2, it is adding a host of new apps to the AI-powered Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses, keeping mindfulness, music, and social media at the center of this update.
Just a month ago, Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses gained new “powers” with Multimodal AI thanks to Meta’s Llama 3 model, allowing users across the U.S. and Canada to use vocal commands, share views on a video call, and have hands-free control over Apple Music. Now, it has added Calm, Amazon Music, and Instagram stories to the mix of the already existing apps.
The press release states that Meta has partnered with Calm to provide its users with hands-free guided meditation, mindfulness exercises, and self-care content. This feature can be particularly useful for people who have to quickly access the calm app on the go, get a moment to themselves, or deal with a stressful situation. Users need to download the app and say, “hey, Meta, play the Daily Calm.” Follow the on-screen prompts in the Meta View app to get started.
Along with Apple Music, Ray-Ban Meta glasses will be integrated with Amazon Music. When users say, “Hey Meta, play Amazon Music,” the glasses will start playing a recommended playlist. Users can then control audio playback with touch or voice commands, all hands-free while their phones stay in their pockets.
Finally, could there be an update from Meta that doesn’t involve their social media platforms? Now, users can post Instagram stories just with a voice command without pulling out the phone. After users snap a photo/ record a video, say, “Hey Meta, share my last photo on Instagram.” It also allows you to click and post a new picture on the go by saying, “Hey Meta, post a photo to Instagram,” which instantly will open up camera mode and click a picture of what the user is looking at.
Meta says that these updates to the glasses will be “rolling out gradually” to its users. However, it remains unclear which countries these updates will be available in.
On the hardware end, Meta is launching three new styles: the Skyler in Shiny Chalky Gray with Gradient Cinnamon Pink Lenses, Shiny Black with Transitions Cerulean Blue Lenses, and the Headliner Low Bridge Fit in Shiny Black with Polar G15 Lenses. These will be available for pre-order in 15 countries starting at $369.99, including the US, Canada, Australia, and Europe.
