A few years ago a device with similar capabilities would have been the coolest gadget ever; Zuckerberg truly has the remarkable ability to turn to shit anything he touches.
Google Glass was loathed too. Unfortunately Zuckerberg learned the wrong lesson from its failure - that the issue was that people could recognize the glasses and know they were being recorded and not the actual recording itself.
Google Glass came out in 2013 and got a similar reception.
Google's device also suffered from making the user look ridiculous, like a gargoyle out of Snow Crash, but at the end of the day most people had the same core issue with it as they have with the Meta glasses which is that people don't like the idea of being filmed in public, especially when the filming is somewhat surreptitious (since you don't have to hold bulky camera gear, or at least a phone-sized device to do it)
Of course you have the legal right to film people in public spaces in many jurisdictions, but you're likely to be socially ostracized for it (and IMO rightfully so).
> people don't like the idea of being filmed in public,
I don't think that this can be the main issue, given how nobody really cares about security cameras in public spaces or all the cameras modern cars can come with, nevermind dash cams.
People absolutely do care about security cameras, as demonstrated by ongoing opposition to Flock cameras. Security cameras have been widely deployed at a time when they weren't interconnected and people had to physically obtain tapes to look at the footage. The cost of engaging in stalking or mass-surveillance has lowered dramatically since, and people are strongly opposed to these technologies once they realize what the current capabilities are. The public never consented to any of this, but those responsible are maliciously framing the past lack of awareness as consent.
I think it has to do with how closely people think they are being recorded.
Someone filming/shooting in a park with a kit 18-55mm lens is fine. Swap that with a bulky 300mm or more and you are bound to get some questions asked.
A content creator casually shooting content in a mall is fine but if you start interviewing people, aiming your camera directly at them, it's at least common courtesy if not legal requirement to ask for permission.
Personally speaking, I wouldn't mind someone wearing these creeper specs in public but if they talk to me or if we eat at the same table, I would expect the courtesy of them putting the glasses away.
I would love a pair of ordinary looking glasses that work just as displays. I go for long walks (for health reasons) and it would be really good to watch youtube videos or shows that gets projected in front of my face, but still keep overall vision outside.
I definetely don't want a camera in there.
Not sure if such a beast exists. But due to Meta/Google screwing up with cameras, I may never get my display glasses.
XREAL, RayNeo and there is at least one more brand that exists. You could use those for that already - though they're probably not perfect yet for that specific use case.
But they will come and will get better. Apple is also supposedly still working on some and they'll likely try to get rid of the "camera issue". Or maybe they'll try to make it the new normal. But they already exist and there will be more of them in the future - with and without cameras.
I love my Xreals. They don't even have a camera for tracking as they're the first generation.
Unfortunately due to meta's perv glasses they are getting a bad name too, it happens when I'm using them that people think I'm recording them. They are more bulky and clearly tech glasses, and many people understandably don't know the difference. They're more noticeable than meta's glasses.
I had that last time on the plane. It's really annoying because they have no camera nor microphone. They're great displays and can even do 3D. But meta is ruining that for us now too.
And also two of them are in the same spot as Meta's so it will be really hard for a layman to distinguish them.
Personally I don't really like the tracking because it means I have to point my face in a very specific spot to see the whole screen. Or I have to make it smaller and lose resolution. I like the way it stays locked to my vision with the cheaper ones, and the price of 200 euro makes it great to just carry around without worring too much (even though that's still a lot of money for me). I wouldn't pay 600-800 for something like this.
But they look less stupid than Google Glass did and even if they didn't look stupid, people would still consider them "pervert glasses".
In fact, I think the more indistinguishable these types of devices get from regular glasses the more people will be upset by their existence. The less immediately obvious they are, the more you seem like a creepy pervert for using them when the core problem is people don't want you filming them without their knowledge or consent.
> I think the more indistinguishable these types of devices get from regular glasses the more people will be upset by their existence.
My fear is that these spy glasses will actually become indistinguishable from corrective glasses. I don't look forward to a future where everyone wearing any sort of glasses will be immediately suspect.
I had a guy filming my kid recently while playing, I had to confront them an get them to delete the photos off their phone and recently deleted. It's going to suck when you don't even know if they were recording the kids.
I am fairly certain the goal of putting cameras on glasses is to poison the well for the rest of wearable computing while also testing the limits of user acceptance.
They don't care if it succeeds. They just don't want to lose.
Exactly! I'm noticing this already as an Xreal user. They're great for travelling, you have an amazingly huge screen and together with Samsung DeX and a foldable keyboard you basically have a whole Desktop pc with you. A year ago I used them happily but now after all of the bad press meta has caused I get more suspicion. I show people that they don't feature cameras but just displays and it's ok. But they don't see the difference from the outset which makes total sense, not many people know xreal or other bird bath glasses.
But the newer ones use cameras for 6DoF tracking too so they're even more likely to be viewed as perv glasses. I hope they keep making ones without, I never use the tracking anyway.