Try wearing a Facebook camera on your face if you’ve ever wondered if you care about digital privacy.
Ray-Ban Stories are smart sunglasses with speakers and cameras that may be used as a casual substitute for headphones or a phone camera,
according to creative cooperation between Facebook and Ray-Ban parent firm EssilorLuxottica.
They use a quick push of a button or a spoken command to create entertaining, informal first-person photographs and 30-second video snippets.
They’re a fun, casual gadget, despite some battery life issues: It won’t replace your phone’s camera or a good set of Bluetooth headphones,
but it’s a fun little toy provided your expectations for sound and video quality are reasonable.
However, Facebook’s influence over Stories and how you use them is significant.
Although the social media giant does not utilize the glasses to funnel you onto its platform, you will need a Facebook account to use them, and Facebook will collect data from the glasses.
You can interpret this as a grudging admission that photographers don’t shoot photographs just for Facebook or Instagram, depending on your point of view…
Or it might be a nefarious attempt to collect additional data from users by allowing them to connect with Facebook outside of the app.
That dynamic will almost surely tint (or shade) the experience, turning an object meant to be carefree and easy into a philosophical puzzle box.
Once you get over that, if you can get past that, Stories start to feel like the well-made tech trinket that they are.
WHAT ARE SMART GLASSES AND HOW DO I USE THEM?
Right now, the term “smart glasses” can refer to a variety of items. To many people, the phrase still conjures up images of AR-enabled glasses, such as Google Glass, that allow you to access the internet without looking at a screen.
In practice, I’ve seen the phrase applied to products like Razer’s Anzu eyewear and Bose Frames, which are essentially sunglasses with built-in speakers.
Ray-Ban Stories is in the center, with the strongest resemblance to the once-viral Snapchat Spectacles.
The term “smart” refers to a handy fast shot camera and personal audio in this scenario.
Two 5-megapixel cameras, one on each side of the frame, allow you to snap images and brief video clips of up to 30 seconds.
They contain “micro” speakers in the temples, which line up exactly in front of your ears,
and through which you can listen to music and receive phone calls, just like the Razer and Bose glasses.
There’s more to it, which we’ll get to later, but the Stories have a rather limited mandate that prioritizes convenience.
They exist to unload some of your phone’s core capabilities into a less obtrusive form factor.
DO THEY APPEAR TO BE REGULAR SUNGLASSES?
Ray-Ban Stories have a similar appearance and feel as regular sunglasses. My smartened pair of black Wayfarers appear just like my classic pair of black Wayfarers in terms of style.
The circular camera lenses in the corners of the frames, which replace the Wayfarers’ iconic studs, are the only differences that consumers may notice.
While we were only sent this one model, Ray-Bans also offers Stories versions of three of its frames, the Wayfarer, Round, and Meteor, all of which cost $299 and come in a variety of colors.
More expensive variants with specialized lenses, such as polarised, transitions, and prescription alternatives, are also available from Ray-Ban.
CAN YOU EXPLAIN HOW RAY-BAN STORIES WORK?
There are a few minor changes upon closer investigation, which mostly influence the wearer.
The temples — the sides of the glasses that rest on your ears – are wider and thicker than a conventional pair of glasses, as they are with other smart glasses.
(They can seem to snug the first few times you put them on, but that subsides over time for folks with big heads like me.)
They’re larger to accommodate all of the technology within, like the speakers, which can be seen at the back of the stems, where they curve to match your ears.
The temples are also thicker since gesture-based touch controls are housed there.
By tapping the side of the frame, you may play or pause music, adjust the volume by sliding your finger along it,
and answer the phone by double-tapping the side of the frame when someone calls.
The touch controls aren’t perfect–you have to press a certain area on your temple to activate them,
but they’re a lot less problematic than rival glasses’ touch controls.
When it comes to controlling the camera, you have two options. To begin, there’s a button on the right time that you may press to start a movie or hold to snap a picture.
Because it’s exactly where I put my finger when I go to adjust or remove my spectacles, the button is both ideal and problematically situated.
It’s normal for me to raise my hand and press the record button when I’m ready to record.
When I put the glasses on or take them off, though, there’s a good probability I’ll start shooting a video by accident.
(Hint: if you’re listening to a podcast and it suddenly stops, you’re probably recording a video!)
WHAT DOES “FACEBOOK ASSISTANT” MEAN?
You can also use Facebook Assistant to shoot photos and record video clips simply saying “Hey Facebook,” followed by a command.
Here, the “Facebook Assistant” feels a little forced: It’s just used to record images and videos, and it appears to be an attempt to keep users from forgetting that this is a Facebook device in part.
The only time anyone noticed or cared that I was capturing images while walking through my suburban hometown, New York City, and an apple orchard in upstate New York was when I exclaimed, “hello Facebook.”
I’d say it was because I called their attention to the fact that I was taking a photo,
but I shouted out loud, “I’m going to snap a photo,” before using the wake word in a handful of situations.
The word “Facebook” causes people’s ears to perk up and pay attention.
Their apprehension isn’t wholly unfounded. Every time you use Facebook Assistant, Facebook records and collects audio recordings.
However, you can instruct Facebook View not to send the recordings and to remove the local files.
Others, on the other hand, have less to fear from this feature of Stories: The user’s speech is the primary focus of the three microphone array.
There is some ambient noise, but not nearly enough to make you into an unwitting spy.
However, the fact that it causes people to pause is reason enough to be cautious about where and how you use it.
WHICH BRINGS US TO THE TOPIC OF PRIVACY
Though Facebook Assistant listening in isn’t a big deal, Ray-Ban Stories has many people worried about their privacy.
Glasses with cameras on them are inherently inconspicuous, as they were formerly the domain of spy novels like James Bond and Mission Impossible.
This gives them a fashionable appearance, but it also means that individuals in your immediate vicinity may be unaware that they are being photographed or videotaped.
Ray-Ban Stories has various safeguards in place to ensure that you cannot secretly record individuals.
A bright white LED light turns on close to the camera lens on the subject’s left when you capture a shot or record video.
As many people have pointed out (including several European privacy watchdogs), you may conceivably hide that light, allowing you to record in relative obscurity.
More significantly, in my testing, I discovered that taking images without anyone noticing is fairly easy.
Unless I was peering straight at them or moving close to line up a shot, people rarely noticed the light in which I was photographing them.
Although it is ultimately up to the user to be a responsible photographer, Facebook and EssilorLuxottica have established privacy rules for how to use Ray-Ban Stories,
making it clear that they should not be used to infringe on privacy or otherwise insult.
That kind of faith, as the MIT Technology Review points out, is foolish at best and dangerous at worst.
The ethical and public photography difficulties, in my opinion, are no different here than they are with any personal camera.
There is a wider argument about smart cameras and privacy to be had, but Ray-Ban Stories are a tiny part of that debate until they get widespread usage,
especially in comparison to smart doorbell cameras, drones, and surveillance devices that are more popular, invasive, and consequential.
People don’t appreciate it when they “find” they’re being recorded, so be cautious about who, where, and what you photograph when utilizing Ray-Ban Stories.
As a result, I wouldn’t advocate buying these for children, particularly teenagers.
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO TAKE PHOTOS?
Using Facebook Stories to take photographs and videos is very different than using your phone or a DSLR camera.
The glasses are designed to take fast pictures of whatever you’re looking at.
Because there is no viewfinder or method to preview your photographs, you must “frame” your shots with your head and remember that the camera’s field of view differs from yours.
Because what the camera sees and what you see aren’t always the same, taking beautiful shots takes some practice.
It’s also worth remembering that the 5MP cameras on Stories aren’t as precise as the camera in your pocket, especially if you have an iPhone, Google Pixel, or Samsung Galaxy phone.
The images appear sharp, but they lack the remarkable detail found in modern phone cameras,
and they are prone to color balance errors caused by interior illumination.
It’s not a tool for creative or technical photography; rather, it’s a way of capturing something when you want to take a picture but don’t want to spend time doing so.
Of course, with practice and work, you may improve your photography skills with the Stories.
Even with a conventional camera, I discovered that I needed to come much closer than I normally would,
and bear in mind that the camera will not include anything in my peripheral view.
After a week of focused trial and error, I discovered that I could compose a good photo without overthinking it.
Expectations, once again, play a significant role. Taking commemorative images of a person next to a sign or in front of an object is no problem for Stories.
If you only want a snapshot of someone at the moment, they’re ideal.
Stories (and, honestly, any smart glasses) will disappoint you if you care about anything other than having your friends and family in the middle of the shot.
DESCRIBE THE FACEBOOK VIEW APP IN MORE DETAILS
Ray-Ban Storie’s photographs and videos can be downloaded, stored, and edited using Facebook View, a simple specialized app.
The image and video data are stored in the internal storage of the glasses when you take photos and videos with them.
You must use the transfer button in View, which creates a private network to send the data across, to get them on your phone so you can see and share them.
The drive isn’t large; it can hold up to 50 30-second video clips or 500 images,
but that’s more than enough for a day’s worth of photos and videos without having to transfer them.
In view, that’s all there is to it in terms of technicalities. You can set the app to copy all of your photographs and videos to your phone’s photo library automatically.
You can’t transfer the data without the app, and you can’t avoid sending your images there,
so Facebook has access to everything you do with Ray-Ban Stories, whether or not you post it.
The business claims, however, that it will not access the actual photographs and videos without your permission,
nor will it use the information gathered through Stories for targeted marketing.
You can use the app as a supplementary camera roll if you want. You can edit photographs, splice together various pieces to make video “montages,” and add animated effects to static photos.
Montages and “flashback photographs,” as Facebook refers to them, are interesting variations to the standard visual effects in photos and other apps, albeit they do necessitate some effort,
which goes against the device’s casual character. I’d rather use my phone to record video clips and create a montage.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO EXCLUDE FACEBOOK FROM THE PROCESS? WHY CAN’T I USE MY PHOTOS APP?
To use Ray-Ban Stories’ cameras, you must be connected to Facebook View with a Facebook account.
When you use Ray-Ban Stories to shoot photos and movies, the images and videos are saved in the glasses’ onboard storage.
The only option to transmit your photos is to use Facebook View’s transfer button, which creates a private network.
You must have a Facebook account to utilize Facebook View.
You can use Ray-Ban Stories’ audio capabilities even if you don’t have Facebook View.
Because the speakers and microphone are connected to your phone via Bluetooth rather than the app, you can pair the glasses using your phone’s Bluetooth settings.
However, because Stories teaches you how to pair the glasses through the app, you’d be hard-pressed to do it without first connecting to Facebook.
(And, to be honest, if you’re going to these measures to avoid Facebook, you should simply get a new pair of smart glasses.)
Finally, turning off Ray-Ban Stories and wearing them as regular sunglasses is the best method to use them without connecting to Facebook.
HOW DOES IT FEEL TO LISTEN TO MUSIC?
Even though I am a snob when it comes to audio quality, I enjoy listening to music using smart glasses.
When you use the small speakers in public, they provide a decent personal listening experience without putting anything on or in your ears, and they don’t appear to annoy strangers.
Something is liberating about simply strolling around and listening to anything you want without isolating yourself from the rest of the world with headphones.
Ray-Ban Stories is “fine” in terms of quality, in my opinion. Voices are clear and clean when listening to podcasts or over the phone.
When it comes to music, I’ve noticed that music meant to be played softly or in the background is frequently inaudible, so you’re not getting the entire experience.
This is especially true when you consider that you shouldn’t listen to Stories at maximum volume: Aside from the fact that they can be loud enough to bother those around, I’ve discovered that the pounding of the speakers straight into my ears is more likely to give me a headache.
HOW DO RAY-BAN STORIES GO TOGETHER?
A small power switch at the left hinge can be found inside the spectacles, behind the lenses.
Hold the power switch in the on position until a small light on the inside of the right frame starts blinking, then release it to pair the glasses through Bluetooth.
You must follow and complete the process in the app to fully pair the glasses.
WHERE DO RAY-BAN STORIES GET THEIR CHARGE? HOW LONG CAN THE BATTERY BE USED FOR?
Facebook Stories, according to Ray-Ban, can last up to six hours of “moderate” use.
In my camera testing, this was confirmed, but when I used them instead of headphones on a day-long business trip, they only lasted around four hours of near-constant audio playback.
It doesn’t take much time, especially if you use them instead of headphones,
but I only noticed it when I was out of the house for the entire day. However, there is a silver lining.
The glasses are charged using a hard-shell sunglasses case that simultaneously serves as a wireless charging dock and a battery extender.
The case can contain enough juice to charge the glasses three times when completely charged.
That doesn’t entirely compensate for the short battery life, as you’ll have to remove the glasses to charge them,
but it does allow you the option of stretching the glasses’ battery life out over a day if you remember to keep the case available.
FINAL THOUGHTS ON STORIES ABOUT RAY-BAN
It can be difficult to account for the casual nature with which these devices are designed to be used when reviewing “fun” technology.
Ray-Ban Stories can’t compete with your camera or headphones, so any technical analysis of their powers must be accompanied by a slew of qualifiers.
At the same time, comparing them to gear designed for a specific function is illogical.
Ray-Ban Stories are just plain entertaining. When that is the goal, they are effective.
This implies they can’t be used in place of other devices. They can only do what they want.
I think they handle audio as well as the other smart glasses I’ve tried, however the battery life, even by smart glasses standards, feels a little short.
The cameras, and the privacy problems they bring, are a different story. Let’s not mince words: If Ray-Ban Stories weren’t tethered to Facebook or any other content site, they’d be a better offering.
Even if just inadvertently, it raises privacy issues about who can see your photographs and videos.
Then there are the privacy concerns of those in your immediate vicinity, as well as the murky waters of when it is and isn’t proper to use a camera that many people are unaware of.
Despite this, I believe that Ray-Ban Stories may be enjoyed responsibly and easily.
Because of its restricted capabilities as a camera, you’re more likely to create stuff that you’ll want to share: Photos of friends and family, as well as landscapes and other fleeting recollections If the degradation of digital privacy isn’t enough to convince you to rethink your opinion, I’m not sure what will.
