Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses get major AI model upgrade with Muse Spark for sharper responses

Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses are getting smarter with a significant AI model upgrade

Meta is further adding support for its social media platform Threads and Instagram Instant uploads. Meta launched the Ray-Ban Display smart glasses last year, featuring a color screen built directly into the lens, and the Meta Neural Band accessory for gestures. While the Ray-Ban Display can already accomplish quite a few tasks thanks to its screen, Meta is now adding more features to that list and introducing support for its latest AI model. As part of the version 127 update that began rolling out this week, the Ray-Ban Display picks up support for Meta's latest AI model, dubbed Muse Spark. The company says this new model offers "smarter" responses to queries and a better understanding of what you see in front of you. This updated model will also show better suggestions throughout the day, Meta said in a blog post. The update further introduces Neural Handwriting with Meta AI, an early access program currently limited to the US and Canada. This is an extension of the existing neural handwriting feature on the Meta Ray-Ban Display, and will let you instantly jump into Meta AI without saying "Hey Meta." As you would expect, it works in tandem with the Neural Band and requires users to double-tap their thumb and find the "Write" button on AI Home. From here, you simply need to write your prompt on any surface using nothing but your finger, and Meta AI will take care of the rest. Additionally, the company is introducing support for its social media platform, Threads, by enabling Ray-Ban Display owners to browse, engage with, or share posts with others using their voice. Lastly, the AR glasses can now search for popular Instagram Reels by voice, share them with their contacts, and view comments. Meanwhile, Meta is making it easier to share an Instagram Instant using voice commands like "Hey Meta, share an Instant" or "Hey Meta, post an Instant." That all makes for some big additions for the Ray-Ban Display smart glasses, which, as we know, sell for as much as the entry-level Google Pixel 10. This cost also includes the Neural Band, which unlocks a wide range of tasks, including neural handwriting.

The Meta Ray-Ban Display's Dumb Smart Glasses AI Is Dumb No More

If there's one complaint I've had about the way Meta's smart glasses work that doesn't have to do with the company's abysmal privacy practices, it's AI. Meta AI, the baked-in voice assistant on Meta's smart glasses, has largely been functional for basic stuff, but not exactly what I'd call sharp -- launching music is okay, but beware if you're asking computer vision about your surroundings. That's how it's been in the past, but Meta's new AI model is a different story, and it's finally making its way to the company's flagship smart glasses. This week, Meta says it's started rolling out a new Meta AI version powered by the improved Muse Spark model to the Meta Ray-Ban Display -- its only smart glasses with a screen. The upgrade is happening gradually, according to Meta, so owners should see the change soon if they haven't already. For context, Muse Spark was already available on Meta's other non-display AI glasses. Having used the new Muse Spark-powered Meta AI in Meta's recently released Fury smart glasses, I can say from experience that it's a huge upgrade -- it's snappier, more natural, and can follow along a lot better with what I'm doing. I used it to walk me through, step-by-step, how to pickle some banana peppers I grew recently, and dare I say it was actually helpful. It's not perfect, but it's leagues more sophisticated in my experience. That's not the only update Meta is rolling out to the Meta Ray-Ban Display, either. Meta says it's also introducing a Threads app, which allows you to browse your feed, look at media, engage with posts, share posts to messages, and use voice commands on the glasses to control actions in Threads. I don't expect too many people are going to be shouting from the rooftops about a Threads app on the Meta Ray-Ban Display, but it's nice to have, I guess. The Instagram app is also getting an update, allowing you to share photos to Instant and also control Instagram Reels more, which includes sharing Reels to contacts, seeing comments, and also searching Reels with your voice. Oh, and Meta's Neural Handwriting feature, which allows you to use the Meta Ray-Ban Display's Neural Band to "handwrite" a message with your fingers, is also rolling out in early access, which should be interesting, if not altogether super useful. Still, the Muse Spark-powered Meta AI is a major upgrade, and if you've been as frustrated as me about the finicky nature of Meta's previous voice assistant, this is an update worth getting excited over.

You Can Now Browse Threads, Use Muse Spark on Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses

Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses were launched in select global markets in September last year as the Mark Zuckerberg-led tech giant's first smart glasses with an augmented reality screen. Earlier this year, in May, the company also began rolling out Neural Handwriting support to all Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses users. Now, the Menlo Way-based tech giant has announced that it has started rolling out a new software update for its AR smart glasses, bringing various improvements, including support for Threads, the company's microblogging platform. Moreover, the firmware update brings Meta AI's Muse Spark and enhanced Neural Handwriting to Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses. Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses Software Update: New Features In a blog post on Tuesday, the Menlo Way-based tech giant revealed that it has released a new software update to Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses, its first AR smart glasses. The latest firmware version is currently rolling out to the smart glasses "gradually" in select global markets. The company advises users to check later if their Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses haven't received the software update yet. As previously mentioned, the update brings various new upgrades to Meta's wearables. With the new software update, the Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses users will be able to browse their Threads feed, view media, engage with posts, share to messaging, and use voice commands within the apps, directly from their smart glasses. On top of this, the update also introduces the ability to share photos clicked using the Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses to Instants, Instagram's recently launched feed that appears in the messages window, directly from the smart glasses. Users will be able to use the voice commands "Hey Meta, share an instant" or "Hey Meta, post an Instant" to access the feature. Additionally, the new update will also bring the ability to share Instagram Reels with contacts, see comments, and search for Reels using voice commands. For example, users can say, "Hey Meta, show me reels of the coolest features on Meta Ray-Ban Display," to search for a specific Reel, the company highlighted. Apart from this, the new software update brings multiple AI-powered upgrades to the Meta Ray-Ban Display Glasses. The Meta AI suite will be updated with Muse Spark models on the smart glasses. The tech giant claims that this will enable the wearables to generate better answers and clearly understand what a user is looking at to provide improved suggestions. Lastly, the latest software version will update the Meta Neural Band to bring the Meta AI upgrade to Neural Handwriting. However, this functionality is only available to users enrolled in the early access programme in the US and Canada. After the update, Meta Ray-Band Display Glasses users will be able to ask Meta AI to generate answers without using voice commands. Users will be able to activate Meta AI by double-tapping their thumb and clicking on the Write button on AI Home to enter handwriting mode.