Facebook has joined forces with Franco-Italian eyewear company EssilorLuxottica, best known for its Ray-Ban brand, to launch its first smart glasses in the market.
Called Ray-Ban Stories, the new smart glasses let users capture photos, record videos, listen to music, podcasts and take phone calls without taking out their smartphone.
“Ray-Ban Stories are an important step towards a future when phones are no longer a central part of our lives and you won’t have to choose between interacting with a device or interacting with the world around you,” Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg said.
Starting at $299, Ray-Ban Stories are available in 20 style combinations online and in select retail stores in the US, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Italy and the UK.
Users can control the smart glasses through physical buttons such as on-off switch and “capture” knob to take photos and record videos. There is a tiny touch pad to adjust the volume or answer a phone call.
They come with twin 5-megapixel cameras and three-microphone audio set-up for voice and sound transmission for calls and videos.
“Users can record up to 30-second videos using the capture button or hands-free with Facebook Assistant voice commands … background noise suppression algorithm provides an enhanced calling experience like [users] expect from dedicated headphones,” the company said.
Weighing less than 50-grams, the glasses will come with a leather hard-shell charging case.
Users can store hundreds of photos and videos on Ray-Ban Stories and transfer them to phones through the Facebook View app. The app on iOS and Android devices makes it easy to import, edit and share content captured on the smart glasses to other apps on the phone such as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger, Twitter, TikTok and Snapchat.
Users can also save content to their phone’s camera roll and edit and share from there.
Facebook said the smart glasses come with in-built security features to safeguard the privacy of wearers and the people around them. A white LED lights will glow to let people nearby know when the user is recording.
“In addition to encrypting your photos and videos, we have expert teams dedicated to preventing hackers from accessing your Facebook account,” the social media company said.
“We won't access your media without your consent, and we do not use the content of photos and videos captured with Ray-Ban Stories and stored in Facebook View for personalised ads,” it added.
Labour dispute
The insured employee may still file an ILOE claim even if a labour dispute is ongoing post termination, but the insurer may suspend or reject payment, until the courts resolve the dispute, especially if the reason for termination is contested. The outcome of the labour court proceedings can directly affect eligibility.
- Abdullah Ishnaneh, Partner, BSA Law
Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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United States
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China
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UAE
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Japan
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5
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Norway
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Canada
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Singapore
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Australia
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Saudi Arabia
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South Korea
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The White Lotus: Season three
Creator: Mike White
Starring: Walton Goggins, Jason Isaacs, Natasha Rothwell
Rating: 4.5/5
Killing of Qassem Suleimani
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Jetour T1 specs
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Countries offering golden visas
UK
Innovator Founder Visa is aimed at those who can demonstrate relevant experience in business and sufficient investment funds to set up and scale up a new business in the UK. It offers permanent residence after three years.
Germany
Investing or establishing a business in Germany offers you a residence permit, which eventually leads to citizenship. The investment must meet an economic need and you have to have lived in Germany for five years to become a citizen.
Italy
The scheme is designed for foreign investors committed to making a significant contribution to the economy. Requires a minimum investment of €250,000 which can rise to €2 million.
Switzerland
Residence Programme offers residence to applicants and their families through economic contributions. The applicant must agree to pay an annual lump sum in tax.
Canada
Start-Up Visa Programme allows foreign entrepreneurs the opportunity to create a business in Canada and apply for permanent residence.
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
South Africa squad
: Faf du Plessis (captain), Hashim Amla, Temba Bavuma, Quinton de Kock (wkt), Theunis de Bruyn, AB de Villiers, Dean Elgar, Heinrich Klaasen (wkt), Keshav Maharaj, Aiden Markram, Morne Morkel, Chris Morris, Wiaan Mulder, Lungi Ngidi, Duanne Olivier, Vernon Philander and Kagiso Rabada.
Result
Tottenhan Hotspur 2 Roma 3
Tottenham: Winks 87', Janssen 90 1'
Roma 3
D Perotti 13' (pen), C Under 70', M Tumminello 90 2"
