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Dubai Startup Creates Iron Man-Style Smart Contact Lens
XPANCEO’s futuristic eyewear can be controlled using voice, gestures, glances, and “probably later, your mind”, according to the company’s founder.
Dubai-based tech startup XPANCEO has revealed prototypes of its smart contact lens system, which aims to mimic the technology used by Tony Stark in the famous Marvel Iron Man and Avengers movies.
After a seed funding round this October, the company has already raised $40 million and plans to put the device on the market by 2027 if human trials are successful.
Founder Roman Axelrod explained the motivation behind the project, saying, “Now, we have our laptops for the office, smartphones for daily activities, and smartwatches for training … a real computer of the future is an ecosystem of software. Think about it as a Tony Stark computer”.
XPANCEO has built three prototypes, offering an “infinite” extended reality view where tasks from documents, meetings, social media, and gaming will be shown in the user’s field of view and visible only to the wearer.
The lenses are powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning and will also include night vision, voice, gesture, and glance control. Mr. Axelrod even believes that later versions will be controlled by the user’s mind. The company is also developing a charging case similar to those used by wireless earbuds.
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Ultimately, XPANCEO aims to replace all the devices consumers currently use with this hyper-miniaturized gadget. The company has yet to decide on a price for its smart contact lens, but “it has to be no more than an expensive smartphone”, Mr. Axelrod explained.
That would imply a four-figure sum in US dollar terms: for reference, the most expensive version of the iPhone 15 Pro Max is priced at $1,599.
News
Nano Banana 2 Arrives In MENA For Google Gemini Users
Google brings its latest image model to Gemini and Search, adding 4K output and tighter text control for regional users.
Google has opened access to Nano Banana 2 across the Middle East and North Africa, pushing its newest image model into everyday tools rather than keeping it inside the exclusive (and expensive) Pro tier.
The rollout spans the Google Gemini desktop and mobile apps, and extends to Google Search through Lens and AI Mode. Developers can also test it in preview via AI Studio and the Gemini API.
Nano Banana 2 runs on Gemini Flash, Google’s fast inference layer. The focus is speed, but also control. Users can export visuals from 512px up to 4K, adjusting aspect ratios for everything from vertical social posts to widescreen displays.
The model maintains character likeness across up to five figures and preserves fidelity for as many as 14 objects within a single workflow. This enables visual continuity across scenes, iterations, or edits — supporting projects like short films, storyboards, and multi-scene narratives. Text rendering has also been improved, delivering legible typography in mockups and greeting cards, with built-in translation and localization directly within images.
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Under the hood, the system taps Gemini’s broader knowledge base and pulls in real-time information and imagery from web search to render specific subjects more accurately. Lighting and fine detail have been upgraded, without slowing output.
By embedding the model inside Gemini and Search, Google is normalizing advanced image generation for a mass audience. In MENA, where startups and marketing teams are leaning heavily on AI to scale content across languages and borders, that shift lands at a practical moment.
The move also folds creative tooling deeper into search itself, so that image generation is no longer a separate workflow. It now sits right next to the query box.
Nano Banana 2 Arrives In MENA For Google Gemini Users
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