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Meta Reveals Orion AR Glasses, Offering A Glimpse Into The Future

The prototype was showcased at the Connect conference, bringing the company’s vision of blending virtual and physical worlds closer to reality.

Published

7 days ago

September 26, 2024

Joanna Melki

meta reveals orion ar glasses offering a glimpse into the future

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, has unveiled a working prototype of its augmented-reality glasses — named Orion — at its annual Connect conference. At the event, CEO Mark Zuckerberg outlined his vision to use the AR device to blend the real world with the virtual:

“This is the physical world with holograms overlaid on it,” Zuckerberg said as he slid the glasses from their metal case. Describing Orion as “a time machine” he added, “These glasses exist, they are awesome, and they are a glimpse of a future that I think is going to be pretty exciting”.

The Orion AR glasses are built from magnesium alloy and run on custom silicon chips developed by Meta. They offer users control via hand-tracking, voice commands, and a wrist-based neural interface. Zuckerberg said Meta plans to further refine the glasses, making them smaller, more affordable, and ready for mass production in the near future.

So far, sources have revealed that Meta aims to release its first consumer version of the Orion AR glasses by 2027, once the technology has become more cost-effective.

Also Read: Bybit Launches Islamic Account, Enabling Shariah-Compliant Trading

In addition to Orion, Meta introduced a more modest mixed-reality headset called the Quest 3S, with a starting price of $300. The company also rolled out several new AI tools, including chatbot updates and the ability for Meta AI to auto-insert personalized images into Facebook and Instagram feeds. An audio upgrade also allows users to choose celebrity voices, like Judi Dench or John Cena, for the Meta AI assistant. “I think voice is going to be a way more natural way of interacting with AI than text,” Zuckerberg said.

Finally, Meta has introduced three new versions of its Llama 3 AI models. The company continues to invest billions in AI and metaverse technologies, pushing its capital expenditure forecast for 2024 to a record $37-40 billion.

Related Topics:Augmented Reality Meta Wearables

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Oura’s Fourth-Generation Ring Becomes Sleeker And Smarter

The Finnish tech company’s fourth-gen Ring offers a sleeker design, improved sensors, and smarter health insights, along with a revamped app.

Published

3 hours ago

October 3, 2024

Nour Nasir

Oura

Oura, the Finnish company known for pioneering smart rings, has just revealed its fourth-generation Ring. The updated version features a refined design, improved battery life, and upgraded sensors that provide more detailed health insights.

One of the biggest changes in the Ring 4 are the sensors, which now sit flush with the surface, making it smoother and sleeker. The improvements go beyond just aesthetics, with Oura stating that the Ring 4 now has 18 signal pathways, a significant increase from the 8 found in the previous generation.

The company claims that the updated sensors improve blood oxygen data accuracy by 30%, while gaps in nighttime heart rate are reduced by 31%, and daytime gaps are cut by 7%. Although the exact battery capacity hasn’t been revealed, the sensor optimizations should also allow the Ring 4 to last up to eight days on a single charge.

The Ring 4 is available in 12 sizes (4-15) and six colors: Silver, Brushed Silver, Gold, Rose Gold, Stealth, and Black. All options except Stealth are coated in titanium with a physical vapor deposition finish, while Stealth features a diamond-like carbon coating.

The Ring is also water-resistant up to 100 meters, making it suitable for swimming and sauna use, though not for dedicated deep-sea divers.

In addition to hardware upgrades, Oura is rolling out a redesigned mobile app. The app organizes health data into three sections: Today, Vitals, and My Health. These sections help wearers monitor their daily vital signs and long-term health metrics, such as cardiovascular age and sleep patterns. The app update is available for all users, regardless of which generation of Ring they own.

Also Read: Meta Reveals Orion AR Glasses, Offering A Glimpse Into The Future

As with the previous model, Oura continues to offer some features behind a membership paywall, priced at $5.99 per month or $70 per year. New to the Ring 4 are automatic activity and heart-rate detection for up to 40 different activities. The app will also now provide better insights for menstrual tracking, specifically around fertility windows.

The Oura Ring 4 is available for pre-order starting today, with prices beginning at $349. Shipping is expected to start on October 15, 2024.