News

Oakley And Meta Reveal Performance-Focused AI Smart Glasses

The AI-powered wearables are designed for athletes, combining voice control, hands-free capture, and enhanced optics.

Published

5 months ago

June 23, 2025

oakley and meta reveal performance-focused ai smart glasses

Meta has partnered with Oakley to launch a new line of wearable devices under the “Oakley Meta” brand, blending Oakley’s sports-focused design with Meta’s voice-enabled, AI-powered tech. The first product, called Oakley Meta HSTN, is aimed at athletes and active users looking for hands-free access to information, media, and recording tools.

Positioned as a continuation of Meta’s expansion into wearables — following the Ray-Ban Meta line — the new collaboration adds a performance angle, with features tailored to sport and outdoor environments. Oakley Meta HSTN includes an embedded camera for video capture, open-ear speakers for audio playback, and integration with Meta’s voice assistant for hands-free prompts and queries.

Battery life is reportedly extended, with up to eight hours of typical use and 19 hours on standby. A dedicated charging case provides up to 48 hours of total use. Video quality is also upgraded, with support for 3K resolution, offering more detail than the previous 1080p standard found in earlier Meta glasses.

The glasses are IPX4-rated for water resistance and will be available in multiple frame and lens combinations, some featuring Oakley’s PRIZM lens technology, which enhances contrast and clarity by selectively filtering light. Prescription-ready models are also available.

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Voice features are powered by Meta’s on-device assistant. Users can initiate commands such as checking wind speeds, asking sport-related questions, or capturing footage via voice prompts. The assistant is designed to respond to real-time queries without needing to access a separate device.

While the launch is backed by a marketing campaign featuring athletes such as Kylian Mbappé and J.R. Smith, the product is also part of a wider strategic push by Meta and EssilorLuxottica to expand connected eyewear into more specialized use cases. Availability begins in July with a limited edition model, followed by a full rollout later in the year.

News

AltoVolo Opens Orders For Limited Edition Sigma eVTOLs

Early buyers can now reserve build slots for AltoVolo’s 500-mile hybrid aircraft through a new online configurator.

Published

1 week ago

November 1, 2025

Nour Nasir

AltoVolo

AltoVolo has started taking pre-orders for its first electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft, the Sigma, moving the startup closer to commercial rollout. Customers can now secure a build slot with a £860 deposit and customize every detail online — from paintwork to seatbelt stitching. It’s the first configurator of its kind for a civilian eVTOL, mirroring how luxury car brands let clients tailor performance models before production.

The Sigma runs on a hybrid-electric tilting jet system built for long range and low noise. It can travel up to 500 miles at a 220-mph cruise, and is over 80% quieter than a helicopter. The three-seater weighs just 980kg and can maintain stable flight even if one jet fails. Safety systems include triple-redundant controls, thrust-vectoring stability and a ballistic parachute.

“We will be delivering an ultra-refined hybrid electric aircraft,” said founder and CEO Will Wood. “We believe there are thousands of customers for this type of cutting-edge technology”.

The first 100 units will come with exclusive materials and finishes. AltoVolo is also setting up a global service and maintenance network, with early planning for overhaul schedules already underway. The company’s focus on ownership experience echoes its ambition to anchor itself alongside established aviation brands rather than pure tech ventures.

To help new owners train, the company has built a full-scale simulator that replicates the Sigma cockpit in carbon fiber and leather. Pilots can log time toward a license using the system, aligned with the new US MOSAIC rules that ease certification for powered-lift aircraft. Certification work in Europe and the UK continues in parallel, signaling growing international alignment around light sport and eVTOL regulation.

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Noise inside the cabin has become another design focus. Engineers are refining internal vibration levels and developing a responsive soundscape that shifts with each jet’s power load — part feedback, part theatre.

Urban air mobility projects across the Gulf and elsewhere are pushing regulators and manufacturers to meet in the middle. Dubai, Riyadh and Doha have each outlined plans for air taxi corridors this decade. AltoVolo’s hybrid Sigma, sitting between electric promise and aviation realism, looks built for that middle ground.