Meta Expands AI Access on Ray-Ban Smart Glasses in Europe

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg delivers a speech, as a pair of Ray-Ban smart glasses appear on screen, during the Meta Connect event at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, US, September 27, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg delivers a speech, as a pair of Ray-Ban smart glasses appear on screen, during the Meta Connect event at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, US, September 27, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
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Meta Expands AI Access on Ray-Ban Smart Glasses in Europe

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg delivers a speech, as a pair of Ray-Ban smart glasses appear on screen, during the Meta Connect event at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, US, September 27, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo
Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg delivers a speech, as a pair of Ray-Ban smart glasses appear on screen, during the Meta Connect event at the company's headquarters in Menlo Park, California, US, September 27, 2023. REUTERS/Carlos Barria/File Photo

Meta Platforms said on Wednesday it is expanding access to its artificial intelligence assistant, Meta AI, on Ray-Ban smart glasses to seven additional European countries.

People in Germany, Austria, Belgium, Denmark, Norway, Sweden and Finland will now be able to interact with Meta AI using voice prompts to get answers to general questions, the Facebook and Instagram parent said.

Meta launched its AI technology in Europe in March, a rollout that was initially announced in June last year but was delayed following regulatory concerns on data protection and privacy.

While Meta AI was launched in the US in 2023, its release in Europe faced several hurdles due to the European Union's stringent privacy and transparency rules, Reuters reported.

Sprucing up its wearable technology with AI capabilities could help Meta attract new users at a time when the company is investing billions of dollars in bolstering its AI infrastructure.

Meta said the expansion will also include a live translation feature, which is being broadly rolled out in its markets.

It will be releasing a feature, where people can ask Meta AI about the things they are looking at and get real-time responses, in supported countries in the EU starting next week.

The company updated Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses with AI video capability and real-time language translation functionality in December 2024.

Meta had first announced the features during its annual Connect conference in September last year.



Huawei Launches Pura 80 Smartphone Series in Next Step of China Comeback 

The Huawei logo is seen in this illustration taken on January 29, 2025. (Reuters)
The Huawei logo is seen in this illustration taken on January 29, 2025. (Reuters)
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Huawei Launches Pura 80 Smartphone Series in Next Step of China Comeback 

The Huawei logo is seen in this illustration taken on January 29, 2025. (Reuters)
The Huawei logo is seen in this illustration taken on January 29, 2025. (Reuters)

Chinese tech giant Huawei launched its Pura 80 smartphone series on Wednesday, as the company seeks to cement its comeback in China's premium smartphone market following years of US sanctions.

Huawei's latest flagship launch demonstrates the Chinese tech giant's continued efforts to reclaim the top spot in its home market despite ongoing US sanctions. Each new phone release is closely watched as a barometer of the company's technological capabilities and market resilience following years of restrictions that severely impacted its smartphone business.

Huawei's resurgence has intensified pressure on Apple, which has seen its market share in China steadily decline and has increasingly relied on price discounts to stimulate sales.

Huawei unveiled the Pura 80 series through a livestream event, with consumer business unit head Yu Chengdong focusing heavily on camera capabilities and AI features while staying silent about the chips powering the devices.

The series includes four models: Pura 80, Pura 80 Pro, Pura 80 Pro+, and Pura 80 Ultra. Pricing starts at 6,499 yuan ($905) for the Pro series launching June 14, with the Pro+ also launching June 14 at 7,999 yuan and the Ultra at 9,999 yuan on June 26. The base model launches in July.

The cameras use XMAGE technology and feature ultra-wide-angle and macro telephoto lenses with embedded AI that can identify objects and provide information like tourist guides.

Huawei phone launches generate significant interest as many view them as the company defying US sanctions.

On Chinese microblogging platform Weibo, three of the top ten trending topics on Wednesday were Pura 80-related. User reactions were mixed, with many praising the camera capabilities and sleek design, while others complained the prices were too high and not worth the cost.