🕶️ Are AI Glasses In?

The Street

AI Glasses Are Back — But This Time, They Might Actually Work

This week at Google’s I/O developer conference, Google debuted Android XR: smart glasses with enough AI tricks to maybe, just maybe, avoid the wearable graveyard.

👀 Functions at a Glance

• real-time language translation in your ear

• live in-lens display to help you do things like navigate through directions (using Google Maps of course)

• read and reply to texts

• take photos with just your voice

😎 Meta Got There First — And It’s Actually Pretty Good

Meta’s AI Glasses have been turning heads since late 2023. At $299, they pack a camera, speakers, and Meta’s built-in AI — and while not flawless, they’re surprisingly handy.

Reviewers praise the seamless experience for podcasts, calls, and quick photos. Just don’t forget the so-called “creep light,” a flashing white LED that lets everyone know you’re recording.

Meta teamed up with Ray-Ban for a true Wayfarer look — and it’s working. They've sold 2 million pairs so far, and aside from the “creep light,” they actually pass for normal glasses.

🤔 Smart Specs or Future Tech Flops?

Smart glasses promise seamless integration — but so did all the other wearables now gathering dust. Before you buy in, here are a few things that might still fog up the lens.

• Always on means always observed. “Contextual AI” sounds nice, but it really means your glasses are always watching, listening, and learning — whether you’re asking for help or not.

• Eye strain is real. Some users report headaches or vision fatigue after extended wear.

• Still a bit chunky. They’ve slimmed down, but unless you need prescription lenses, wearing a thicker frame all day can feel like a lot of lens for not much payoff.

• "Stay present" — kind of. The promise is less screen time and more real-world connection, but in practice, it’s like wearing your phone on your face instead of holding it in your hand. It can also feel odd to experience the physical world with a digital layer always in between.

💀The Wearable Graveyard: A Brief Tour

The road to wearable tech glory has been long—and littered with casualties. Here are a few of the pioneers that blazed trails and then blipped out.

• Google Glass (2013): The first real attempt at smart glasses. Ambitious but premature — limited capabilities, high price, and major privacy concerns led to its early retirement.

• Snapchat Spectacles (2016): Cool in theory, niche in reality. They could only shoot short-form videos with a subpar camera.

• Humane AI Pin (2024): You’ve likely heard of this infamous flop: a $700 AI pin (+ a monthly subscription) that promised to replace your phone. Criticized for weak performance and unclear purpose, the company folded in under a year.

• Rabbit R1 (2024): A $199 AI gadget that looks like a tiny orange TV for your pocket. No subscription, just confusion. Reviews say it doesn’t do much, but hey, at least it’s cheap. Future graveyard resident in the making!

✨ What’s Different This Time?

Two big shifts are shaping the wearable space: design and timing.

The tech has finally caught up:

• AI models are faster, more efficient, and can now handle real-time tasks on compact devices.

• Voice control has improved dramatically too, making conversations with your glasses feel more natural and less like yelling at a toaster.

• And maybe the biggest change? The hardware actually looks good. No more forehead gadgets — these are frames you’d wear even if they weren’t smart.

Jony Ive, the ex-Apple designer behind their most famous products, slammed previous wearables attempts as “very poor products” with no real innovation. He’s now working with OpenAI on the next generation of AI devices. If anyone knows how to make people want to wear tech, it’s him.

💡How To AI: Plan Your Dream Vacation

Want to plan a dream vacation without all the legwork?

It’s officially getaway season. And while Capital One is busy convincing you their card can book your dream trip, ChatGPT can actually plan a full itinerary in seconds — no points, blackout dates, or hold music required.

Let’s say you want to plan a week long European vacation:

Boom: daily schedules, train routes, local eats, and even hidden gems—all without you falling into a TripAdvisor rabbit hole.

Not sure where to go or what type of vacation to take? Just tell AI what you like, your budget, and your dates — it’ll build a vacation around you.

Want to level up? Use your favorite chatbot to:

• Create a packing list based on the weather

• Live-translate signs, restaurant menus, or labels for immediate understanding

• Recommend and rank local restaurants near your hotel based off distance and reviews

• Convert euros so you don’t get charged $12 for tap water

The only thing it won’t do? Stand in line at the Louvre for you.

Heard in the Server Room

AiPhone Incoming: OpenAI Buys Jony Ive’s Design Firm

OpenAI just shelled out $6.4 billion in stock to buy io, the AI hardware startup from none other than Jony Ive—the design mind behind the iPhone, iMac, and basically every Apple product you’ve ever overpaid for. Ive will now be working hand-in-hand with OpenAI’s engineers to bring AI into the physical world, presumably with fewer wires and more minimalist vibes. It’s OpenAI’s biggest acquisition yet and a bold step beyond code into beautifully crafted silicon.

Elton John To UK: Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Our Royalties

Elton John isn’t exactly still standing after hearing the U.K. government’s plan to let tech companies train AI on copyrighted material without permission—calling it “criminal” and threatening legal action. The proposal would force artists to opt out and doesn’t require AI developers to disclose what they’ve used, prompting backlash from over 400 artists, including Paul McCartney. Critics warn it puts young creators on a long and winding road, stripping them of income, credit, and control. I guess that’s why they call it the blues.

Clot Me Not: AI Catches Clots Without Catheter

Scientists at the University of Tokyo have built an AI-powered microscope that can spot blood clots forming in real time—no catheter required. By analyzing high-speed images of platelets from a simple arm blood draw, the tool offers a non-invasive way to monitor clot risk, especially in heart disease patients. Early tests show it’s nearly as accurate as direct samples from the heart’s arteries. It’s not hospital-ready yet, but doctors say it could soon be a game-changer for personalized, point-of-care treatment.

New Surveys Show Execs and Employees Disagree Over Benefit Of AI

AI was supposed to make work easier—but for many employees, it’s doing the opposite. PR agency founder Anurag Garg thought tools like ChatGPT would boost productivity, but instead, they slowed his team down, introduced steep learning curves, and led to burnout.

He’s not alone: 96% of execs think AI boosts output, yet 77% of workers say it’s actually made their jobs harder—especially Gen Z, who are feeling the burnout creep.

All those shiny new tools? They’re breaking focus, not building it.

Constant switching to the latest and greatest AI applications, a lack of training, and unclear expectations are leaving workers confused and exhausted. Burnout experts say the real issue isn’t just workload—it’s the growing disconnect between people and purpose.

A Henley Business School study backs it up: 61% of UK workers feel overwhelmed by AI’s pace, and nearly a quarter say they’ve been left to figure it out alone. AI has potential, but without real support, it’s just turning another thing for employees to stress about.

But it’s not all doom and digital gloom—AI still holds real promise when it’s used thoughtfully. In another survey, 3 out of 5 business users said AI has improved their work life balance.

The key isn’t getting fixated on more tools—it’s better support, smarter integration, and remembering that AI should work for people, not the other way around.