Reimagining Wearables

From Tokyo, Japan and Changsha, China – this is Down to Business English. With your hosts Skip Montreux and Dez Morgan. Good day, Dez. How is everything going? Not bad, Skip. Your university term must be winding down by now. It is. But it’s actually turning out to be quite a busy time of year for me. Oh. Why’s that? Aren’t exams finished? They are. But we, the lecturers, have a lot of ‘mitigating circumstances’ cases to go through. Mitigating circumstances? What does that mean?

Ah. That’s when students who received a failing grade can put forward a case if they think it was not their fault or was caused by circumstances beyond their control. Okay, like an illness or some kind of accident on the way to their exam? Those are the traditional cases, yes. But now, with AI-generated translations, students are coming up with increasingly creative excuses. Really?

Yes. AI makes it easier for them to write a convincing explanation — so some desperate students figure well why not give it a try. Well, that is probably the case with complaints in many industries, not just education. If you can write a complaint letter with very little effort then why not? Except someone has to read them all. And that is why I’m so busy at the moment. Well, hang in there Dez. I’m sure you will get through all of this. Mm. I’m sure I will.

But you know, this is a perfect example of how AI is reshaping the way we all work, regardless if you are in education or business. It’s quite a revolution. Perhaps even more impactful than the advent of the internet way back in the 1990s. But, for our business topic today I don’t want to look back. I want to focus on the future. The future of AI? Yes. Specifically, how we interact with AI — and how AI-powered wearables are changing the way we engage with the world around us.

Now that does sound interesting. So let’s do it. Let’s get D2B … Down to Business with Reimagining Wearables: How some of the biggest players in tech hope smart glasses will change our relationship with the world around us.

“Change our relationship with the world around us”. That is a pretty bold statement you made there, Skip. Well, like I said some of the biggest players in Silicon Valley hope that will be the case. And the product they are all betting on is smart glasses. Smart glasses?! Again?! Didn’t Google try that 10 years ago? You are right, Google did introduce a pair of smart glasses back in 2012. They were called Glass. I clearly remember them not going over very well.

Well, I think it is fair to say that the Google Glass failed — spectacularly. What was behind that failure? There were several reasons. One was the cost — $1500. Mm. That’s pricey. And it had a very small screen. But perhaps the biggest reason of all — privacy concerns. Privacy concerns? Yeah. Users could take pictures or videos directly from Google Glass, and that raised a lot of privacy concerns. Of course it would.

No one wants to speak to someone who is recording every word of your conversation. But privacy aside, here is the real dilemma for tech companies. People today are just not upgrading their technology as often as they used to. That’s true. I’ve thought about getting a new mobile phone or a smartwatch a few times recently, but the latest models don’t really do anything more exciting than the older ones. And that is the problem.

While AI technology is advancing in leaps and bounds, there are only so many things you can do on a tiny six inch smartphone screen. Hence tech companies are revisiting the concept of smart glasses. A different hardware format for AI. Exactly. So, maybe Google Glass wasn’t a complete failure. Maybe not. It might have been just ahead of its time.

So, which companies are actively developing smart glasses? Google, Meta, Amazon, and Snap Inc. all have some type of smart glasses on the market. Those are indeed some of the biggest players in tech. Although, I’m not familiar with Snap Inc. Have you heard of SnapChat? Oh sure. It’s that messaging app that’s really popular with younger people. It allows you to send photos and videos that disappear after they’ve been watched. That’s right. Well, Snap Inc. is the parent company of SnapChat.

And they released their first generation of smart glasses under the brand name Spectacles back in 2016. Mm. That, I did not know. Okay, now that I’m clear on who all the players are, what can you tell me about their smart glasses, and how are they implementing AI? Okay, let’s start with Meta. Facebook’s parent company. Yes. Meta partnered up with the classic sunglasses brand RayBan in 2019 and developed their first pair of smart glasses.

The first generation was branded as Ray-Ban Stories and launched in 2021. Then, in 2023, the next generation, the Ray-Ban Meta Smart Glasses were released. They feature built in speakers, a camera, and integration with Meta AI and What’sApp. I’ve seen pictures of these Meta Ray-Bans online. They look fairly inconspicuous — just like regular glasses. That’s probably why over 2 million pairs have been sold since they were introduced. And recently, Meta has announced a new partnership with Oakley.

Ah, another sunglasses brand. The Meta Oakley HSTN smart glasses were available for pre-order from July 11th. Alright. Meta has two pairs of smart glasses on the market — great. But what can a person actually do with a pair of them that you can’t do with a typical smartphone? Well, here’s a scenario for you. Imagine you are in the supermarket doing some grocery shopping. A common situation. You’re standing in front of the spice rack, looking at all the different options.

Something I do fairly often, as a matter of fact. Well, if you happen to be wearing a pair of Meta smart glasses, you could ask the Meta AI which spice is the mildest. Or for recipe suggestions that make use of some of the spices you are looking at. Okay. That sounds like a fairly useful application of AI. And how much does a pair of Meta's smart glasses cost? The Meta Oakley HSTN will ship for $499. Er, not bad. So, that’s Meta and their smart glasses lineup.

How about Amazon? What do they have on offer? Late in 2023, Amazon released the 3rd generation of their smart glasses, called Echo Frames. Echo Frames are integrated with Amazon’s virtual assistant Alexa. But unlike Meta’s RayBans and Oakelys, Echo Frames don’t have a camera. No camera?! No. The main selling point is hands-free voice assistant capabilities and audio features. Huh. I suppose that means there would be fewer privacy issues.

But with the Echo Frames, you aren’t able to look at something and ask Alexa questions about it. I’m afraid not. But on the bright side, they are less expensive. Echo Frames list for around $330. Well, you get what you pay for. I have to say Skip, I’m a bit underwhelmed with these products so far. They don’t seem to bring much more to the table than a smartphone. Not convinced? How about this then. Last month, on June 10th, SnapChat.

announced they will be releasing an all new smart glasses product next year. An update to their Spectacles? No, it’s much more than just an update. The new product is called Specs. Unlike Spectacles, which are mainly designed for content creators and are basically just a lightweight video camera built into a pair of glasses, Specs features augmented reality lenses and is aimed at a much broader consumer market. AR lenses? What can you do with those?

According to Snap Inc., with Specs you will be able to view immersive augmented reality overlays in the environment around you, read real-time language translations, play multiplayer AR games, and get instant AI-powered assistance — all hands-free and on the go. Well on the surface that sounds exciting. But then again it could just be marketing hype. I will reserve judgment until these Specs are out on the market. That is very prudent of you, Dez.

But it is worth pointing out that market research suggests global shipments of smart glasses will grow from 3.3 million units, last year in 2024, to nearly 13 million by 2026. So, it’s definitely a sector that tech companies want to develop a product for. Absolutely. And what about Google? Where are they in all this? I imagine that after discontinuing Google Glass they might be a bit hesitant about this type of product. What do they say once bitten twice shy.

Well, it is true that they discontinued Google Glass in 2015, but they didn’t throw in the towel when it came to smart glasses. In fact in 2017 they launched the Google Glass Enterprise Edition. Enterprise Edition. It is aimed specifically at businesses and industry. For example in the logistics sector, DHL warehouse workers use them to improve their order fulfillment efficiency. And they are used in hospitals to improve patient care. So Google is targeting niche markets. Up until now, yes.

But at the recent Google I/O developers conference in May, they announced the release of the next generation Android XR Glasses. These will be on the market next year and will come with immersive AR technology and tight integration with Google’s AI model Gemini, for real-time assistance, language translation, and on-device data processing for enhanced privacy. Sounds to me like Google is back in the smart glasses game. Well, I don’t think they were ever really out.

But it is a much more crowded playing field than it was ten years ago.

Sure. And I haven’t even mentioned OpenAI, yet. The company behind ChatGPT. Don’t tell me they’re releasing smart glasses too. Well, no one is sure what they're up to. But they have announced a merger with Jony Ive’s tech company io, in a deal worth $6.5 billion. Jony Ive. Why does that name ring a bell? He was Chief Design Officer at Apple and is the man largely responsible for the industrial design of everything from the iMac to the iPhone. Of course.

He’s often credited for creating Apple’s simple design and intuitive user interface. That’s him. When he left the company in 2019, after thirty years at Apple, CEO Tim Cook said that Ive’s contribution to Apple could never be overestimated. That is quite big news. The guy who designed the iPhone, teaming up with the world’s most popular AI provider. It is huge news.

When the announcement was made, Sam Altman of OpenAi said he thought they had the opportunity to completely reimagine what it means to use a computer. So some type of new hardware but what? Do you think it will be glasses? No one really knows. But last September Ive did say he had been working with OpenAi to create a product that used artificial intelligence to create a computing experience that is less socially disruptive than the iPhone. Which he himself designed. Very interesting.

Very interesting indeed. Whatever they are cooking up over there will be released sometime in 2026. So what about Apple? Where do they stand in all of this? Well, apart from the Vision Pro VR headset which was launched last year, Apple has been pretty quiet in the area of AI powered hardware. What about Apple Intelligence, their own AI model? I haven’t heard much about it since it was announced last year. Don’t tell me they have shelved it. No, they haven’t shelved it.

But it has faced some setbacks and delays. Apple AI is currently used in some Apple applications, but in a fairly limited way. They are set to release more powerful AI features next year across iPhones, iPads, and Macs, as well as Apple Watches. That’s another business topic we should cover at some point in the future. How Apple fell behind in the AI race. Yes, that is worth reporting on. But I definitely would not count Apple out. Of course you wouldn’t.

And on that note, I think it is time to get D2V … Down to Vocabulary.

Our first D2V item today is the phrasal verb ‘to wind down’. When something winds down, it gradually slows or comes to an end. Or it becomes less busy or intense over time. Wind down is often used when you are talking about things like work, events, or even the end of a busy day. In the introduction to today’s report, I commented to Dez that his university term must be winding down. Meaning Skip assumed things were slowing down for me because the semester was coming to a close.

Unfortunately for me, it wasn’t winding down at all. In fact, things were getting busier with all the student appeals I had to read. Don’t worry Dez, I am sure it will wind down eventually. Agh, I’m sure it will. Can you give us another example in a business context? Sure. Many companies hold a year-end party in December to wind down after a busy year and thank employees for their hard work. That’s a great example. And those parties are always a lot of fun — if you don’t drink too much.

What’s our next word? The next word on the D2V list is the adjective inconspicuous. Something that is inconspicuous doesn’t attract attention. It blends in and is not easily noticed. Right. It’s the opposite of something that is obvious or flashy. In today’s report, when Skip and I were talking about Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, I mentioned that they looked fairly inconspicuous — just like regular glasses. Dez meant they didn’t look like high-tech gadgets.

They looked normal, which might make people more comfortable wearing them in public. Exactly. That inconspicuous appearance is probably a big selling point — especially for people who don’t want to stand out or attract attention. I want to point out that inconspicuous is related to the word suspicious. That’s right. They share the same Latin root. If something is suspicious, it draws attention because it seems strange or wrong. Inconspicuous is the opposite — it doesn’t draw attention at all.

Nice. Can you give us an example using inconspicuous in a business setting? Do you know who Chris Xu is? I don’t think so. Maybe by his Chinese name, Xu Yangtian. Nope. No idea. He’s the CEO of Shein — the global fast fashion brand. I know the company, but I didn’t know the CEO’s name. Well, that’s not surprising because even though he is the CEO of one of China’s most successful global companies, he leads an inconspicuous lifestyle.

There are very few images of him online and he virtually never speaks to the media. In fact, they say that most of his employees don’t even know what he looks like. That’s another great example. What’s our next word? The final word for D2V today is the adjective ‘underwhelmed’. When you are underwhelmed by something, it means you are not impressed. It didn’t live up to your expectations. Or it failed to excite or surprise you in the way you were hoping. You expected more — but you didn’t get it.

In today’s report, Dez used the word after I told him about the features in Meta’s and Amazon’s smart glasses. He said he was underwhelmed by what these products offered. To me, neither product offered anything particularly new or more useful than a regular smartphone. So when something is underwhelming, it is a letdown — it lacks the punch or the wow factor people might be expecting. The opposite adjective of underwhelmed is overwhelmed.

When you're overwhelmed, something is too intense, or you have too much to handle. If you're underwhelmed, you just don’t feel much at all. Nicely put. Can you give us an example in a business setting? Well, I don’t know if this can be considered a business example, but I know that a lot of people who’ve gone to see the final Mission Impossible movie, the Final Reckoning, have been underwhelmed. Oh, I’ve heard that from some people too. They were expecting a lot more from the movie.

But I guess that isn’t really a business example. Well, sure it is. I was reading just the other day that in order to break even, Mission Impossible 8 needs to make a billion dollars in revenue. So far, because of underwhelming ticket sales it has only made $585 million. I guess that’s what happens when a franchise starts to wind down.

Would you like to help Down to Business English reach more people wanting to improve their Business English skills? Follow Down to Business English on Apple Podcasts, YouTube Music, Spotify, or any place podcasts are found. Leave a rating and a review and tell everyone how much you enjoy the show. And that brings us to the end of our look at smart glasses and how major tech companies are hoping to redefine how we interact with AI.

I didn’t realize just how many players are already in the game — or how much innovation is happening behind the scenes. Whether smart glasses will go mainstream this time around still remains to be seen, but the potential is enormous. It’s definitely an area to watch. Agreed. Just before we go, just a reminder to our D2B Members and Apple Podcast Subscribers — your bonus Down to Vocabulary episode will be dropping soon.

In that episode, we will look at five more useful words and phrases that came up in today’s discussion — all especially relevant to technology and innovation. Those words and phrases are: a mitigating circumstance, to not go over well, to do something in leaps and bounds, to bring something to the table, and to ring a bell. Lots of useful business expressions and idioms there. You don’t want to miss it. No you don’t.

If you’re a D2B Member, that bonus episode will be in your private podcast feed, so be sure you are subscribed and checking that. If you’re not subscribed, just copy the podcast feed link from your member account page on the D2B website and paste it into your favorite podcast app. And Apple Podcast Subscribers, that bonus episode will land in your Apple Podcast app automatically as soon as it’s released. No need for you to do anything. Thanks for listening everyone. See you next time.

Bye bye. Down to Business English … Business News, to improve your Business English.