Meta Connect reveals new hardware and AI features

Meta unveiled an array of new tech wearables, including Orion AR glasses, new AI features for its Ray-Ban smart glasses, and a low-cost Quest 3 VR headset, at yesterday’s annual Meta Connect event.

Facebook founder and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed that the Orion AR glasses feature hand and eye tracking and a neural interface and have been tested by tech figures like Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang.

Zuckerberg also highlighted new AI inputs like live translation between English, French, Italian, and Spanish in the Ray-Ban smart glasses. The glasses are also expected to have real-time vision capabilities by 2024 to help with tasks like cooking or exploring new cities.

Low-cost versions of the Quest 3 VR headset, called Quest 3S, priced at $299 for the 128GB model and $399 for the 256GB model, were announced to be available starting October 15.

Users of these headsets can play several games, including Wordle, Batman: Arkham Shadow (launching October 22) and Alien: Rogue Incursion by April 2025.

Apart from showcasing tech wearables, Meta also increased its AI presence.

• It released the latest version of its AI model called Llama 3.2.

• Meta showcased AI tools for image editing and captioning.

• The Meta AI Assistant is gaining voice capabilities across Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, and Messenger. It offers multiple voice options, including celebrity voices like Dame Judi Dench, John Cena, and Awkwafina.