It looks like we are stepping in the years of smart glasses with whole bunch of smart glasses launching, and one of the more main stream glasses that is being right now is Ray Ban Meta. There's also one that is expected to be launching sometime next year like Android XR. A lot more that is currently on being launch on kickstarter platform. I have been checking them out and I think two of the biggest features are the photo snapping and the video recording, and I think they could be super useful to our operation, especially those operations that required covert type. I strongly suggest everyone who need to do lots of pictures taking to consider one of those glasses as an investment.

And just to throw in some bonus. If you happened to have a Health Saving Account, and you are ordering the glasses with prescription lenses, chances are some of the smart glasses will be qualify for HSA reimbursement. Since we are moving towards the end of the year, and if you have leftover money that may not be able to rollover to next year, it is worth checking out with your HSA provider and see if they would cover the expenses of those smart glasses with prescription lenses, and give these toys a try.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/2025 04:26PM by kisekinecro.

1.They're probably extremely expensive and 2. I am creeped out by everyone videotaping everyone else without their knowledge nor permission.

@EnglishMorning wrote:

1.They're probably extremely expensive and 2. I am creeped out by everyone videotaping everyone else without their knowledge nor permission.

1) Without Prescription lens its approx 300 - 500 for rayban meta and many other kickstarter ones. With prescription lens would be another 200-300 more, but then as I say, it would most likely be HSA eligible

2) There's multiple fold into this. First of all. Camera will have LED on when they are videotaping, at least the Rayban Meta one do. Of course there's way to "hack" it, but when big company release them there's measure on it. In regards to videotape without permission. There's technically nothing you can do when videotaping in public, with or without one's consent unfortunately. Videotaping in public is perfectly legal and it requires no one's permission, rather you like it or not, and even if you walk up and tell that person not to videotape, unfortunately it has no legal ground to that.

Once they become more mainstream, prices are likely to drop quickly.
As kise mentioned, video recording is already happening in public...this is just yet another device for it. I don't like it either...but what can you do except hide?
All of this is just another reason why I conduct myself the way I do in public....others can do as they want of course....this was just pressed into me from birth lol.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/24/2025 10:13PM by BarefootBliss.

So, there is a "tell" that others would know you were making the video? But there may be a hack? I am just wondering how obvious the design of the glasses would look as one wore them. If they would readily recognize someone was wearing them or if they could blend in as another type. I have seen the displays, but had not really studied them. This is interesting, indeed, for our business. And the point about the Rx aspect was a good point, too.

@purpleicee wrote:

So, there is a "tell" that others would know you were making the video? But there may be a hack? I am just wondering how obvious the design of the glasses would look as one wore them. If they would readily recognize someone was wearing them or if they could blend in as another type. I have seen the displays, but had not really studied them. This is interesting, indeed, for our business. And the point about the Rx aspect was a good point, too.

Yes, when you record a led would light on and indicate that it is recording, at least for Ray-Ban meta. Not sure about the small start up brands. And of course as always, there's hack for that. Some ppl go with physical route by drilling the led out, some use covers, some go with software hacks.

[youtu.be]

I've been thinking more about all of this again today - this industry is going to change, it's just a matter of when. It started today when I need to call an airline for help in booking a reservation using a combination of cash and points. In short order, the chatbot announced it couldn't help me and told me to call the help line.
I knew it would be a wait, so I dialed, put the call on speaker and continued to work.
After 90+ minutes, I hung up.
So....AI has a ways to go, or at least in the reservation help space lol.

But I'm thinking the first to go will be those shops where the shopper is primarily measuring or counting - humanity not required, just basic task work.
The last to go will be shops where they ask how you feel about the service or the experience - like spa shops or hotels or sit down meals or those where we give lengthy descriptive narratives describing the experience and the staff we dealt with and how they made us feel.

The shops in between? not sure...but the more devices there are that do observation, interactions, the counting, the measuring, the weighing, etc... the less they will need human input.

Your thoughts? where is this all headed? As I've said before, they aren't upgrading the shopping tools or platforms - so that makes this industry more like a dinosaur - but I think they aren't because they know things are changing too fast to make further investments.

Agree or not, it's all just polite discussion...just like to see what others are thinking.

PS/ the new airpods translate languages in your ears....so the way I understand it, the other person speaks, the device then translates it and you hear in your primary language....no need for foreign language study any more....it's wild to me.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/25/2025 09:42PM by BarefootBliss.

I think the industry will adapt, and secret shopper will always be here, just probably in a different way. Think of it this way. We have been saying robot will replace human work force for how long now? and yes, we do see more kiosk over past year, however, cashier still exist because there will always be some customization that machine cannot handle, and look at Mcdonalds. They did not fire all cashier, they put some of the cashier to delivery busboy and start doing food delivery service in a fast food restaurant.

Another example would be pharmacy technicians. Yes we can have machines sorting out and filling up bottles, but that does not mean the jobs are gone. We still need pharmacy technicians on site, to fill up the machines.

The fuel station shops would still need the human eye to evaluate the pump, bathroom, etc. So I do not think those will go away anytime soon.

The places that have implemented the kiosks or robots, still have a lot of customization as @kisekinecro mentions. People still get hung up at these stations/devices, etc., all the time.

I am about to get the newest AirPod Pros, because I deal with a lot of foreign language users that I need to communicate with. I learned some of the languages I use frequently, but this may be very helpful for me. I will provide feedback when I get them. I also want to see if they will help, as marketed, for some elderly family members experiencing some hearing loss.

But, @BarefootBliss brings up a good point as to where we are heading. Right now, with the example posted with the airlines, this seems to be a reoccurring incident and extremely frustrating with all these automated chat assistants. They have been taking much more time than intended, not to mention when you get disconnected on their end. It may take much more time for all this to get put in place. There are so many APPs, platforms and devices to be considered/updated for all the software to run seamlessly, effectively and most of all, securely.

I follow the news on all of this and I think we're at a tipping point - we're not there yet - reasons cited, but it's coming and when it gets here, it will be quick....
When we have a situation like I did yesterday - and my flight arrangements were too complicated and I needed help - if AI can make those plane reservations for any of us, that second layer is gone...well they're already gone it seems because Alaska Airlines doesn't appear to hire lol.
I can easily easily see a time when I go online, order my prescription from Walgreens, pay for it with my credit card, Walgreens asks me if I want home delivery or to come to the store. I choose come to the store, they give me a code and I go to the store, find my locker, enter the code and my bag is in the locker....
It's just the Amazon model. Amazon has been using that model for years.
Pharmacists still have to dispense, but no cashier or techs required. Questions about the pills? Walgreens will have a link or tell you to talk to your doctor.
I have mixed feelings about a hands off society, but that's another topic lol...not related to shopping lol
PS/I find the chatbots to be a waste of time, they need to work on those. I know they are.
PS2/ I find ChatGPT to be very very helpful....the conversations there are mostly natural and so helpful that I have to hold back from talking to the bot and I feel compelled to thank it for all its help....nothing like using Google. lol - it's weird that I feel like it's an engaged conversation vs. just a search. The creators are amazing.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/26/2025 10:19AM by BarefootBliss.

I have USAA for my insurance. Consumer Reports would rank them #1 except they only insure people who served in the military or their parents did.

They implemented a chatbot. It was not able to help me when i had an open claim and there was no way to chat with an actual human who might help me. Hopefully they'll fix it. Been with them for 50 years. Not changing now.

Duplicate

I have USAA for my insurance. Consumer Reports would rank them #1 except they only insure people who served in the military or their parents did.

They implemented a chatbot. It was not able to help me when i had an open claim and there was no way to chat with an actual human who might help me. Hopefully they'll fix it. Been with them for 50 years. Not changing now.

I wonder if the video is good enough with these glasses for video shops? I have a covert camera and have not been able to get the hang of it.

Do you have any tips on the gas station shops? I've been a shopper for over 10 years. I shopped a few last year. They don't seem worth it for the pay. I am a hopeless perfectionist, however, and probably make them harder than they need to be. I do this. ;[

This is round 2 of smart glasses. Like round 1 with Google glasses, the Meta glasses won't take hold either. More iterations to come.

A killer app is needed before adoption increases significantly. It will happen more in industrial / service applications. Most people are learning ways to "unplug."

If you tell someone that is recording you in public that you do not give them permission AND you know what their channel is, you can file a privacy complaint with YouTube once the video goes up. The video would have to be edited by blurring your image out and perhaps muting you. Of course most of these people videoing you without your permission won't tell you their channel. If someone else is making money off of your image and voice, then they have to have your consent, but the trick is how do you find them.

The Meta Ray Bans have the pulsing light to advise others that you are videoing them. They say it is a privacy thing which is funny Facebook is claiming that. You can't use these glasses to do your apartment shops! I am sure it has a lot to do with them not wanting to get sued and they have deep pockets. The spy type glasses that are made overseas where you buy online or can get at a spy/surveillance type store and doesn't have a brand behind them don't bother with a flashing light. You can't livestream with those

I don't know much about the hacks, but if you go the simplest route of using black tape placed over the right sensor, you have to start without the tape on so the sensors detect it is not obstructed and then apply the tape. I heard something about drilling a hole, but these things are constantly updated and the next firmware could kill your glasses' ability to take pictures and video. You need the software to transfer the images and video from the glasses to your phone.

@BarefootBliss If you are talking about the Meta Ray Bans, I don't know that they will come down in price. They may offer more features for the same price of $299-$379. The first gen were called Stories and those cost $299 with some design choices and it only recorded in 30 second clips and then up to 60 seconds. The Ray Ban Metas came out at the same price, but more design options and much longer video capability and you can livestream, but not on YouTube. It also has some AI features.

The company that owns Ray Bans isn't going to allow the brand to be cheapened especially when you are talking about Wayfarers. There is a lot of tech in the glasses. I would think the next gen of these glasses will have a longer battery life.

Like @kisekinecro mentioned there are the Android XR that are supposed to come out. Save your pennies as those are supposed to be released at $1400.00.