Are Facebook's New Glasses w/ Built-In Camera "DANGEROUS"?

Mark Zuckerberg has announced the launch of the first Facebook smart glasses, the Ray-Ban Stories, which shoots photographs, records videos, answers calls, and lets you listen to music. Given that it must be associated with a phone through Bluetooth, they essentially perform the same functions as the phone in your pocket.

What is the Real Reason for Their Existence? Since Snapchat declined his offer to acquire them, Zuckerberg has been obsessed with ensuring that Facebook gets everything Snapchat has, which is why they appeared shortly after Snapchat unveiled its 'Spectacles' spectacles.

These are unquestionably more attractive than Snapchat's Spectacles. On the surface, the spectacles appear to be the classic Ray-Bans.

The temples are somewhat broader, but the design remains unchanged. They come in a variety of colors and are made of several types of glass. The Meteor model, with transparent glass and an olive green frame, was put to the test at ABC. If you're still not convinced, you can get a degree in optics.

The two photographic sensors on the front, which are perforated and allow the user to shoot images and record movies for up to 60 seconds, are what distinguishes these lenses. Each camera has a 5 MP resolution, and the information they capture is of exceptional quality. Particularly if the lighting is nice. They are not suggested for use at night or in circumstances where there is very little light.

The gadget may be used to make a hands-free call or listen to music. It comfortably satisfies two functions, as we were able to verify throughout the testing. Meta, for example, has made it feasible to listen to music on the device without the sound being hardly audible to the rest of the room. Furthermore, the noise of the surroundings is not separated, which is beneficial if they are used to riding a bicycle or running.

Furthermore, by sliding your finger over one of the pins on the glasses, you may adjust the volume or pick up the phone. Ray-Ban Stories are also compatible with Facebook's virtual assistant, allowing users to ask the gadget to shoot a photo or video simply by saying, "Hey, Facebook..." If you like, you may do it manually by pressing the button on the right side of the glasses.

Requires Their App..

You'll need to download the app - yep, another app - Facebook View, which is available for iOS and Android, on your phone to access the images and movies made with the glasses. This requires Bluetooth pairing with the glasses. When collecting content, all you have to do is put on your glasses and open the 'app,' which will begin the download in a couple of seconds.

Which, of course, brings up the subject of privacy...

Apart from worrying what data Facebook can obtain with the required app, some are dubbing them "Facebook Spy Glasses," implying what may be done if a suspicious individual buys a set.

They don't appear like a camera or a phone, and no one near the person wearing them will suspect they're being watched.

An LED light in the right corner of the front of the lenses illuminates whenever the user is collecting material as a warning to the others. Furthermore, it is impossible to disable. But a simple workaround like... covering it with a piece of tape, will make it disappear.

Finally, it is true that a user with malicious intent can film or photograph third parties without alerting them and without using these glasses. Although it is more visible with the telephone, it is possible.

Side By Side Facebook VS Snapchat Smart Glasses

All for a ridiculously high price...

Currently, a pair costs roughly $300 US, which is around $150 more (twice the price) as Snapchat's newest and second-generation spectacles, the Spectical2's.

But, to be fair, the extra cost for Facebook's comes from the fact that you're purchasing a pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses, and a side-by-side comparison shows that Facebook's sunglasses do look A LOT better.

I guess I'm not in the target demographic?

I have a GoPro, and there are occasions when I want to film something, but I've never wished my GoPro was strapped to my face. While the convenience of having your hands free is appealing, I can already strap my GoPro to myself, mount it on a tripod, and so forth.

However, if this is the best option for what you're doing and you have the funds, I'd have a look at them before purchasing Snapchat Spectacles.

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Alex Benningram
TechNews.CITY / New York Newsroom

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New Branding Won't Fix Facebook's Old Problems...

Facebook is planning to rebrand itself with a new name as the tech giant comes under fire from regulators around the world over its business practices.

But a new name won't fix their reputation.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg promised to bring Facebook back from the brink during an appearance before Congress. He made it clear that he understands the enormous responsibility the company has as it faces growing criticism from governments and those who question its role.

"The world feels anxious and divided, and Facebook has a lot of work to do — whether it's protecting our community from abuse and hate, defending against interference by nation states, or making sure that time spent on Facebook is time well spent," Zuckerberg told the joint session of the Senate judiciary and commerce committees.

The company said it would use artificial intelligence to proactively identify posts that include hate speech and other objectionable material, allowing Facebook to get rid of them before anyone sees them. The tech giant also hired an additional 3,000 people to monitor hate speech.

Zuckerberg's appearance on Capitol Hill is the latest public appearance for a high-profile tech executive facing bipartisan criticism for how their companies handle user privacy and content. In response to the criticism, Facebook, Google, and Twitter have pledged to hire more people and invest more in security and transparency.

Some of the pressure is coming from Washington. In January, Democrats in Congress released a long list of demands they want to see from the companies and their CEOs, and the demands included implementing new privacy measures, letting users opt out of targeted advertising, and providing more details about how their user data is shared and used.

The companies were already under fire from Congress for the 2016 election meddling during the 2016 election. Lawmakers said at the time they wanted to know more about Russian involvement in the run-up to the election and, specifically. _______
Stewart Reese
Silicon Valley Newsroom

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Public Trust In Tech Companies Reaches New Lows...

Fortune and Harris' new survey of consumer trust in the major tech companies showed that no company surveyed (Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, and Microsoft) can claim that more than half of consumers entrust them with personal data. 

The online survey of more than 2,000 consumers in mid-October found that Amazon topped the list, with 49% of respondents saying they trusted the company with personal data (e.g., browsing history, location data, contacts, and photos). 

How The Big Ones Faired...

Google was approved by 41% of respondents, Microsoft was trusted by 40%, and Apple was approved by 39%. Facebook came in last place, with only 22% of Americans surveyed agreeing they trust them with their personal information, and Apple was fourth despite its efforts to position itself as the most privacy-friendly tech company. 

48% of those polled said that their perception of the company had become much more or somewhat negative over the past six months, while 17% said that their perception has been much more or somewhat positive. 

The public’s distrust of big technology comes at a time when Congress is considering a new, comprehensive federal privacy law. 

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Stewart Reese
Silicon Valley Newsroom

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Social Media Marketing: The Game That Never Stops Changing. How To Win It In 2021...

Small business owners are starting to take notice that social media accounts are huge among other businesses. Increases in the amount of active business accounts on free marketing platforms such as Twitter, Facebook and Google Plus are an indication there is a lot to be gained by getting involved.

Unfortunately, many businesses just can’t seem to gain much success in engagement over their social media accounts. When there isn’t any positive result from your social media marketing right away, it can be discouraging. There are a couple of golden rules to remember when you begin your social media campaigns.

The first rule to keep in mind is that consistency is the key.

Although it isn’t impossible, you can’t expect to be an overnight sensation. (However, it must be an awesome feeling) For the most part, it’s going to take some time and effort to get the hang of it all. Once you begin to spend more time and engaging with your new found online community, you will notice that you can actually begin to take part in some interesting conversation. This leads to the second golden rule.

Listen to your fans and friends.

Imagine you are at a small party or get together. You may not know everyone at the time, so you want to kindly introduce yourself. Let your community know who you are and what you do. You may be able to find some people that are in need of your services, without having to throw a sales pitch at them. If you were meeting these people for the first time, and were face to face, you wouldn't constantly tell them why they should buy your services or products.

Instead, you would take part in some small talk. You could talk about sports, current events, or even the weather. You will see that by doing this, you are letting that person know you are human, as opposed to some online robot that is automatically responding with a link to buy from you.

Nobody likes to talk to someone that can go on for hours at a time about the same thing every day.

In a physical encounter, when you’re face to face with someone else, you can’t be the only one talking. You have to do some listening as well. As with any conversation, listening is a major part of the deal. 

Listening and responding accordingly, will build trust in you. And when you earn the trust of people in your community, your business will gain trust as well. And of course then they won’t mind hearing about your products or service from time to time. They may even become advocates for your brand. This means that when they come across someone that needs your product or service, they will be quick to mention your brand.

They could even refer that person to your social media page. This is where you might find that you are gaining more followers or friends in your online community. Be aware of the new faces you see. Thank them for coming to see what your page is all about and welcome them to join in any conversation. Remember that listening is a golden rule. So if you notice any question or comment, whether it be good or bad, reply promptly and consistently!

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Ron Kennedy
Austin Newsroom

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As 2020 Elections Approach, Both Political Parties Prepare To Blame Losses On Social Media...

Social media is facing more criticism by experts who warn that  it is used to spread misleading stories and is undermining democratic processes. But how accurate are these claims? 

It's all  about what  you choose to believe. What makes users uncomfortable is  the lack of factual details or even evidence that support the claims being made.

Democrats claim the sites do not properly censor 'fake news' that is often about their candidates, while Republicans say the tech companies themselves censor conservatives. 

Facebook however has been working on addressing some of their privacy concerns  by working with   media organisations to fact check more accurate stories on the site.  As an example, last month the social media giant made the decision to stop allowing fake news stories to be posted in its Trending section.

But critics say social media is being blamed by people who lose elections, using them as a poor excuse for bad a campaign or candidate.   In some cases, users have even resorted to calling for an investigation into election fraud using Facebook 's social media channels.

 The company is currently facing complaints from members of the public who say the company has become a breeding ground for false claims , especially after the last election in the UK.

We can expect to see  similar complaints from the public who believe that Facebook is not doing enough to prevent the spread of inaccurate or misleading information on their platform ahead of the  upcoming general election.

 As such , the company has promised to spend a lot of time and resources to address the issue .  This will include a massive campaign to ensure that all stories posted on Facebook are verified. 

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Author: Stephen Hannan
New York Newsroom

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Social Media Roundup: New Features, Policies and Causes at Facebook, TikTok, Twitter...

With modern technology and human lifestyle constantly transforming, social media platforms are no exceptions. Social media topics, trends, and news are being constantly updated. Since social media is the new cool in 2020, you surely need to stay in the loop.

Keeping an eye on the top trends and news on social media might sound to be a hectic task. But in reality, it's just a couple of minutes read.

That being said, here are the top news and updates from various social media updates. Give it a quick read to update your inventory and know what's happening in the U.S and all across the world.

TikTok banned from India. Instagram steps up with TikTok like features

With the border tensions between India and China, the Indian government decided to ban 59 Chinese apps showing reasons for the "threat to national security and sovereignty" caused by the apps. TikTok was included in the list leading to the Chinese app platform losing over 120 million monthly users.
Taking advantage of the situation, Instagram launched Reels, which resembles Tiktok, and enables users to make 15 seconds videos and share them as stories.

Facebook urges people to wear masks in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic with newly introduced prompts

As COVID-19 cases keep rising steadily in the U.SFacebook added new prompts that ask users to wear masks while they are out in public places. As Facebook mentions on its platform, "With the rise in COVID-19 cases in the US, we’re putting an alert at the top of Facebook and Instagram to remind everyone to wear face coverings and find more prevention tips from the CDC in our COVID-19 Information Center.” people should have realized the importance of masks and started wearing them already.

#StopHateForProfit movement gains momentum with brands and civil rights associations joining the campaign

After the controversial statement of President Donald J. Trump on #BlackLivesMatter blew up on social media, it took an ugly turn when Twitter issued a warning on the tweet, while Facebook remained silent. Protesters asked businesses to stop any and all ad contributions towards Facebook in the current month of July. As said by the campaigners, "We are asking all businesses to stand in solidarity with our most deeply held American values of freedom, equality, and justice and not advertise on Facebook’s services in July" people are surely not pleased by Facebook's blatant ignorance to a burning issue.

Twitter now enables "Voice Tweet" features

To what was a much-awaited feature rumored to be arriving soon, you can now record your voice and tweet with voice tweets on Twitter. After months of beta testing of the audio clips features, Twitter finally rolled out the "Voice Tweet" feature for up to 140 seconds for iOS users. There are options for creating a thread of voice tweets as well! So don't let your train of thoughts get stopped by a limit!

While there are a few more things to catch up to, that covers the top news and trends of social media that you must know to stay updated. Keep coming back for more news and the latest information about almost everything that is 2020!

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Author: Techi

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