Here’s what I made of Snap’s new augmented reality Spectacles | MIT Technology Review

The Nugget

Snap's new Spectacles offer an exciting leap in augmented reality, blending digital information seamlessly into the real world while enabling interaction without isolating users. They provide a promising glimpse into the future of AR experiences.

Make it stick

👓 The new Spectacles feature micro-projectors that project images directly onto the lenses, allowing you to see overlaid digital content.
🎮 Four cameras help track hand movements and recognize the environment, facilitating interaction with AR objects.
🤖 Equipped with an AI chatbot, you can ask natural language questions, enhancing the AR experience with real-world context.
💡 Snap's Spectacles Developer Program requires a subscription of $99/month, making these devices accessible for long-term exploration but not direct consumer sales.

Augmented Reality Integration: Offers the ability to display digital objects that appear to coexist with the physical surroundings.
User-Friendly Interaction: Controlled through natural voice commands and hand gestures.
Developer Accessibility: Requires subscribing to a developer program, opening opportunities for creative development.

Stable 3D Visualization: Objects placed in the AR environment maintain their positions even as users move around.
Impressive Technology: The glasses are lightweight (226 grams) and automatically adjust to light conditions.

Enhanced Interaction: Unlike traditional VR, users can maintain eye contact with others, promoting social engagement.
Real-Time Assistance: The AI responds to inquiries about the real-world objects seen through the lenses, blending virtual assistance and real-world observation.

“Computing overlaid on the world that enhances our experience... rather than isolating us.”
“The three-dimensional objects maintained a sense of permanence in the spaces you placed them.”
“They are not the silliest computer I have put on my face, but they didn’t exactly make me feel like a cool guy either.”
“It all worked together impressively well... for the most part, this was a solid little device.”
“It creates a tall, deep field of view – similar to a 100-inch display at 10 feet.”

This summary contains AI-generated information and may have important inaccuracies or omissions.