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When Meta first announced its display-enabled smart glasses last year, it teased a handwriting feature that allows users to send messages by tracing letters with their hands. Now, the company is starting to roll it out, with people enrolled in its early access program getting it first,I got a chance to try the feature at CES and it made me want to start wearing my Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses more often. When I reviewed the glasses last year, I wrote about how one of my favorite tings about the neural band is that it reduced my reliance on voice commands. I've always felt a bit self conscious at speaking to my glasses in public. Up to now, replying to messages on the display glasses has still generally required voice dictation or generic preset replies. But handwriting means that you can finally send custom messages and replies somewhat discreetly. Sitting at a table wearing the Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses and neural band, I was able to quickly write a message just by drawing the letters on the table in front of me. It wasn't perfect it misread a capital "I" as an "H" but it was surprsingly intuitive. I was able to quickly trace out a short sentence and even correct a typo (a swipe from left to right will let you add a space, while a swipe from right to left deletes the last character). Alongside handwriting, Meta also announced a new teleprompter feature. Copy and paste a bunch of text it supports up to 16,000 characters (roughly a half-hour's worth of speech) and you can beam your text into the glasses' display. If you've ever used a teleprompter, Meta's version works a bit differently in that the text doesn't automatically scroll while you speak. Instead, the text is displayed on individual cards you manually swipe through. The company told me it originally tested a scrolling version, but that in early tests, people said they preferred to be in control of when the words appeared in front of them. Teleprompter is starting to roll out now, though Meta says it could take some time before everyone is able to access. The updates are the among the first major additions Meta has made to its display glasses since launching them late last year and a sign that, like its other smart glasses, the company plans to keep them fresh with new features. Elsewhere at CES, the company announced some interesting new plans for the device's neural band and that it was delaying a planned international rollout of the device.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/handwriting-is-my-new-favorite-way-to-text-with-the-meta-ray-ban-display-glasses-213744708.html?src=rss
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While wave upon wave of smartglasses and face-based wearables crash on the shores of CES, traditional glasses really havent changed much over the hundreds of years weve been using them. The last innovation, arguably, was progressive multifocals that blended near and farsighted lenses and that was back in the 1950s. It makes sense that autofocusing glasses maker IXI thinks its time to modernize glasses. After recently announcing a 22-gram (0.7-ounce) prototype frame, the startup is here in Las Vegas to show off working prototypes of its lenses, a key component of its autofocus glasses, which could be a game-changer. IXIs glasses are designed for age-related farsightedness, a condition that affects many, if not most people over 45. They combine cameraless eye tracking with liquid crystal lenses that automatically activate when the glasses detect the users focus shifting. This means that, instead of having two separate prescriptions, as in multifocal or bifocal lenses, IXIs lenses automatically switch between each prescription. Crucially like most modern smartglasses the frames themselves are lightweight and look like just another pair of normal glasses. Mat Smith for Engadget With a row of prototype frames and lenses laid out in front of him, CEO and co-founder Niko Eiden explained the technology, which can be separated into two parts. First, the IXI glasses track the movement of your eyes using a system of LEDs and photodiodes, dotted around the edges of where the lenses sit. The LEDs bounce invisible infrared light off the eyes and then measure the reflection, detecting the subtle movements of your eye and how both eyes converge when focusing on something close. Using infrared with just a "handful of analog channels" takes far less power than the millions of pixels and 60-times-per-second processing required by camera-based systems. IXIs system not only tracks eye movements, but also blinking and gaze direction, while consuming only 4 milliwatts of power. Mat Smith for Engadget Most of the technology, including memory, sensors, driving electronics and eye tracker, is in the front frame of the glasses and part of the arms closest to the hinge. The IXI prototype apparently uses batteries similar in size to those found in AirPods, which gives some sense of the size and weight of the tech being used. The charging port is integrated into the glasses left arm hinge. Naturally, this does mean they cant be worn while charging. IXI says that a single charge should cover a whole days usage. The prototype frames I saw this week appeared to be roughly the same weight as my traditional chunky specs. And while these are early iterations, IXIs first frames wouldnt look out of place in a lineup of spectacle options. The team has also refined the nose pieces and glasses arms to accommodate different face shapes. Apparently, when testing expanded from Finland to the UK, British faces were ...different. A little harsh when talking to me, a Brit. Eiden pulled out some prototype lenses, made up of layers of liquid crystal and a transparent ITO (indium tin oxide) conductive layer. This combination is still incredibly thin, and it was amazing to watch the layers switch almost instantly into a prescription lens. It seemed almost magical. As theyre so thin, they can be easily integrated into lenses with existing prescriptions. It can also provide cylindrical correction for astigmatism too. Autofocus lenses could eliminate the need for multiple pairs of glasses, such as bifocals and progressives. Even if the glasses were to run out of power, theyd still function as a pair of traditional specs with your standard prescription, just lacking the near-sighted boost. IXIs sensor sensitivity can also offer insight into other health conditions, detect dry eyes, estimate attentiveness and, by tracking where youre looking, even posture and neck movement. According to Eiden, blink rate changes with focus, daydreaming and anxiety, and all that generates data that can be shown in the companion app. Mat Smith for Engadget Hypothetically, the product could even potentially adapt prescriptions dynamically, going beyond the simple vision correction of Gen 1. For example, it could offer stronger corrections as your eyes get fatigued through the day. IXI appears to be putting the pieces in place to make these glasses a reality. It still needs to obtain the necessary medical certifications in order to sell its glasses and get all the production pieces in place. Its already partnered with Swiss lens-maker Optiswiss for manufacturing. Eiden says the final product will be positioned as a high-end luxury glasses option, selling through existing opticians. The company hopes to finally launch its first pair sometime next year.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/wearables/ixis-autofocusing-lenses-multifocal-glasses-ces-2026-212608427.html?src=rss
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Last year Razer showed off Project Ava as a digital assistant that lived inside your computer to help adjust settings or provide gaming tips. But now at CES 2026, the companys AI companion platform has gotten a major glow-up while moving into some new digs. Now, in lieu of being constrained entirely to your PCs screen, Razer has given Project Ava a real home in the form of a small tube that can display a 5.5-inch animated hologram of the AIs avatar. Youll still need to connect it to your computer via USB-C to provide Ava with the power and data it needs. However, all of your companions other components are built into its abode, including dual far-field mics so you can talk to it, a down-firing full-range speaker so it can talk and an HD camera with an ambient light sensor so the AI can see and react to its surroundings. View this post on Instagram But perhaps the biggest upgrade to the project is that instead of just Ava, who Razer describes as a calm, reliable source of energy to help you keep things clear, efficient, and always on point, there are three or four new personas (depending on how were counting) joining the roster. Kira looks like a TikTok e-girl decked out in a frilly outfit complete with Razer neon green accents, while Zane is her edgy masculine alternative who kind of reminds me of the Giga Chad meme, but with extra snake tattoos. Then theres Sao, who appears to be directly inspired by iconic Japanese salary woman Saori Araki. Finally, theres an avatar made in the likeness of Faker (Lee Sang-hyeok), the most successful and well-known League of Legends player of all time and one of Razer's sponsored esports athletes.The new peripheral for Project Ava is a cylinder that can display a 5.5-inch hologram of an AI companion.Sam Rutherford for EngadgetThe idea now is that instead of being trapped inside your computer, Ava or one of Razers other personas can sit on your desk and be your companion for everything. They can remind you of upcoming events, respond to questions or even comment on your outfit using Razers built-in camera. That said, if you need some privacy, the devices mics can be muted and the company says its planning on putting a physical camera shutter on final retail models. Of course, Ava or any of the other avatars can still hang out while you game and give you advice. During my demo, Kira helped pick out a loadout in Battlefield 6 based on user criteria and even provided pros and cons for some of the games other equipment options. Project Ava's expanded roster of AI companionsRazerUnfortunately, hile I did get to see Kira and Zane talk, dance and sway in their little bottles, Sao and Faker werent quite ready to make their holographic debuts. But according to Razer, thats sort of by design as Project Ava is very much a work in progress. Currently, the avatars responses are generated by X AIs Grok (yikes!), but the platform was created as a sort of open-source project that will support other models like Gemini or ChatGPT. Down the line, Razer is hoping to add the ability for users to create their own unique avatars and companions based on their input or inspiration from real-world objects. Meanwhile, for avatars like Faker's because hes also an actual person, Razer wants additional time to make the AI companion helpful with topics like real-time League of Legends coaching.Say hello to Giga Chad, I mean Zane. Sam Rutherford for EngadgetThat said, while some folks might find Project Ava a bit weird or unnerving, it actually feels pretty tame (almost cute even) in an era where people are already marrying their AI partners. And if youre the kind of person who prefers digital companions over flesh-and-blood alternatives (you know, people), I guess its kind of nice to have a more tangible representation of your electronic waifus and husbandos.Faker's avatar was only viewable in this nearly life-size mock up. Sam Rutherford for EngadgetSadly, Razer has not provided full pricing for Project Avas holographic peripheral, though a representative said that it will be in the same ballpark as the companys other peripherals. Im estimating a final cost of around $200. Reservations for Project Ava are currently live with a $20 deposit before official shipments begin sometime in the second half of 2026. This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/gaming/pc/razer-put-a-waifu-in-a-bottle-at-ces-2026-205315908.html?src=rss
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