I can only answer questions whose answers are already public, but I'll do my best to be helpful. I was the "product champion" (i.e. cross-functional integration lead) for this product version, and the Spectacles product line was born from the acquisition of my 1st startup, Vergence Labs.
What are your thoughts on the state of gesture recognition technology? I'd hope that what's on the spectacles is at least better than the Kinect.
why are they so boxy looking?
Technical limitations of today's display technology. They're optimized for the lowest possible mass, to ensure comfort & wearability. In the future we hope component technology will improve, and Snap bought both WaveOptics and Compound Photonics in the months after the AR Spectacles launched.