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Comment by captainkrtek | Hacker News Reader

Will there be an interest in vision based wearables?

Google Glasses - dead

Apple Vision Pro - dead

FB/Meta x RayBan - dead soon(?)

It seems they can’t get over the social hurdle of having a camera strapped to your face, and the effects of that on people around you. I think the tech is neat, but not socially accepted as a concept to make it viable. My sister is big into tiktok and filming all the time, and it personally makes me hesitant to be nearby as I’m not comfortable being filmed all the time.

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I don't want people with camera glasses around me either. But the stupid thing is: they don't even need to exist. The Google glass can show its notifications just fine without a camera. My Xreal Air works great without one.

It's the big tech companies that are pushing for pervasive cameras. Not consumers saying they can't live without a camera on their face.

It is almost certainly a problem with size, cost, and features.

The wearables are just too big, too expensive, and the feature set too small.

Much like with VR goggles, every problem they solve is solved far better and more cheaply with another device most people already have and use.

I don't think it has anything to do with the moral or social implications of taking pictures of people privately. The second any of the above are resolved, society will willingly give up even more privacy without a hiccup, as we've done every other time the choice was presented.

Agreed. But perhaps that’s the problem? Instead of trying to go instantly mainstream via the consumer market, perhaps the tie-hold are niche professional / commercial markets? Or niche consumers markets provided by the business (e.g., museums)?

It’s not a tech issue, it’s a marketing issue (and lack of imagination).

I think it goes beyond the social hurdle. I have an Oculus, and I just never use it. A phone or laptop screen generally just feels good enough. It's easier to start and stop using, and it doesn't feel like I'm shutting myself off from the world when I do.

I use my oculuses a LOT. All the time. They're great for gaming and watching content.

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