Technologies

With ‘Hey Meta,’ Ray-Ban Wearers Will Unlock All-New AI Abilities — and Privacy Concerns

The Meta smart glasses from Ray-Ban will soon be able to hold conversations about exactly what you’re seeing or hearing

As Google starts to revive its Google Glass concept, Meta is already a step ahead with new artificial intelligence functions coming to glasses this summer. The Ray-Ban smart glasses, in partnership with Meta, are getting several powerful AI updates for US and Canadian users.

Operating the Meta View app on a connected smartphone, users of Ray-Ban smart glasses will also be able to use the «Hey Meta, start live AI» command to give Meta AI a live view of whatever they are seeing through their glasses.

Similar to Google’s Gemini demo, users will be able to ask Meta AI conversational questions about what it sees and how it might solve problems. Meta provided the example of Meta AI giving possible substitutes for butter based on what it sees when you look in the pantry.

Even without live AI, you’ll be able to ask specific questions about objects that you’re looking at.

In addition to new seasonal looks, Ray-Ban’s smart glasses also will be able to use the «Hey Meta, start live translation» command to automatically translate incoming languages including English, French, Italian and Spanish. The glasses’ speakers will translate as other people talk and you can hold up your phone so the other party can see a translated transcript too.

Meta AI and concerns about being filmed

When I reached Inna Tokarev Sela, CEO and founder of AI data company illumex about privacy issues with smart glasses like these, she mentioned that in her own experience with Ray-Ban smart glasses, people usually reacted when they noticed the recording indicator light, which meant the glasses were watching. That can make some people uneasy, whether they are concerned about being filmed by a stranger or by what Meta may be doing with all that visual data it’s collecting.

«In the new models you can control the notification light, which could pose a privacy risk,» Sela said. «But everyone films everyone all the time anyway at touristy landmarks, public events, etc. What I expect is that Meta will not divulge any information on anyone, unless they register and explicitly give their consent.»

This could lead to other consent headaches too, depending on if users are recording for other purposes. «For example, users should be able to opt in and choose the type of information to expose when they’re in someone’s frame — similar to LinkedIn, for example,» Sela said. «Of course, any recording resulting from the glasses should not be admissible to use in a court of law, as with any other kind of recording, without explicit permission.»

Additional updates and rollout schedules

Along with the AI upgrades, Ray-Ban’s smart glasses will be able to post automatically on Instagram or send a message on Messenger with the right voice commands. New compatibility with music streaming services also will allow you to play songs through Amazon Music, Apple Music and Spotify on your glasses in lieu of earbuds.

Meta reports that the rollout of these new features will happen this spring and summer, along with object recognition updates for EU users arriving in late April and early May.

Meta and Ray-Ban didn’t immediately respond to a request for further comment.

Technologies

Virtual Game Cards Are Nintendo’s New Way to Share Switch Games Digitally

The new Switch update lets you loan out games for up to 14 days.

Nintendo Switch firmware update 20.0.0 just went live, allowing players to share games more easily with other console owners. Virtual Game Cards is the new catch-all term for anything digital you can swap from one console to the next, covering downloaded games, free software, or even pieces of DLC (additional game content). This new update makes it easier to share your downloaded games with other people, though they need to be near you, so no sharing with friends over the internet.

Ahead of the Nintendo Switch 2’s launch on June 5, this could be one of the last software updates for the original Switch before its successor is released.

Until Tuesday, if you wanted to share a digital version of a Nintendo Switch game with a friend, it wasn’t easy — you had to designate one as your Primary Switch and the other as Secondary. The major downside here was that only the Primary user could play the shared game when offline, and the Secondary always needed to be connected to the internet to play.

But now Nintendo has a new system to lend out digital games. Shareable software are now represented by Virtual Game Cards, which alleviates some of this hassle by sharing full access to the game with the new user. Updating to the new Switch firmware will give users the new Virtual Game Cards icon on their home menu. From there you can select the game (or DLC) you want to share.

Read more: I Played All the Switch 2 Games: What to Look Forward to After April 24 Preorders

You have two options for how to share the game. The first is Load on Other System, which requires the second Switch to be linked to your main one. This is similar to the original Primary/Secondary system where you had to have your Nintendo account set up on both devices to share between.

The second option is Lend to Family Group Member and utilizes the family group you may have set up with a Nintendo Switch Online Family Plan. To do so, you need to bring the two Switch consoles close together to link them.

There are some important limitations to keep in mind when using the Lend to Family Group Member option. The first is that Virtual Game Cards can be borrowed for up to 14 days, after which they’ll be automatically returned to the lending system. It also means that the original system will not have access to that game/DLC while being loaned out. Lastly, players can only lend one Game Card per borrower, up to three borrowers at a time, and a borrower can borrow only one Game Card at a time. So you can’t fill up your Switch with borrowed games from your family members.

It remains to be seen how much more beneficial this system will be compared with the previous version. While this does allow borrowed games to be played offline, unlike before, it also prevents multiple people from each playing a copy of the same game at the same time. This seems like Nintendo is getting its console ready for the eventual launch of the Switch 2 by adding more robust game sharing functionality.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Strands Hints, Answers and Help for April 30, #423

Here are hints and answers for the NYT Strands puzzle No. 423 for April 30.

Looking for the most recent Strands answer? Click here for our daily Strands hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle, Connections and Connections: Sports Edition puzzles.

Todays NYT Strands puzzle might confuse people who didn’t go to an American high school. If you did, you know that class polls often award titles to graduating seniors, such as most likely to succeed or best (fill in the blank). If you need hints and answers, read on.

I go into depth about the rules for Strands in this story.

If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: NYT Connections Turns 1: These Are the 5 Toughest Puzzles So Far

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands theme is: Best in class

If that doesn’t help you, here’s a clue: High-school honors.

Clue words to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find hidden words that fit the puzzle’s theme. If you’re stuck, find any words you can. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the theme words. These are the words I used to get those hints, but any words of four or more letters that you find will work:

SLAT, SLATE, MOOD, MOODS, DOOM, DOOMS, ROOM, ROOMS, BROOM, BROOMS, DIES, HIES, RARE, SEED, RODS, RODE, BOOK

Answers for today’s Strands puzzle

These are the answers that tie into the theme. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, a theme word that reaches from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you have all of them (I originally thought there were always eight but learned that the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the nonspangram answers:

EYES, HAIR, SMILE, COUPLE, ATHLETE, DRESSED, FRIENDS

Today’s Strands spangram

Today’s Strands spangram is YEARBOOK. To find it, start with the Y that’s four letters to the right on the bottom row, and scroll up.

Technologies

Today’s NYT Connections: Sports Edition Hints and Answers for April 30, #219

Hints and answers for the NYT Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, No. 219, for Wednesday, April 30.

Looking for the most recent regular Connections answers? Click here for today’s Connections hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Mini Crossword, Wordle and Strands puzzles.

Connections: Sports Edition could be a breeze today, if Chicago is your kind of town, and if you’re a fan of shoes. That purple category, though… Read on for hints and the answers.

Connections: Sports Edition is out of beta now, making its debut on Super Bowl Sunday, Feb. 9. That’s a sign that the game has earned enough loyal players that The Athletic, the subscription-based sports journalism site owned by the Times, will continue to publish it. It doesn’t show up in the NYT Games app but now appears in The Athletic’s own app. Or you can continue to play it free online.

Read more: NYT Connections: Sports Edition Puzzle Comes Out of Beta

Hints for today’s Connections: Sports Edition groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections: Sports Edition puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Not the starter.

Green group hint: Footwear.

Blue group hint: Windy City legends.

Purple group hint: Mix up a football word.