Technologies

Better Than Ray-Bans? Meta’s ‘Hypernova’ Glasses Could Be Cheaper Than Expected

The new AR glasses could arrive as soon as next month.

September is gearing up to be one of the most exciting months of the year for new technology launches — and we’re not just talking about the iPhone 17. Meta is reportedly set to unveil its next-generation smart glasses codenamed Hypernova. According to Bloomberg, the smart glasses are set to start around $800 for the basic model, at least $200 less than previously thought.

This pair of glasses will reportedly differ from the current Meta Ray-Bans due to the addition of a small augmented-reality display in the right lens of the glasses, which will only be visible to the wearer. On this display you’ll be able to see mini apps and alerts, and you’ll have control over the content with assistance from the same neural input wristband used to operate Meta Orion AR glasses.

When CNET editor-at-large Scott Stein tried out the concept wristband with Orion earlier this year, he noted that the gestures «weren’t perfect yet,» but that he could see their potential.

Meta has clearly been «buoyed» by the success of its Ray-Ban specs, said Leo Gebbie, analyst and Americas director at CCS Insight. The major question for Hypernova will be to what extent does it deviate from the current Ray-Ban smart glasses model, which have proved very successful, he said «Demand for these glasses has been driven by the fact that they look like normal eyewear from a well-known brand and offer an impressive feature set at a relatively affordable price point.»

In contrast, the Hypernova glasses will cost around $500 more than the Meta Ray-Bans, a significant price difference. Further, Gebbie added, it remains unknown whether the Hypernova glasses will look as sleek as the Ray-Bans.

Knowing this might be a tough self, Meta has apparently managed to slash that price from $1,000 by accepting lower margins, per Bloomberg. The company likely hopes that by keeping the cost as low as possible, it will convince a broader range of future to buy into its theory that glasses are the future of tech. But it’s important to note that even at a lower price, you’ll likely still pay more for prescription lenses or style variations.

Smart glasses: The phone killer?

The question hanging over any smart glasses, including from Meta, is whether they will one day be capable enough to free us from our smartphones. «These new premium spec Hypernova smart glasses are taking over more tasks that can be done by a phone by including things like a small screen in the bottom right of the right lens creating Meta’s first augmented reality glasses available to consumers,» Frederick Stanbrell, head of wearables at IDC, said.

They are also rumored to have a smartphone-quality camera and a competent voice-activated AI query tool present. When you all add it all, Stanbrell said, «these glasses are beginning to look like a mobile phone competitor.»

But based on what we know so far, the Hypernova glasses won’t be a standalone device, Stanbrell added. Instead it’s clear that these glasses are designed to be a companion to your mobile phone, while offering a glimpse of what’s to come. «We are likely seeing the first generation of a device that Mark Zuckerberg intends to one day replace phones,» he said.

Technologies

Google’s New AI Features Are Trying to Make Data Entry a Thing of the Past

More Gemini AI features will come to Google Docs, Sheets and Slides.

The latest batch of Google updates to its workspace tools highlights AI’s promise to automate mundanity in the workplace. Google Docs, Slides, Sheets and Drive all have new AI-powered features, the company announced Tuesday. The one thing all these updates have in common? Gemini is using your files, emails and chats to give you relevant information, not random answers gleaned from the web.

These updates come as AI is playing a bigger role in our work lives, for better or worse. Agentic tools like Claude Cowork and coding assistants like Anthropic’s Claude Code and OpenAI’s Codex are more capable than chatbots and able to handle tasks announced independently. AI tools are also becoming more customized, with Google’s personalized intelligence rolling out across its platforms to help refine AI outputs to things that are relevant and useful for you. Google continues that trend with this new batch of Workspace updates.

New Gemini AI features in Google Workspace apps will cite their sources after each query. For example, if you ask Gemini in Google Docs to fill out an itinerary template, it will pull the information from your email, chats and files. The «sources» tab in the Gemini side panel will show you where it found the information it used, like your flight confirmation email and chats discussing dinner plans. Seeing where Gemini pulled its answers from is also how you’ll double-check Gemini’s work.

The most impressive new features are in Sheets, where AI can fill in the holes in your spreadsheets. You can describe what you want the AI to do with a simple prompt and avoid writing an exact formula. You can click on an empty cell, select the pop-up that says «Drag to fill with Gemini,» then highlight the cells you want Gemini to fill in. That deploys an AI agent to search the web to fill each cell with the necessary information.

For example, if you have a spreadsheet of the contact info for local companies, you can have Gemini search the web to fill in a the location, CEO and other publicly available information of each company. The tool aims to dramatically reduce the time needed for manual data entry. Gemini can also summarize, categorize and create charts with prompts alone.

You can also chat with Gemini in Sheets and have it scour your raw data to make custom reports and charts. No need for pivot tables if they confound you as much as they baffle me. One of the biggest uses of AI at work is helping create presentations.

In Google Slides, you can now tell Gemini in natural language what you want to appear on a slide, and it will create it, matching the style of your existing slides. You can also ask Gemini to edit your slides if you don’t want to waste time painstakingly moving design elements around the slide. The AI should fill the slides with relevant information based on your instructions and the work files it has access to, so you shouldn’t need to replace a bunch of filler text.

If you use Docs, Sheets and Slides through the Workspace account of your company, then you won’t be able to turn off AI features individually. The managing company is in control of AI access for users. Personal users can tweak their settings to limit Gemini. The new features are rolling out in beta now, in English only, to Google AI Ultra and Pro subscribers in the US, as well as some Google Workspace customers who are part of the Gemini Alpha testing program.

For more, check out the new cowork feature in Copilot and how to use Perplexity AI for deep research.

Technologies

Nintendo Switches Lanes, Sues US Over Tariffs

Mario wants his money back.

Tariffs implemented by President Donald Trump were struck down by the Supreme Court last month. Companies that were subjected to those fees, such as FedEx and Dollar General, have since sued the federal government, and Nintendo wants a piece of the action.

Nintendo filed a lawsuit against the federal government in the US Court of International Trade on Friday, as first spotted by Aftermath. The complaint seeks refunds of tariffs Nintendo paid, plus interest, and asks the court to declare the tariffs unlawful and stop the government from collecting them going forward.

«Since February 1, 2025, President Trump has executed the unlawful Executive Orders, imposing tariffs on imports from a vast swath of countries,» Nintendo said in the complaint.

When reached for comment, Nintendo of America confirmed the lawsuit.

«We can confirm that we filed a request. We have nothing else to share on this topic,» Nintendo of America said in an emailed statement on Friday, March 6.

It’s unclear how much Nintendo paid in tariffs, and it did not state an amount in the lawsuit. While the Switch 2 was priced at $450 when it launched last year, and has stayed at that amount, Nintendo did increase the price of the original Switch and accessories for both consoles. Microsoft and Sony also increased the prices of their hardware and accessories last year due to tariffs.

The White House didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.

On Feb. 20, the Supreme Court ruled by a vote of 6 to 3 that the sweeping tariffs Trump instituted last year exceeded his executive powers. Following the ruling, on the same day, Trump announced a new set of tariffs of 10% on imported goods that would last for 150 days, starting Feb. 24.

The decision on what to do with the collected tariffs — a reported $166 billion — has been left to the US Court of International Trade. Judge Richard Eaton told the US Customs and Border Protection on Wednesday, March 4, to refund the importers that were forced to pay tariffs, which is more than 330,000. On Friday, the CBP said it couldn’t easily issue tariff refunds because its system requires duties to be recalculated and refunds processed entry by entry. This process would involve tens of millions of transactions. The agency said it’s updating its systems and could start providing refunds by late April.