How Smart Glasses Offer Hands-Free Help for Tasks and Information
Smart glasses may sound like something from a science-fiction movie, but they are real and becoming more common in everyday life for hands-free help. This article explains what smart glasses are, what they can do, what to consider before buying a pair, and how to use camera-equipped glasses respectfully.
What are smart glasses?
Smart glasses are a type of wearable technology that look much like regular glasses but have small pieces of technology built into the frame. The frame is thicker than usual because it holds a battery, a speaker, a microphone, buttons or touch controls, sometimes a camera, and sometimes a small display inside the lens.
Smart glasses can help with many everyday tasks without the need to ever take out a phone or open an app. Most models rely on voice command and simple touch of the frame. The ability to speak to glasses and get immediate results saves both steps and time. For example, instead of unlocking a phone and navigating to an app to ask a question, check the weather, take a photo, listen to music, send a text, call someone, or get directions, simply ask the glasses. They can search for information and carry out requested tasks.
To do all of this, most smart glasses need to connect wirelessly to a smartphone using Bluetooth. Some models also use Wi-Fi.
How do smart glasses differ?
Smart glasses are available with different features, which generally include one or more of these categories:
Audio-only glasses use speakers and microphones for phone calls, music, spoken directions, etc. They do not have a camera or a display.
Camera-enabled glasses have built-in cameras to record video, take photos, and process visual information using artificial intelligence (AI).
Display-equipped glasses show brief information in the lens, such as messages, reminders, captions, translations, or directions. Not all display-equipped glasses include a camera.
What can smart glasses help us do?
Here’s an overview of what different models can help us do:
Receive and Send Calls and Messages
When connected to a smartphone, many glasses provide alerts for incoming text messages and calls, which can be addressed by the wearer's voice command or by pressing a button on the glasses frame.
For example, the glasses may say, “You have a new message from Johnny. Would you like me to read it?” If the wearer says "yes", the glasses can read the message aloud. Display-equipped glasses can show the message as text inside the lens.
Then, a response can be dictated. One might say: “Send a message to Johnny: I will be there at 2:00.” The glasses send the wearer's spoken words to their phone, which creates and sends the message.
Hear Reminders
Smart glasses may remind someone about an appointment, a prescription refill, an item to buy at the store, a birthday, a recipe step while cooking, or a calendar event. For example, the glasses may quietly remind you, “Your doctor's appointment is at 10:30 this morning."
Ask Questions
Some models include an artificial intelligence (AI) assistant. The wearer can ask a question, and the glasses can give an answer through the speakers near the ears. Other people nearby will not hear the answer.
Some questions it may be able to answer include:
“Will it rain this afternoon?”
“What time is sunset?”
“Where is the nearest restroom?”
“What time does this store close?”
“Where is a nearby restaurant that serves sushi?”
Read Labels and Identify Things Clearly
Camera-equipped smart glasses may help identify and answer questions about items that are directly in front of the wearer and visible to the camera. This is useful when reading small print, labels, signs, menus, or telling similar products apart.
For example, while looking at a soup can, a question might be: “Is this soup low in sodium?” Or, while looking at a nutritional supplement: “Does this contain an ingredient my doctor advised avoiding?" Or, while looking at a household bottle: “Is this laundry detergent or fabric softener?”
Get Walking Directions
Some smart glasses can provide spoken, turn-by-turn walking directions. More advanced models may also display a small arrow, map, or route marker in the lens.
These features can be helpful in unfamiliar places, such as airports, malls, downtown areas, and large shopping centers.
Caption Conversations
Some display-equipped glasses may show captions of spoken words inside the lens. This makes it easier to follow a conversation in a noisy place or when a person is difficult to hear.
What else should be considered?
Before choosing or using smart glasses, it is important to consider comfort, vision needs, cost, safety, and privacy.
For prescription glasses, confirm that the company supports the needed prescription before buying. Also check whether progressive lenses, reading lenses, sun lenses, or transition lenses are available.
Try on frames in person when possible. A pair may have useful features, but it will not help much if the frames are uncomfortable, too heavy, too tight, or prone to slipping.
Consider the full cost, including warranty coverage, replacement lenses, repairs, subscriptions, and battery service. Smart glasses often cost a few hundred dollars before prescription lenses, upgrades, accessories, or possible monthly service fees.
Use them safely. Smart glasses should never take attention away from surroundings. Do not read messages, watch videos, change settings, or use display features while driving. Pay full attention to the road, traffic, pedestrians, and changing conditions.
Use them respectfully. If glasses have a camera, ask people before taking photos or recording video whenever possible. Let people know when recording, especially during personal conversations or in places such as homes or medical offices.
Review privacy settings. In the glasses app, find out:
How to turn the camera and microphone on or off
Whether there is a recording light that shows when the camera is in use
Where photos and videos are stored
Whether voice recordings are kept
How to delete recordings
How to delete your account information if you stop using the glasses
Smart glasses help people carry out tasks and search for information quickly all while keeping their hands free of a phone.
If you are interested in smart glasses but are unsure where to begin, there is no need to figure it out alone. Bright Concierge provides personalized help with choosing, setting up, and learning to use smart glasses.
If you would like, we can help compare options, costs, smartphone compatibility, and prescription-lens needs before a purchase is made. Once the glasses arrive, we can help connect them to a smartphone, set up voice commands and other preferred features, and make sure everything is working properly.
We will also review privacy settings, practice using the features together, and leave simple written instructions for easy reference. Ongoing help is available for questions, updates, and troubleshooting.
Call (602) 612-9000 or email hi@brightconcierge.com to get started!
Did you know? Bright Concierge provides support and solutions for so much more than technology.
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