In this episode, we break down the highlights from Meta Connect, where Mark Zuckerberg unveiled the company’s latest innovations in AR glasses, AI, and wearable tech.

Once dismissed as a fading metaverse experiment, Meta is now doubling down on hardware and contextual AI, aiming to reshape how people interact with the digital and physical worlds.

Alec attended the event in person and brings firsthand insights into what’s real, what’s hype, and what it means for the future of Meta’s vision.

Key highlights:

• Smart Glasses and Everyday AR Integration: Meta’s partnership with Ray-Ban continues to expand, with updated smart glasses boasting improved battery life, better cameras, and built-in AI assistants. While not revolutionary, these AR-enabled glasses are steadily growing in adoption, offering hands-free digital interaction and promising a future where voice-first, context-aware computing becomes the norm.
• Next-Gen AR Glasses and Neural Wristbands: The real showstopper was Meta’s new AR glasses featuring subtle heads-up displays and a neural wristband for intuitive gesture control. From writing in the air to navigating apps, these innovations bring a sci-fi-style interface into reality. Though still early and pricey, the progress shows Meta closing the gap between futuristic concepts and consumer-ready products.
• Contextual AI, Horizon Worlds, and Breaking Smartphone Addiction: Beyond hardware, Meta’s pitch centers on contextual AI—AI that integrates seamlessly with your environment and daily life. Combined with VR and Horizon’s generative world-building tools, Meta is laying the groundwork for immersive, builder-friendly ecosystems. While marketed as a way to reduce smartphone addiction, the hosts question whether AR overlays could become an even more persistent form of distraction.

Meta’s latest AR glasses and AI-driven ecosystem signal a bold shift in wearable tech, blending hardware, software, and contextual AI into a unified vision.

While challenges remain—ranging from adoption to privacy—Meta is clearly betting on glasses as the next frontier of personal computing. Whether this future feels liberating or intrusive will depend on how the technology evolves, but one thing is certain: Meta is determined to define the next era of digital interaction.

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This episode is sponsored by the VeChain foundation. Learn more about VeBetterDAO here:

https://vebetterdao.org/

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Learn more about Web3 at:

https://untanglingweb3.com/

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Untangling Web3 is brought to you by hosts Jack Davies and Alec Burns, with music by Daniel Paigge. Got a question or topic suggestion? Send us an email at [email protected].

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The views we express here are our own, and do not represent the views of our employers. Nothing discussed or stated in the show should be considered advice.