The debate around smart glasses with cameras attached continues to rumble on, and it appears Meta still has plans for glasses which would be constantly recording the world around them. Now we have a new pair of bone conduction headphones that lose the spectacles but keep the camera.
They are called the W&O X1 (via New Atlas), and of course they are packed with AI. This on-board assistant can help you navigate to places, identify landmarks, look up facts and information online, and even translate between languages. All this happens through voice control and spoken responses.
In order to deliver some of that AI functionality, the W&O X1 headphones are fitted with a 4K video camera supplied by Samsung. It can capture photos and videos with a tap or a voice command, which can then be saved and analyzed as needed. In the interests of privacy, a small recording light shows when the camera is active.
The headphones can also double up as a tiny action camera, grabbing high-resolution video at 30 frames per second with a 130-degree wide-angle view, with what looks like some impressive anti-shake technology built in too. Oh, and they can play music and make phone calls too.
“Most headsets are made for listening,” explains W&O in the product listing. “X1 is built for seeing, hearing, understanding, recording, translating, navigating, and staying connected in motion. It is a wearable AI system designed for the world outside the screen.”
Privacy Concerns
The idea of wearable cameras is becoming even more popular now, with the growing capabilities of AI and the ongoing miniaturization of the necessary components. There is something appealing about being able to capture memories instantly, without having to dig out a phone and open the camera app.
At the same time, there are real concerns when it comes to privacy. The smart glasses already on the market make it a bit too easy to record surreptitiously, and a small camera attached to a pair of headphones is even harder to spot. There is even now a BanRay movement calling for smart glasses to be banned from certain areas.
To be fair to W&O, they seem to be targeting these headphones at cyclists, hikers, and other outdoor types, so it is more for solo photo and video recording. Nonetheless, alongside other devices in the pipeline, it highlights a growing need for proper safeguards to be put around devices with small embedded cameras.
The W&O X1 has blown through its $3,000 funding goal on Kickstarter many times over, and if you are interested you can put in a reservation for $139 (about £105 / AU$200) — with the usual Kickstarter caveat that crowdfunded hardware doesn’t always end up reaching backers.
There are some solid specs here: IP6X dust and water protection, a lightweight 48-gram build, support for Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, and 30 hours of music playback between charges thanks to a built-in 800 mAh battery.
