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Autofocusing Smart Glasses With Eye Tracking Tech Could Make Bifocals Obsolete (hothardware.com)
submitted 10 months ago by to c/technology@lemmy.world
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Exciting news for those enough who are 40+ and spend too much time in front of a computer screen: a Finnish startup called IXI is promising to end the era of clunky bifocals and the 'head-tilt' struggle of progressive lenses, replacing them with a pair of glasses that focus as naturally as the human eye using a combination of infrared eye tracking and liquid crystal-transparent indium tin oxide glasses

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[–] 69 points 10 months ago (18 children)

Yeeeeaaaahhhh, I'm going to go ahead and stick with a one time payment for proven 250+ year old technology instead of what would very likely be a subscription based privacy nightmare that can revoke my access to clear sight whenever they update their T&Cs. Hard pass, get fucked with a splintery utility pole.

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  • [–] 23 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    But just imagine what it can do for personalized ads. Why won't anyone think of the advertisers?

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  • [–] 14 points 10 months ago (6 children)

    If you think glasses are a one-time cost, I feel like you've never worn glasses. I had 10 years in my life where my vision didn't change, and now I need bifocals/progressives. Given the nature of the condition, I expect to have to get new prescriptions every 2 to 4 years until I die or go blind.

    That said, the rest of your comment is quite likely painfully true, especially if Amazon has their fingers in it.

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  • [–] 5 points 10 months ago (5 children)

    I should have clarified one time cost for frames and a pair of lenses compared against a potential (likely) subscription. I have personally worn bifocals for the last 21 years.

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  • [–] 5 points 10 months ago (4 children)

    21 years with the same frames?

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  • [–] 7 points 10 months ago (2 children)

    Again, no. My point is that if I purchase a pair of frames with lenses, the transaction is over. I would not have to pay a monthly subscription for those same glasses and lenses to remain functional, which is much more likely for a set of glasses infused with technology and tracking, backed by Amazon.

    The tech glasses positied here would still need to be updated periodically. Per the article, they have a base prescription lens that then has additional focusing ability layered on via the technology.

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  • [–] 4 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    Yeah, but that isn't a one-time cost, either. That's a recurring cost, typically on a biannual basis, and usually much higher than the monthly subscription. That said, being able to walk out with something that is going to reliably work for the next couple years definitely has its benefits. Ive just never considered something with a definite lifespan and a requirement to replace as a one-time cost. Kind of like the difference between paying property taxes monthly or yearly - I'm still paying and it isn't going to stop.

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  • [–] 6 points 10 months ago

    I get your point on that. My assumption with the tech glasses is that you purchase the hardware outright and pay a subscription for the software functionality, similar to other tech devices that have fallen to enshitification. The prime difference I see is that standard glasses packages are a one time lump payment vs a one time lump payment followed by a slow bleed of money. Yes, prescriptions change, frames break, etc., but on a 1:1 comparison level, you get more reliable functionality and cost effectiveness through regular glasses rather than something that can be bricked through a bad software/firmware update or rendered nonfunctional by the manufacturer if you reject an invasive privacy policy or let a subscription lapse.

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  • [–] 5 points 10 months ago (7 children)

    Subscription based? Why would something like this even have internet connectivity in the first place, let alone a subscription?

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  • [–] 10 points 10 months ago* (6 children)

    Bold assumption on my part here, but why would the manufacturer of such a juicy target for tracking not make it with connectivity? Something like this would be monetized and milked for advertising and subscription revenue on principle alone. Eye tracking technology that determines vision clarity based on where the user looks is but a small skip and a jump from advertising based on where the user looks.

    ETA: Per the first line of the article, the company is backed by Amazon.

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  • [–] 2 points 10 months ago (3 children)

    Ah the it for sure will be as slimy as possible. I hope people just wouldn't buy it then. Not too sure how much people outside tech nerds like you and me even care about this stuff, but I saw when the Oura ring came out, a lot of people were put off because it is subscription-based. I hope the enshitification hits hard enough that people move to more freedom/privacy/security respecting products.

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  • [–] 1 point 10 months ago (2 children)

    Sadly tech security, privacy, and freedom are not a focus for most people. Just gotta keep doing what you can personally do to make it better.

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  • [–] 2 points 10 months ago (1 child)

    That shouldn't matter. This is a huge gripe I have with FOSS in its current state. Most of the freedom/privacy/security respecting apps are not noob friendly. They are designed for tech bros and you have to download them from a git instance or F-Droid. Freedom is a human right. It should not be gatekept to the technology savy.

    This is why I love the Signal Foundation. They have truly beautifully written software and they have easy to follow UX. Anyone can enjoy the added benefits to their freedoms, security, and privacy without ever having to think about it.

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