Evan, thanks so much for chatting with me and congrats on an incredible event today. It was so cool to see.
Oh, thank you so much. I'm so happy you could be here and share with us and it's been a long time coming.
And like I'm such a Snap fan and Specs fan. I mean, I was camping out on the Third Street Promenade on the pier for those vending machines. I mean, I even had your drone that you guys had. So, the thing that I love so much is that you're always kind of forward thinking on the things that you're creating. Seeing this as wearables where you've kind of started with Spectacles back in the day, what has that journey been like and what are you hoping that people take away from when they first try these?
I think the magical thing when you put on Specs is you realize that for the first time computing's actually in the world around you. So we've just grown up used to computing taking us out of the moment because it's on screens. So we've got to look at our desktop monitor or look down in our lap at our phones and it blocks out all the natural light and actually makes it harder for us to connect with our friends and family and to actually share experiences together. I think the aha moment everyone has when they put on Specs, they realize they're see-through, they look at their hand and the menu is right there and that smile, people just light up. I mean, that's what's so exciting to me and that's what's so different, you know, with Specs compared to anything else that's out there.
It was also super responsive, too, which you know, you people, you see these and the memes. I love that you gave a little shout out to the memes, but it was surprising because when I actually put them on, it was way more comfortable and balanced than I thought that it would be. What is that working with engineering, creating a computer that you wear? How did you guys manage to do all of that in such a small form factor?
Well, we've taken an approach that I think is a bit different because we've fully vertically integrated Specs. So that means everything from the operating system to the rendering engine to the actual optical engine itself which projects the image through this tiny little projector onto the waveguide which sits in front of your eyes. We've built all of that to work perfectly together and that's what's allowed us to get to this really small form factor, but also the incredible immersion that Specs offers and true computing capability. So, I think people might think they're chunky glasses, but the best way to think about it is a really small and lightweight computer.
No, it's wild. And I love that you're calling it a computer. Was that kind of a thought? Like why did you decide to do that instead of just calling them wearable glasses?
Well, I think it's really important for people to understand what Specs are actually capable of. I think folks may have tried some of the AI glasses, right, which are really just a camera and a pair of speakers and they don't fully understand what's possible with AR glasses and with Specs. By calling it a computer, I think it invites people to challenge Specs to do what a computer can do, but then all the other things that a computer can't do, but that Specs can. Whether it's you practicing golf, I think a little bit earlier,
It was so much fun. And it was kind of loud out there, so I couldn't actually hear the directions, but it was actually coaching you through and giving me tips. It felt like that, that I was like, 'Okay, well, I missed, so I'm going to try again.' I'm not the best at putting, but how do you see that kind of affecting sports and people being able to learn and it really being a tool?
Well, our vision is really to make computing more human. And that means that instead of this kind of dystopian vision we have today where people believe that AI is going to replace us or replace our jobs, our vision is really to use computers to help you improve your own skills, right? So whether that's, you know, holding a basketball and learning how to, you know, shoot a three-pointer and getting feedback or some of the amazing work we've done with golf or even learning how to draw, which I demonstrated on stage today.
It was very nice. You need to frame that.
I'm still working on it. I don't know. My hand was a little shaky, but hard to learn in front of a live audience. The Specs are really designed to enhance your experience of the world, help you build new skills, and I think that's something that makes it really different than the way that people are thinking about computing today.
You guys talked a lot about like kind of that in-person computing and I think that's what's so fun is being able to play games with your friends and you know me and my sister we tried these on early in the developer versions and now to see them in this full-fledged version is so cool.
It's wild. I mean Miranda and I were like playing ping pong earlier, you know, and it's just a surreal feeling to be able to share computing together like that. And it's something, you know, obviously I really like to do with our kids as well. So, I think when you start realizing that a computer is actually something that can get you off the couch and into the world and moving around. I mean, our kids do Math Boxer, which is a lens where you box the answer to the math problem. We have four boys, so as a boy dad, learning math and physically moving your body is like a great combo for our almost seven-year-old.
But, it feels like the lenses can be pretty much anything. So, you're working with developers to create for this platform. So, what are some of the things that developers have created that you've been so surprised by?
Well, I showed today the Apollo 11 lens, which was really fun and, you know, allows you to watch every stage of the Apollo 11 mission. We only did the launch sequence, but you can follow along with the rest of the mission. I think that's really fun. But almost every day, developers are creating new lenses and new experiences. You can check them out on the Reddit channel, reddit.com/r/spectacles. I don't think we've updated the specs yet, but you can see almost every day incredible new lenses that the developers are building.
Now, you touched a little on privacy during the keynote. So, can we talk a little more about that? Like what are you guys doing to make sure this is safe, secure for not only the people wearing them, but the people in front of the computer.
Yeah. Well, it's incredibly important that people can see them coming. And with Specs, you know, they're not a pair of spy glasses disguised to look like a normal pair of sunglasses you might wear. I think they're very distinctive with iridescent lenses. And of course, we have a bright white light in the middle of Specs to use, you know, if that appears if you're recording anything. But one of the things we really thought about was how to design Specs so they could understand the world around you without recording it. And so on device we're able to understand the geometry of your space or, you know, anchor that big cinematic film screen in your space without recording the world around you. And I think that's really important when it comes to privacy. My hope is that as people get to know Specs and understand what they do or they walk into a cafe and somebody's actually wearing a pair of Specs and working, people are like, 'Oh my goodness, this isn't for recording video. This is for getting stuff done.' And I think that'll be a big shift.
Right? I think that's the difference. And it's also kind of cool, too, because you guys have made this so you don't need an extra battery pack. You don't need any wearables. I mean, what was that thought process going into going that route?
Yeah, you know, having a tethered experience was really just a non-starter for us. You know, we already have to carry around enough stuff today, so adding yet another, you know, item you got to lug around with you just doesn't seem right. And so I think for us, it was really really important to get all of that compute and all that capability directly into the frame. And I think that's something people really notice. You know, if they've played around with Vision Pro, I think all up it's like 2 lb. And when you compare that to, you know, about 130 g with Specs, but you still have so much immersive capability. I think people really see the benefits of, you know, that untethered experience.
