Meta’s AI glasses can now help you hear conversations better

After was announced on Tuesday an update of it AI glasses which will allow you to better hear people talking when you are in a noisy environment. The feature will initially be available on Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta HSTN smart glasses in the US and Canada, the company says. Additionally, the glasses are getting another update that lets you use Spotify to play a song that matches what’s on your current view.

For example, if you’re looking at an album cover, the glasses could play a song by that artist. Or if you’re looking at your Christmas tree with a pile of presents, you could play holiday music. This addition is more of a gimmick, of course, but it shows how Meta is thinking about connecting what users see with actions they can take in their apps.

The ability to focus chat, meanwhile, seems more practical. First announced at Meta’s Connect conference earlier this year, the feature uses the open speakers of the AI ​​glasses to amplify the voice of the person you’re talking to. Meta says smartglass users will also be able to adjust the level of amplification by sliding the right temple of their glasses or through the device’s settings. This will allow them to adjust the level more precisely to match their current environment, be it a busy restaurant or bar, club, commuter train or whatever.

How well the feature works, of course, remains to be tested. However, the idea of ​​using smart accessories as hearing aids is not limited to Meta. Apple’s AirPods already offer one Conversation Boost feature designed to help you focus on the person you’re talking to, and Pro models recently added support for a Clinical grade hearing aid function also.

While chat focus is limited to the US and Canada, Spotify is offered in English in a larger number of markets including Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Ireland, Italy, Mexico, Norway, Spain, Sweden, UAE, UK and US

The software update (v21) will first become available to those enrolled in Meta’s Early Access Program, which requires them to first enroll in waiting list and approved. Later it will be released more widely.