I am a thought leader in AI and Innovation and recently returned from the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) where I am paid to lead strategy sessions and show floor tours for executives. This year, I also served as a judge in the CES product of the year awards AI category. During the tours, I weave storytelling throughout, connecting what we’ve seen in previous years at various tech shows to what we are seeing today (and calling out what we’re not seeing as well, and why.)
I am also an outdoorsman and hunter, and as CES annually is scheduled in January, which is the middle of several hunting seasons, I can go from experiencing very high tech surroundings to the simplicity of the rugged outdoors in a very short time span.
Recently, the two have been crossing over for me in specific positive ways as tech has been informing and augmenting some of my hunting experiences via apps like OnX Hunt, smaller and lighter cameras and microphones for capturing experiences, and most recently Meta glasses.
As a hunter I most often wear eye protection, and last year my friends at EssilorLuxottica, the company behind most of the prescription eyeglass brands in the world, blessed me with a pair of the Ray-Ban Meta glasses, which immediately became my hunting shades as well as a pretty cool augment to my Brompton cycling kit.
As I started using them on my outings, I immediately began more easily capturing memorable moments with the touch of a button or an oral command. They’re great for that.
Since the release of the Ray-Ban Meta, Oakley, also owned by EssilorLuxottica, has entered the market offering the same Meta AI features in a brand of glasses made for the sportsman. Consider the Ray-Bans like the equivalent of lifestyle sneakers, while the Oakleys are performance kicks that athletes wear in the game.
This was a great move to expand the offering to a brand with an already established following, with specific needs and aesthetics that are different enough to distinguish the two products.
This past weekend, I was out on a hunt with a buddy who was trying his Oakley Meta glasses for the first time. We discussed the differences which I think are significant. They include: Extended battery life, higher video resolution recording, and this one may seem minor, but I understand the sound quality for music playback is more rich in his Oakley model. The Oakley Vanguard model is also IP67 rated water resistant at 1 meter for up to 30 minutes.
Check out the photo of my buddy in the orange sporting the Oakley Meta glasses from our hunt this weekend, and a couple other photos from recent outings.
#CES #CES2026 #EssilorLuxottica #SmartGlasses #RayBanMeta #OakleyMeta #TheBlackFuturist #Innovation #Hunting #AI
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