Meta Collaborates with Oakley to Launch AI-Powered Smart Glasses

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Meta (META.O) announced on Friday its partnership with sports eyewear brand Oakley to introduce AI-powered smart glasses, marking an expansion in Meta’s wearable technology lineup following the success of Ray-Ban Meta glasses.

The new product, named Oakley Meta HSTN, features a hands-free high-resolution camera, open-ear speakers, water resistance, and integrated Meta AI capabilities. The limited-edition glasses will be available for preorder starting July 11 at $499, with additional models priced from $399 launching later this summer.

Meta plans to release the Oakley Meta HSTN initially across North America, Australia, and several European countries, with further expansion to Mexico, India, and the United Arab Emirates expected by the end of the year.

The launch will coincide with major sports events this month, including Fanatics Fest and UFC International Fight Week, highlighting Oakley’s strong sports brand presence.

In the growing AI-powered wearables market, Meta faces competition from companies like Snap, which recently announced its consumer smart glasses “Specs” for release next year, and Google, which is also exploring similar technology investments.

Korea’s SK Group and Amazon to Invest $5 Billion in Nation’s Largest AI Data Centre

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South Korea’s SK Group announced a $5.11 billion investment plan, including $4 billion from Amazon Web Services (AWS), to build the country’s largest data centre in Ulsan, the Science Ministry confirmed Friday. Construction will begin in September, with full operations expected by 2029, featuring a capacity of 100 megawatts.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won expressed ambitions to expand the facility to one gigawatt eventually, aiming to position it as a global hub to meet domestic AI demands. President Lee Jae Myung, present at the announcement alongside tech industry leaders, emphasized AI’s critical role in South Korea’s growth and praised the project for spreading high-tech industry development beyond the metropolitan areas into provincial regions.

Following the announcement, South Korean AI-related stocks surged, with SK Hynix rising over 3%, Kakao jumping 11%, and LG CNS gaining 9%, helping the KOSPI index surpass 3,000 points for the first time in over three years.

The investment confirms earlier media reports this month about SK Group and AWS’s plans to build a major data centre in South Korea.

SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son Proposes $1 Trillion Arizona AI and Robotics Hub

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SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son is planning a $1 trillion industrial complex in Arizona focused on robotics and artificial intelligence, Bloomberg News reported Friday, citing sources familiar with the matter. The ambitious project aims to revive high-end tech manufacturing in the U.S. and create a hub akin to China’s manufacturing powerhouse, Shenzhen.

Son is reportedly seeking to partner with Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) for the venture, codenamed Project Crystal Land, though the exact role TSMC would play and its interest level remain unclear. TSMC is already investing heavily in U.S. chip manufacturing with planned investments totaling $165 billion.

SoftBank officials have engaged in discussions with U.S. federal and state officials, including Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, to explore tax incentives for companies that build factories or invest in the industrial park.

The project also seeks interest from other tech giants such as Samsung Electronics. However, the plans are preliminary and dependent on support from the Trump administration and state authorities.

If realized, the $1 trillion investment would surpass the scale of the $500 billion “Stargate” project, a U.S. data center expansion funded by SoftBank, OpenAI, and Oracle.

SoftBank and TSMC have declined to comment on the report. The White House and Department of Commerce did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

This proposed initiative follows several major SoftBank investments this year, including its $6.5 billion acquisition of semiconductor designer Ampere and up to $40 billion commitment to OpenAI, part of which may be syndicated to other investors. Recently, SoftBank also raised $4.8 billion by selling shares in T-Mobile.