New Orleans Attack: Terror Suspect Recorded Area with Meta Glasses

Photo : Reuters

The FBI has shared troubling details about a deadly attack in New Orleans. A man named Jabbar used Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses to record his actions. Jabbar rented a truck and drove it into a busy tourist area, killing 14 people and injuring many others. He also placed explosives in the area, which could have caused even more damage if they had gone off. Thankfully, the police caught him before he could set off the bombs.

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Jabbar planned the attack very carefully. He hid remote-controlled explosives in plastic coolers and uploaded videos to social media just before he drove the truck into the crowd. In the videos, he pledged loyalty to ISIS and said his actions were part of a "war against nonbelievers." Jabbar used the Ray-Ban smart glasses to record everything, probably hoping to share the attack in real time. The glasses have a 12 MP camera and a special audio system that let him record and share videos secretly. Investigators think he used the glasses’ voice commands and other features to help him film and share the videos during the attack.

The bombs Jabbar used contained a rare chemical that hasn’t been used in attacks before in the US or Europe. The FBI is still trying to find out where the chemical came from. They are also looking into Jabbar’s background, including a bomb-making setup they found in his Texas home. It looks like he had been making his own detonators using everyday items like electric matches. Investigators believe Jabbar planned to set off the bombs from his truck, but the police stopped him just in time.

Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses, which are made for convenience and creativity, played a big role in the attack. The glasses have a 12 MP camera and five microphones, which allowed Jabbar to capture clear images and videos with good sound. The glasses also let users easily upload videos to social media like Facebook or Instagram. With a feature called "Hey Meta," users can take photos, send messages, or search for things without touching the glasses. The glasses have speakers that let users switch between music, calls, and other sounds. There is also an app called Meta View that allows users to share content and use special effects. The glasses come with a charging case that can recharge the glasses up to eight times.

Before the attack, Jabbar visited New Orleans twice. He went there on October 30 and again on November 10, just days before the attack. The FBI released videos that show Jabbar setting up the explosives early in the morning on the day of the attack.