Ask HN: How hackable are the Meta smart glasses?
I haven't been able to find too much online -- does anyone have a pair of the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses [0] and can speak to how easy (or possible) it is to write custom apps for personal use for the glasses?
[0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=37678860
22 comments
[ 2.9 ms ] story [ 69.0 ms ] threadUsing it to take calls and voice chat isn't that reliable and Hey Meta is very unreliable.
This version feels like smart glasses beta 1 but I do highly recommend then from my two weeks of frequent usage (bought them day they just came out) for taking pics n short videos!!
Overall good job Meta/Zuckerbrrg ..excited for the next version where all features work reliably and a few more smart features are added /work well like binoculars mode :)
To answer your question and based on my usage I don't think they could run any developer apps or programs and or reliably so. So I say closed for outside development until the next and fourth version.
Using my iPhone 15 Pro importing has worked 8 to 9 times out of ten. If the battery on the glasses is low it won't import the pics yet it's not clear why due to some bad design in the app (small and too much print telling you why it won't import).
is there a time limit? thanks in advance.
Why is it a good thing?
> But as an hobbyst street photographer
Aka the general public. Why should the not-you "general public" be restricted, but not you?
For privacy related matters, as it's clearly designed to make it obvious that someone is taking a picture. It's good because it's an hidden camera targeted at mass market. The likelihood that it could be abused would be high if it would be trivial to do it.
> Aka the general public. Why should the not-you "general public" be restricted, but not you?
Everybody should be restricted by default. If someone from the general public finds a way to hack it and bypass this restriction, I hope they have good conscience to use it an an ethical way. For what I would like to use it, I believe it would be ethical (as for what's considered ethical among street photographers and concerning street photography laws where I live).
Define "street photographer" because I am embarrassed to be confused with the likes of you given I'm perfectly satisfied with my Leica M6 and Contax G2.
I'm also embarrassed to be confused with someone that so easily judges other people and believes that mentioning some kind of equipments tells anything about them. Photography is about photos, if you think the camera you use gives you some special kind of status you are looking at this from a very wrong angle.
Imagine a painter believing he's better than other painters because he uses some expensive brand of brushes. Yeah, you are doing the same.
Some exceptions:
- Commercial use of (recognizable) photos of people in public is regulated.
- Following someone around or getting in their face with a camera is harassment.
Of course, your right to take photos or videos stops the minute you step onto private property; the owners are within their rights to disallow it.
Given how easily it is already to take pictures and videos discreetly with smartphones and how it's already abused by all kind of people (especially younger generations), I say that for once Meta did a good thing (even though I'm sure they did it only to avoid bad PR given their reputation). Even if something is already bad doesn't mean everything new should be bad as well just because of it.
Present day its clear someone is doing such by holding up their phone now with glasses you may or may not know and I guess that is bad for stalking victims. I dont see any other uses cases why i would care if another person is filming me without noticing unless im out with my girlfriend while my wifes at home (just a scenario that's not me at all).
But it's clearly noticeable that these Meta Glasses are filming and or taking pics with the white LED light.
I really like them and think they are going to huge.. maybe not this version but we are photography obsessed beings and all the innovation that will occur with these.. this is the next iPhone; smart glasses that is; Apple needs to release their own very soon.