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Ask HN: How hackable are the Meta smart glasses?

• itsyaboi 3y ago
  No developer support at the moment.
• paul7986 3y ago
  I really like my pair yet only for taking pics and videos as that's the most reliable feature followed by Bluetooth audio for music and audio in general. Using 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.
  • danjc 3y ago
    How does it store media? Is there a standalone Google Photos style app or does it coupled to Facebook?
    • paul7986 3y ago
      Stores pics and videos on the glasses .. then you import them into the Meta View app. You don't even need your phone on or with you to take pics just to import them / view them on your phone. 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).
      • ternaryJimbo 3y ago
        how long can you live stream for? is there a time limit? thanks in advance.
• lnrd 3y ago
  I would love to hack them to trigger the camera from my smartphone instead than touching the frame. I completely understand why they did it and it's a good thing that the general public can't take pictures with it without it being obvious. But as an hobbyst street photographer I feel it would be an amazing tool to take some candid shots of street moments without attracting attention.
  • dude187 3y ago
    > I completely understand why they did it and it's a good thing that the general public can't take pictures with it without it being obvious. 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?
    • lnrd 3y ago
      > Why is it a good thing? 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).
      • xkekjrktllss 3y ago
        > 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.
        • 3y ago
• huytersd 3y ago
  It must be relatively trivial to turn off the recording light right?
  • ImPostingOnHN 3y ago
    It uses some voodoo (possibly the LED itself working in reverse, as a sensor) to detect the light being disabled or covered
• ActorNightly 3y ago
  Just get cheap camera glasses on Aliexpress. Some of them use Android OTG.