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Smart glasses are spyware
That’s me, virtually trying on Meta’s glasses on their website, doing my best Tom Cruise Risky Business impersonation. Spoiler, I didn’t buy them.
These remind me of Google Glass. Those awkward $1,500 face computers from 2013 that made you look like a cyborg at brunch. They launched with a ton of hype and died just as fast.
Between the terrible battery life and the privacy panic, “Glasshole” became a real word. Here we are over a decade later, and smart glasses are back big-time.
🕶 Meta’s bet on your face
Meta’s Ray-Ban smart glasses start at $299 and have already sold over 2 million pairs. They look like regular sunglasses but take hands-free photos, livestream video, play music and even answer questions through Meta AI whispered in your ear.
Battery life is four to six hours, and they charge inside a little sunglasses case. Everything syncs to the Meta View app, where your content is stored in the cloud.
Here’s the thing: The glasses are always listening, and they can start recording with just a tap. Meta added a tiny LED that lights up when filming, but really, who notices that at a Starbucks or party?
Privacy aside, Meta’s serious about this space. They own a $3.5 billion stake in EssilorLuxottica, the massive eyewear company behind Ray-Ban, Oakley and pretty much every brand you’ve ever tried on at the mall.
👓 Halo X is coming soon
Halo X is the chilling nerdy challenger, made by startup Brilliant Labs. It projects AI-generated responses right onto the lens. You can ask it to translate a sign, identify a flower or even help remember the name of someone you met at a bar two Friday nights ago.
Seriously, it records everything. Video, audio, all of it gets uploaded to the cloud. No local storage. No off switch. That’s helpful … or horrifying, depending on how you feel about privacy.
Battery life is short, two or three hours. When it ships in a few months, the glasses will cost $350 to $400.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Gadgets that slap
📺 My pick: INSIGNIA 32” Smart Fire TV (38% off)
Perfect for small bedrooms, dorms and kitchens. Alexa even takes the “lost remote” excuse off the table.
🎧 Over-ear headphones (37% off): A 65-hour battery keeps your podcasts rolling for days. 4.5 stars and 29K+ reviews.
🔊 Portable Bluetooth speaker (15% off): Waterproof, wireless and loud enough to turn anywhere into a dance floor.
💿 Leather CD player (15% off): Dust off those old discs. This plays your old CDs and pairs with Bluetooth.
🔌 Tower power strip (20% off): Eight outlets + five USB ports = one neat tower that finally ends desk chaos.
🛒 Crank up your cart: I rounded up 25 more great gadgets over on my Amazon storefront. Go give yourself a treat.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Say goodbye to your passport stamps (and hello to fingerprint checkpoints)
I love looking through the stamps in my passport. It’s proof that yes, I really did spend three hours at Charles de Gaulle waiting for my lost luggage.
Sad news. Europe’s pulling the plug on those little inked-up souvenirs and going high-tech.
🎬 Adobe Premiere coming to iPhone: The app includes pro tools like multitrack timelines, frame-by-frame editing, 4K support and more. The catch? You’ll need to pay for AI features or extra storage. Preorder it free on the App Store to get it automatically when it drops later this month.
👂 Struggling to hear? Custom-fit hearing aids with expert guidance and a 45-day risk-free trial help you hear clearly, follow every conversation and reconnect with friends and family, so you never miss a moment again.
The Costco gold bar scam
Gold prices are soaring and scammers are cashing in. Learn how fake FTC callers are tricking people into buying gold bars worth thousands. Here’s how to spot the warning signs and protect your money before you become the next victim.
$1.5 billion
The biggest copyright payout ever, courtesy of Anthropic. That’s more than some publishers make in a year, and all because Claude was caught with its hand in the pirate library cookie jar. Guess plagiarism does pay, just not in the way Anthropic hoped. If your book was in Anthropic’s pirated dataset, you’re automatically in the settlement class, with attorneys filing the full ~500,000-title list by Oct. 10.
Check sketchy apps on Android: Before installing something from the Play Store, see what info it collects and shares. Open the app page, scroll down and tap Data Safety. You’ll find whether it gathers personal details, photos, location or financial info, and if your data is encrypted in transit.
Fingerprints can save lives, literally
Make life easier for loved ones with quick phone access. Set up fingerprint or face ID on your spouse’s, child’s, or parent’s devices for emergencies, navigation, or shared logistics. It’s secure, simple, and keeps the people you trust connected.
📖 Bible goes cinematic: Pray.com is cranking out AI-generated Bible videos (think seven-headed dragons, collapsing cities and angels that look like superheroes). Millions are watching, mostly guys under 30. Theologians say it cheapens Scripture into a “Don’t forget to like and pray!” social media plea, but Pray’s team calls it “the Marvel Universe of faith.”
Squeaky clean steals
💦 My pick: Wet spray mop (17% off)
Forget lugging around a bucket. This mop works on wood, tile, laminate … basically, if you walk on it, it’s good to go.
🏠 Front door mat (17% off): Stop dirt at the door. Built tough for rain, snow and messy shoes.
🪰 Indoor fly trap (32% off, two-pack): Ditch the messy flypaper. Plug these in, and they’ll handle little invaders.
💚 Mesh screen cleaner (10% off): Finally, a way to clean dusty window screens without pulling them out.
✨ Microfiber cleaning cloth (47% off): Just add water, and watch your glass and mirrors shine.
🧽 Scrub the rest: More handpicked goodies that make your home spotless are waiting for you on my Amazon storefront.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Bluetooth is spying on you right now
Think Bluetooth is harmless? Think again. George, your AI host, explains how apps secretly use Bluetooth to track your movements and how to shut it down on iPhone and Android.
George will also tell you about a lawyer suing Meta, new webcam malware, AI fantasy football, Gen Z’s wired headphone comeback, AI musicians landing record deals. Plus: quick device hacks for Gmail, Apple Watch, Chrome, Fire Stick, and iPhone charging.
Charlie Chaplin’s in theaters after 100 years
Charlie Chaplin famously rereleased his 1925 silent classic The Gold Rush in 1942 with new narration and edits, believing it would connect better with modern audiences. Now, thanks to film archivists and AI, the silent masterpiece has been painstakingly restored. The 4K version just premiered at Cannes and hit 250 theaters worldwide.
♣️ Google laid its AI cards on the table: Google quietly dropped limits for Gemini. Free users get five prompts per day, 100 images per month and five long-form deep dives. The Gemini Advanced (Ultra 1.5) plan runs $19.99/month and bumps you up to 500 prompts per day, 1,000 images per month and daily high-powered file analysis using Gemini in Gmail, Docs and more.
📺 TV shopping 101: Don’t just grab the biggest one. Get 4K, so the picture’s sharp. Confused? OLED gives you deep blacks and vibrant colors but costs more. QLED is brighter, cheaper and better in sunny rooms. Gamers: Look for a 120 Hz refresh rate or higher, so the action doesn’t stutter.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Scammers threatened to murder my dad
Lauren from San Francisco got a call that would terrify anyone: her dad crying as a man saying he’d be killed. Only… it wasn’t her dad on the line. Plus: Google dodges a breakup, Amazon cuts perks, and an AirTag leads to a thief caught in stolen clothes.
Host smarter for under $50
🫙 My pick: Electric mason jar vacuum sealer (10% off)
Forget pricey food-savers. Press one button, and boom, it seals tighter than your grandma’s Tupperware lid.
🧊 Collapsible cooler bag (23% off): Holds up to 60 cans. Perfect for tailgating or when you’re “just grabbing a few things” from the store.
🍳 Square grill pan (8% off): No griddle? No prob. This pan has high ridges to give you those steakhouse-quality grill marks.
🍗 Chicken shredder tool (6% off): Saves you 10 minutes of wrestling with forks. Just twist, shred and you’re all done.
🎉 Elastic tablecloth (43% off, two-pack): Turns your folding table from “garage sale” to “fancy party.” Toss it in the wash, reuse, repeat.
😋 These are just the starters: Head to my Amazon shop for 35 more gadgets I handpicked to make cooking and hosting way easier.
We may earn a commission from purchases, but our recommendations are always objective.
Add another Touch ID on iPad: Set up a second finger for easier unlocking. Go to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode > Fingerprints > Add a fingerprint. Bonus: Scroll down to Allow Access When Locked and turn off Control Center, so a thief can’t put your iPad in Airplane Mode. Nice one, right?
New mental illness alert: Just passing this along. Doctors are seeing a rise in “AI delusions,” people breaking down after endless chats with bots that never disagree. Not schizophrenia, but not nothing. Experts warn this could mark a brand-new disorder. Imaginary friends? Now they charge $20/month.