Saturday, June 13, 2026
System Engineer
bleepingcomputer
No commentsSaturday, June 13, 2026LiveStreamFive Hacks Every Meta Smart Glasses User Should Know, LifehackerNo commentsWe may earn a commission from links on this page.
I've been wearing Ray-Ban Meta glasses almost every day for over a year. They're great for snapping hands-free photos, catching up on notifications, and listening to podcasts on bike rides, but they aren't the most customizable tech product out there. Still, they're not totally hack-proof. Below are five ways to mod your Ray-Ban Meta and Oakley Meta smart glasses, use them in ways that are not "officially sanctioned," and generally make your smart glasses a little smarter than everyone else's.
I'm an upstanding citizen, so I categorize my receipts for tax purposes dutifully. But I don't like doing it at all, so I figured out how to use my Meta glasses as an almost-totally-automated receipt scanner and organizer. This process saves photos of your receipts in a folder, uses AI to scan them and categorize everything in them, then saves the info in a searchable spreadsheet. And it does it all without you needing to touch a phone or keyboard.
About 15 minutes of free time, depending on how tech-savvy you are.
Meta glasses, either Oakley or Ray-Ban
A dedicated Gmail account for tax information.
Google Drive, Google Sheets, Google Photos, and Google Apps Script (all free)
A Claude AI API key (a few cents per receipt)
Once set up, you'll be able to look at a receipt and say, "Hey, Meta, take a photo." Then say, "Hey, Siri, email that photo to (insert your Gmail address here) with the subject 'receipt.'" Every night, a script automatically reads the receipt, extracts the vendor, date, and amount, logs everything in a spreadsheet, and saves the photo of the receipt in an album. You won't even have to open that mail account until April (but I'd check it occasionally to make sure it's actually working).
Step 1: Create a dedicated Gmail account for your taxes. This keeps everything clean and separate from your daily inbox.
Step 2: In that tax Gmail account, create a label called "Receipts" and set up a filter so any email with "receipt" in the subject line automatically gets that label. Go to Settings > Filters and Blocked Addresses > Create new filter.
Step 3: Create a "Taxes" folder in Google Drive. This is where your receipt spreadsheet will live.
Step 4: Create a Google Sheet called "Receipt Log" with these column headers: Date, Vendor, Amount, Tax Category, Notes, Drive Link.
Step 5: Open your Receipt Log, then click Extensions > Apps Script. I wrote a script with the help of Claude AI for this part, which you can find in the Google Doc here. This tells the AI to look at the receipt and figure out how to put it in the right categories; copy and paste it into Apps Script.
Step 6: Get a Claude API key at console.anthropic.com. You might be able to use an AI other than Claude for this project, but I don't know for sure because I haven't tested any others. The cost is a few cents per receipt, so dropping in $5 should cover the year.
Step 7: In Sheets, go to Project Settings > Script Properties > Add. Add a property called CLAUDE_API_KEY and paste your key as the value. (Never paste it directly in the code.)
Step 8: Set up a daily trigger so the script runs automatically. In Apps Script, click the clock icon, choose Add Trigger, then set it to run "processReceipts" on a daily timer.
Save the paper receipts: You should get an error message if there's an issue reading a specific receipt, but since these are tax documents, keep copies of all of them, just in case.
Make photos as clear as possible: AI can only read what your glasses see, so hold the receipt flat, make sure the lighting is decent, and get close enough that the text fills the frame. Meta's camera is in one arm, but it's "aimed" for the middle, so keep the receipt centered as much as possible. Crumpled or backlit receipts will give you less accurate results and may need a quick manual correction.
You could use your phone to take pictures of receipts, too. It's not as elegant, and you have to use your hands, but it's easier to see that you've taken a clear photo.
Since the camera, speakers, and CPU of Meta glasses live entirely in the frames, you can switch the lenses out easily without fear of damaging your spy-glasses. The lenses of Ray-Ban and Oakley Meta glasses pop right out and click back in without any tools, so you can swap between clear, tinted, polarized, sport, or reading lenses in seconds, depending on what you're doing.
To replace the lenses, place your thumbs near the bottom of the lens and push firmly and evenly to pop it out. To put a new one in, align it near the temple arm and gently push around the edges until it clicks into place with no gaps. Companies like Revant Optics and VR Wave make all kinds of lenses cut specifically for all models of Meta frames, both Ray-Ban and Oakley. Options include tinted, mirrored, polarized, and transition lenses, with prices starting around $40.
Meta hid a useful feature for its Ray-Ban and Oakley Meta glasses in the accessibility menu. Enhanced visual descriptions give you a more detailed description of what you're seeing, adding details like colors, textures, and how many people are in a room, among other things. The feature was designed for low-vision users, but it's genuinely useful for anyone. To enable it: open the Meta AI app, tap the Glasses icon, then hit the settings gear. From here, head to Accessibility, then scroll to find Detailed Responses. Once enabled, try saying "Hey Meta, describe what I'm seeing."
Here are a couple of other ways to make your AI voice better: In Settings, you can change the speed at which your AI voice talks to you. Setting it up to at least 1.25 is a must. In addition, you'd probably think switching to a "celebrity voice" would be annoying, but they generally sound more natural than Meta's stock voices (at least to me). It also doesn't change the things Meta says into what, for example, Awkwafina might say: It's just Awkwafina's voice saying the same thing Meta's voice would.
I have my best ideas when doing dishes, riding a bike, and juggling—pretty much the worst times to take down a note. So I use this simple but powerful method to turn my glasses into a hands-free brain-dump organizer. Here's how to do it: Create a WhatsApp or Messenger group with you as the only member. Then, whenever a thought hits you when you're cooking, driving, or riding your bike, you can say, "Hey Meta, message (YOU) on WhatsApp: (YOUR BRILLIANT IDEA)." The result is a hands-free, time-stamped, searchable, automatically transcribed log of all your ideas.
My Meta smart glasses get around eight hours of battery on a single charge, depending on how I use them, which sounds fine until I'm working overtime. Because there's no charging port on the glasses, you might think you'd be stuck with dumb glasses when the power runs out, but you can actually keep Metas going without using the charging case. There are a couple of options for on-your-face charging:
Battery packs like the PrismXR Carina C1 snap onto the frame magnetically and connect via the same external charging contacts the cases use. Each adds about two hours of use.
If you don't mind a cord running into your pocket, you can add a clip-on cable that links to the glasses' charging interface and runs to a power brick in your pocket. This extends the Meta glasses' life to as long as your battery of choice lasts.
It's no secret that you can block the indicator light on your Meta glasses and still use the camera, but you shouldn't do this. There might be a few legitimate reasons for it—maybe you're taking wildlife photos and you don't want to spook the animals, or you're using the glasses to take selfie videos in a mirror—but generally, the light is there to make it more obvious to others that you're taking a photo or video, so blacking it out is creepy.
Saturday, June 13, 2026LiveStreamLifehacker, These Insignia QLED TVs Are 40% Off Right NowNo commentsWe may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
While you may not have heard of it, the Insignia QF Series QLED TV is a hidden gem among budget QLED TVs with built-in Fire TV. It’s not trying to compete with premium models, but consistently delivers vibrant colors and a sharp 4K picture with colors that are richer than similarly priced entry-level TVs. Right now, it’s 40% off across multiple sizes in an early Prime Day deal, starting at $239.99 (originally $399.99), making it a smart time to invest.
Quantum Dot Technology allows for a more detailed image than standard LED TVs, while Dolby Vision HDR support improves contrast and overall picture quality. It also comes with Dolby Atmos Audio for improved sound. The built-in Fire TV interface removes the need for a separate streaming stick and gives you access to a wide range of apps and channels, including Apple TV+, Disney+, Hulu, Netflix, and Prime Video.
And despite the largest 85-inch model costing just $659.99 and giving you excellent value-per-inch, the TV itself has a design that looks pricier than its budget-friendly price tag, thanks to thin bezels and a lightweight construction.
That said, there are a couple of drawbacks. It only has a 60Hz panel, so it’s not the best choice for competitive gaming, and while it supports Dolby Vision, the HDR performance can’t compare to brighter QLED models like the TCL QM8K Series, which is better suited to daytime watching and bright rooms. There’s also no local dimming, so blacks might not look as deep as they do on higher-end models.
Still, with the 55-inch, 65-inch, and 85-inch models all heavily discounted, this is one of the best QLED TV deals right now. If you’re looking for an affordable entry model with HDR, built-in Fire TV, and a better-than-expected picture, the Insignia QF Series QLED TV is a great early Prime Day deal to take advantage of now.
Saturday, June 13, 2026LiveStreamTechnical storiesNo commentsFully autonomous drones killed Russian soldiers during a battlefield test two years ago, according to a Ukrainian drone manufacturer. If true, the incident would represent another milestone in a war that has spurred unprecedented developments in military drones, robots, and AI-guided weaponry.
The one-time test was revealed by Alexander Kokhanovskyy, CEO of the Ukrainian drone maker Aero Center, during an interview with New Scientist at a press event hosted by the Ukrainian embassy in London. Kokhanovskyy described the test using quadcopter drones that were preprogrammed to fly to a front-line area before activating an AI-powered “Terminator mode” that would seek out and attack any target in the given area.
There was apparently no video feed or anything else to show what the “Terminator” drones targeted and attacked. But Kokhanovskyy told New Scientist that human-piloted drones sent to check out the aftermath found “a couple” of dead Russian soldiers, which led to the conclusion that the fully autonomous drones had killed them.
Friday, June 12, 2026System EngineerregisterNo commentsWe may earn a commission from links on this page. Deal pricing and availability subject to change after time of publication.
If you've been holding off on buying a Nintendo Switch 2, now might be the time to pull the trigger. Right now, Woot is offering a one-time sale on the new console, and first-time customers can knock an extra $15 off the price by using the promo code NEW15 at checkout through June 19, with a limit of one per customer.
The timing of this deal is even more noteworthy, given that Nintendo recently announced that the price of the Switch 2 would increase in September. If buying the console has been on your mind, even if you didn’t plan on purchasing right away, grabbing one before the price increase takes effect can save you money in the long run. While the Woot deal runs through June 19, 2026, at 11:58 p.m. CT, the deal could end sooner if inventory sells out, and as is typical with Woot promotions, availability is limited, so there’s no guarantee that stock will last until the official end date.
Compared to its predecessor, the Nintendo Switch 2 has improved performance and graphics as well as faster load times and enhanced multiplayer features, as noted in this PCMag review. If you’re shopping for games alongside the console, Amazon currently offers several Switch 2 bundles and launch titles, including the Mario Kart World Bundle and other first-party Nintendo releases. Picking up a bundle can give you an overall better value than buying the console and game separately. You can also opt for a Choose Your Game bundle on Amazon, choosing from Mario Kart World, Donkey Kong Bananza, or Pokémon Pokopia digital game download.
For anyone planning to get their hands on the Nintendo Switch 2 before the holidays (and the impending price hike), this Woot promotion may be the most affordable deal available before September’s price increase arrives.
We may earn a commission from links on this page.
Avatar: The Last Airbender made a huge impression during its initial animated run in 2005, placing Japanese anime style and Chinese cultural references into an American framework that made the series an instant classic—and one that lead to a best-forgotten M. Night Shyamalan movie. The current Netflix series does quite a bit better by airbender Aang, Prince Zuko, and the other characters who populate the show's impressively realized world. If Avatar and these other shows teach us anything, it's that only the kids can save us.
Based on the seminal, semi-autobiographical 2006 graphic novel from Gene Luen Yang, this adaptation introduces Jin Wang (Ben Wang), a nerdy and rather ordinary son of Taiwanese immigrants. He befriends confident, loud-and-proud exchange student Wei-Chen (Jimmy Liu), who's embarrassing and inspiring in equal measure. It's soon revealed that Wei-Chen is no ordinary kid, but rather the son of the legendary Monkey King, and he's on Earth looking for the ordinary teenager he believes can help him stop an uprising against Heaven. Ke Huy Quan co-stars as the former child star of a deeply stereotypical '80s sitcom, and Michelle Yeoh appears as goddess of compassion Guanyin. It's disappointing that this only lasted one season, but it tells a fairly complete story nonetheless. Though set in the modern world, the authentically Chinese cultural and mythological backdrop mirrors Avatar's Asian-inspired world. Stream American Born Chinese on Disney+.
Following a couple of just-OK movies, Rick Riordan's beloved middle-grade+ fantasy series got a fun and faithful adaptation with Walker Scobell as the young demigod. Following some shenanigans at a museum, our hero learns that he's been living a lie: His dad is Poseidon, and his mom has been trying to keep the family safe from godly machinations for years. With the cat now out of the bag, he's off to Camp Half-Blood, a training ground for other demigods, where he makes new friends (and new enemies) as he reluctantly pursues his destiny. The third season, adapting the third of five original Percy books, is coming soon, so hopefully the series will manage to stick around long enough to cover the whole thing. Stream Percy Jackson and the Olympians on Disney+.
A live-action adaptation of an anime series that was, itself, based on a classic '90s manga, YuYu Hakusho crammed a lot of story into its five episodes, which is really the only complaint. Otherwise it's a solid blend of action and mysticism, starring Takumi Kitamura as Yusuke Urameshi, a juvenile delinquent in junior high who dies in a demon-instigated car accident, but not before he performs the selfless act of saving another kid from bullies.He's given the opportunity to come back as a kind of ghost detective, seeking out incursions from the demon plane, and joined by his former rival, Kazuma, who can see supernatural beings invisible to everyone else. It's brisk and colorful, with some very cool demon-fighting action. Stream YuYu Hakusho on Netflix.
This rather dark fantasy, adapted from the classic novel series by Philip Pullman, is set in an alternate world (much like our own) in which human souls exist outside the body in the form of animal companions called daemons. Lyra Belacqua (Dafne Keen) is an orphaned girl living at Jordan College, Oxford who finds herself involved in a murder plot that brings her into the orbit of the powerful Magisterium, the world's overarching and oppressive religious authority. She's caught between her mother (Ruth Wilson), a powerful figure in the Magisterium, and her extremist heretic father (James McAvoy), neither of whom is a particularly good guide on the heroic journey that Lyra will have to undertake. From her steampunk-ish world, Lyra and her daemon Pan travel across a multiverse that includes our very own Earth. Stream His Dark Materials on HBO Max.
Based on the fantasy books of Leigh Bardugo from her series of the same name, the series follows Alina Starkov, an orphan and cartographer who discovers and grows into her vaguely magical Grisha abilities, which involve the ability to summon light in a dark and war-torn land. It’s a beautiful and dense fantasy world—one that might be a little hard to grasp at first, but only because the series is content to drop you into its world without a lot of exposition. It’s worth the investment, even if a fan campaign to bring the show back for a third season didn't succeed. Stream Shadow and Bone on Netflix.
Colin Morgan plays the title warlock, who arrives in Camelot to find that magic has been outlawed—which doesn't stop a dragon with the voice of John Hurt from explaining to him that he needs to protect the king's only son (Bradley James), a boy who will grow up to unite the land. (The obnoxious kid's name is Arthur, in case that weren't obvious.) Along the way, Merlin has to face down beasts, sorcerers, and court intrigue centered around Arthur's dad, Uther Pendragon (the late, great Anthony Head). Stream Merlin on Prime Video.
In an alternate modern Britain, ghosts are an everyday occurrence, which is not to say they aren't a nuisance—their touch is deadly. Technological progress has largely ground to a halt, while ghost-hunting agencies abound and, since adults lose the ability to sense ghosts directly, kids and teens are on the front lines. Ruby Stokes (Bridgerton) plays Lucy Carlyle, an extremely sensitive listener who was cast aside when she was unfairly blamed for several deaths at her first job. With nowhere else to go, she joins up with Lockwood & Co., a two-orphan operation working outside the law. It's a solidly spooky teen drama with a fair bit of action and a beating heart in and among all of the dead people. The setting here is worlds away from that of Avatar, but they both conjure fun fantasy worlds on a streaming budget—even if Lockwood didn't make it past one season. Stream Lockwood & Co. on Netflix.
Many of the creatives behind the original Avatar animated series came over to this spiritual follow-up involving two human princes, an elf, and a toad who attempt to forge a peace between warring kingdoms—while protecting the the infant Storm Dragon, Azymondias. The setting here is the continent of Xadia, a place full of magic derived from the Moon, Sky, Sun, Earth, Ocean, and the Stars (rather than Avatar's more elemental magic). A sequel series is in development. Stream The Dragon Prince on Netflix.
This popular two-season South Korean import trades in juicy drama and medieval-style action, while also introducing a clever magical system involving the migration of souls. It's set in the fictional Daeho, a country reminiscent of Korea during the Joseon era. Lee Jae-wook stars as Jang Uk, a noble of questionable parentage who had his natural mage powers taken at birth. Nak-su (Jung So-min), meanwhile, is an assassin who is killed by a rival family. Fortunately, she's able to survive (via alchemy) by transferring her soul into the body of a weak, blind woman. When Uk and Nak-su (in her new body) meet up and he discovers her real identity, they strike a deal: She'll publicly act as his squire while also teaching him everything she knows about fighting and magic, provided he helps her get revenge. Stream Alchemy of Souls on Netflix.
One Piece, the manga, has been running nearly 30 years, with the anime series just a couple of years shy of that. Rather shocking, truly, that a saga with that much baggage landed as a rather brisk and fun live-action series—even if the stretchiness of lead Monkey D. Luffy (Iñaki Godoy) lands better in animation than in this show's occasionally janky CGI. Luffy is the boyish leader of the Straw Hat Pirates, pillaging the seven seas but mostly hunting for the legendary "One Piece" of the title that will make him the pirate king. He's not exactly Aang out to save the world, but the live action adaptations of both shows lean into the colorful and offbeat world building of their source materials. Stream One Piece on Netflix.
