Trading one pair of glasses for another: newsletter week of 10/20

It has been a week of smart glasses for me as I traded the Oakly Meta Vanguard for an Apple Vision Pro.

bts of how this newsletter was written

This is the first time that Apple has loaned me a product for review, and what a strange one to start with. I have very little experience using it, it could not be more the opposite of "take tech outside", and it has seen very little change since its release in Winter 2024.

But there is always a story to tell! And I can't wait to find it. Plus, I have really been enjoying getting to know visionOS-- it's truly magic in so many ways. Hell, even my partner Hannah likes it, and she is a tough critic! But more on that in the review.

Are there any Vision Pro users in the house? If so, what do you use it for, how much do you use it, or is it collecting dust?

straight outta the Oppo Find X9 Pro

In other news, I can finally share that I have been putting Oppo's next flagship device, the Find X9 Pro, through the 1,000 photos test. The photos above and below are straight out of the camera with absolutely zero edits. I am impressed! And very excited to share the video review with you this coming week.

straight outta the Oppo Find X9 Pro (but so crisp that I had to bring it into photoshop and blur out Peter's dog tags)

straight outta the Oppo Find X9 Pro

Here is everything else I was thinking about this week:

📖 What I read:

A $60 Mod to Meta’s Ray-Bans Disables Its Privacy-Protecting Recording Light
This is exactly the thing I feared people would do with these glasses.

The rise of “catch a cheater” apps exploits our worst human tendencies
Say hello to apps that supposedly use facial recognition technology to trace dating profiles of private citizens.

California signs legislation to protect the financial security of child influencers
Parents or guardians of minors featured in monetized online content are now required to set aside a percentage of their earnings in trust accounts.

📺 What I watched:

Context Collapse and Halloween Traditions REAL VIDEO MOSTLY NO AI (Hotline 79/81)
Noah's Hotline show is a never-miss for me, and this episode was by far one of my favorites-- funny, sad, nostalgic, and a total 10.

Why Leica shed it's most iconic feature - M EV-1
David is back with a banger! And a great explanation about how rangefinders work.

If you wish to create a video FROM SCRATCH...
a very good edit about building a 16mm camera from scratch 🤯

A Scammer Bought Our Hacked Laptop
Nothing hooks me like a Scammer Payback video.

🎶 What I listened to:

What Does it Take to Become a Full-Time YouTuber?
I had the pleasure of being featured on LumaTouch's editing podcast! It was such a joy to talk about editing and process, instead of tech, for a bit.

In my neck of the woods, it's getting a little cold to drive with the windows down, but this week I've been playing a lot of songs that would sound even better if I were willing to get a bit chilly. (I have not been willing, but I've played the songs nonetheless.)

Silver Lining - Mt. Joy
a little indie rock

Five Feet High and Rising - Johnny Cash
some country/folk

Ripple - Sycco [prod. Flume & Chrome Sparks]
a dash of hypnotizing beats

Makeba - Jain
and a song that I cannot help but dance to

Alright folks! Hope you have some great weekend plans ahead. It's officially Halloween party week in NYC-- the only time of year that you can ride a train with Waldo, the Ghostbusters, a slew of slutty nuns, and the Joker all at once. A 10/10 experience!
As always, I appreciate the hell outta ya <3
-Becca