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<v Wren>The most hackable smart glasses aren't from Meta or Google.

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<v Ash>According to the tracker, it's the Mentra Live for $349.

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<v Wren>Why that one?

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<v Ash>Primary-source verdict: they ship now, with raw camera and sensor access via a sideloaded MIT-licensed APK.

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<v Wren>Wait—what about Brilliant Labs Halo? They promised 'totally open source'.

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<v Ash>Unverified. Their GitHub still has no Halo repo. And a user report on September 21 details ongoing shipment delays.

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<v Wren>So the openness claim is still just a vendor claim.

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<v Ash>Right. Meanwhile, Mentra's big move is MentraOS 3.0, shifting apps to run locally on your phone.

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<v Wren>That's a major architecture change.

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<v Ash>It is. And on September 14, OpenGlass confirmed active, fully open ESP32-based designs on GitHub.

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<v Wren>So the practical, shipping option is Mentra. But the DIY floor is alive.

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<v Ash>Exactly. The catch? Brilliant Labs' promise remains unfulfilled. That's the open question.

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<v Wren>See the full breakdown at DreamLab Research.