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lh_wayfarer_feed) wrote2025-09-18 04:30 pmMy Favorite Amazon Deal of the Day: The Amazon Kindle Scribe
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The latest version of the Kindle Scribe, an upgraded version of the classic e-reader designed for note-taking, came out in December 2024, offering some nice upgrades that make the device more pleasant to use. Those upgrades don't come cheap, however, with prices on the new Kindle Scribe starting at $399.99.
Right now, though, a refurbished (like-new) 16GB version is discounted to $269.99, the lowest price this reader has seen since its release, according to price-tracking tools, and a great opportunity to snatch one for a bargain. The 32GB version is going for $282.99 (originally $419.99 for a new version), and the 64GB version is $305.99 (originally $449.99 for a new version).
lh_wayfarer_feed) wrote2025-09-18 04:00 pmHow to Schedule a Demo for Meta's New Ray-Ban Display Smart Glasses
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Yesterday, at its 2025 Meta Connect conference, Meta finally unveiled its first Ray-Ban smart glasses that actually have a screen inside them. I have yet to try them for myself, but according to my colleagues over at CNET, seeing is believing. If you want to book a demo to try out the new Meta Ray-Ban Display glasses, you're in luck: They're popping up in select stores across the country, and you can already schedule your visit. In fact, you'll need to if you actually want to take a pair home.
What are the Meta Ray-Ban Display Smart Glasses?
Meta's Ray-Ban Display smart glasses are similar to the smart glasses the two companies have already been releasing since 2021, but if the name didn't give it away already, now they have a screen inside them. This isn't AR, so you don't get head tracking or a large virtual display situated in your environment, but you do get a little heads-up 600x600 screen over your right eye that you can use to, say, check on texts or watch an Instagram Reel. It's also private, according to my colleagues over at CNET, with some clever manufacturing keeping people from seeing what's on your display through the transparent lens.
And it comes with a special "neural wristband" for actually navigating content, which can pick up thumb movements, pinches, and the like and translate them into swipes and taps.
It all sounds fancy— dare I say "innovative"?—even if it comes with a $799 price tag (the last generation of Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses was $379). But if you're going to be dropping that much on such an unproven product, I don't blame you for wanting to go hands-on with it before buying. And it seems, neither does Meta.
How to try out the Meta Ray-Ban Display Smart Glasses
Even though Meta's Ray-Ban Display Smart Glasses technically start shipping on Sept. 30, you can't buy them online. Instead, you'll have to do an in-store demo before you can actually get a pair. These demos are available at Ray-Ban stores, but also partners including LensCrafters, Sunglass Hut, and Best Buy. You can book demos straight through a specific store's site if you have a favorite, as seen on this Best Buy link, but the best way to see all the demos available near you is through Meta's own site.
Just navigate to this scheduler page on the Meta site and enter your address to see participating stores near you and the dates when they have demos available. Then hit "Schedule a Demo" on a store of your choosing to be taken to that store's site to finish booking.
While Meta's site showed me appointments starting today, none of the stores I clicked through to had availability until October, so don't be surprised if the scheduler's data is a little behind.
What do you need for your Ray-Ban Display Demo?
Generally, you can just head to your Ray-Ban Display Demo and be golden. But if you wear prescription lenses, you'll either need to wear contacts or know your lens details. Meta's demo kits can accommodate a range of -4.00 to +4.00 prescriptions, so plan accordingly.
Then, it's just a matter of trying the glasses on. When you're done, you can either buy your pair, or hold off. If you wait, you'll be sent an email with details from your appointment.
Meta says it's limiting purchases to people who have tried a demo right now to ensure fit and satisfaction, but that more buying options will come "over time." That's great news for folks who live outside of the U.S., as demos are currently limited to Meta's home country. However, the company says demos will expand to Canada, France, Italy, and the U.K. in early 2026.
lh_wayfarer_feed) wrote2025-09-18 03:30 pmHow to Adjust Strava’s Training Zones so They’re Actually Useful
Strava's new Training Zones feature promises to help runners and cyclists better understand their training load across metrics like heart rate, power, and pace. That sounds like useful information, but if you've recently discovered that most of your runs fall into what's commonly called the "gray zone" (Zone 3), take a deep breath: You aren't doing everything wrong, you don't need to panic, and you definitely don't need to completely overhaul your training.
Here's why—and how you can use training zones as the helpful tool they're meant to be, rather than as a source of anxiety.
What are training zones?
Before diving into how Strava offers insights into training zones, let's quickly go over what they really are. As Lifehacker senior health editor Beth Skwarecki has previously explained, talk of different zones is overhyped, since these zones aren't clearly defined.
Most talked about is the coveted Zone 2, even though no one can agree on what exactly it is. On the flip side, I always see warnings about Zone 3 being the "no man's land" of training—too hard to be easy, too easy to be hard. This dread is overblown.
Zone 2 training is celebrated because it helps build your aerobic base and burns calories without incurring significant fatigue. But guess what Zone 3 training also does? It builds your aerobic base, it burns even more calories, and it typically adds only marginally more fatigue than Zone 2. For most recreational runners, the difference between the zones is far less dramatic than the online discourse suggests.
Heart rate zones are indeed a completely valid way to describe how hard you're working during a cardio workout. But it's hardly a matter of "Zone 2 good, Zone 3 bad," particularly given that different devices and apps define the zones differently. Your "Zone 2" might be 60% to 70% of max heart rate on an Apple Watch, but 65% to 75% on a Peloton. At 73% of your max heart rate, the Apple Watch would categorize your effort as Zone 3, while the Peloton would call it Zone 2. Which is right? Neither, really—because these boundaries are largely arbitrary.
The concept of training zones is sound when considered in the right context, but the specific percentages and boundaries aren't set in stone. They're guidelines, not gospel. Your physiology doesn't magically change the moment you cross from 69% to 71% of your max heart rate. And if you're a recreational runner focused on health and enjoyment, the difference between Zone 2 and Zone 3 is a mere technicality.
How Strava's Training Zones actually work
Strava's Training Zones use a familiar five-zone system. The feature allows you to filter by sport and analyze training load across different timeframes (seven days, one month, and three months), providing insights into how your training varies across activities.
Heart Rate Zones:
Zone 1 – Endurance
Zone 2 – Moderate
Zone 3 – Tempo
Zone 4 – Threshold
Zone 5 – Anaerobic
These zones indicate exercise intensity levels and are automatically calculated based on your max heart rate. Strava uses the standard formula of 220 minus your age, defaulting to 190 bpm if no age is provided. Your zones update automatically on your birthday unless you've manually set your max heart rate.
Adjust your Strava Training Zones to eliminate your workout anxiety
Luckily, you don't need to accept the default settings as law. Strava allows subscribers to set different heart rate zones for running versus cycling, and you can adjust these zones anytime.
When you scroll down in the Progress tab on Strava, you'll see Training Zones. Within that menu, select the Pencil (edit) icon. If you know your actual max heart rate from testing, use that instead of the age-based estimated maximum.
Even if you don't have exact numbers, you can adjust your zones based on feel. Your perceived exertion might be a better guide than your heart rate monitor. Toggle the "auto-calculate" option to manually adjust each individual heart rate zone. If Strava tells you you're in Zone 3-4, but you can easily hold a conversation during that workout, you could then widen the range for Zone 2 to more accurately reflect what you know to be lower effort for you. When a run feels easy and conversational, it's probably serving its purpose, regardless of whether your device says you're in Zone 2 or Zone 3.
Instead of obsessing over individual workout zones, examine your training distribution over weeks and months. Are you doing mostly easy runs with some harder efforts? That's what matters, not whether your easy pace puts you at the top of Zone 2 or bottom of Zone 3.
The bottom line
Training zones should inform your training, not dictate it. They're tools to help you understand intensity and plan progression, not rigid boundaries that determine success or failure. Strava's Training Zones feature can provide valuable insights into your training patterns and help you make more informed decisions about your workouts.
The next time your watch beeps to tell you you've crossed into Zone 3, remember: The boundaries aren't real, but how your body feels is.
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badly_knitted) wrote2025-09-18 05:47 pm
FAKE Ficlet: In At The Deep End
Title: In At The Deep End
Fandom: FAKE
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Ryo, Dee.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 742
Setting: Vol. 1, Act 1.
Summary: Ryo’s first day as a detective is not going at all the way he’d been expecting.
Written For:
miss_ingno’s prompt ‘Any, any male character, out of depth,’ at ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
threesentenceficathon.Disclaimer: I don’t own FAKE, or the characters. They belong to the wonderful Sanami Matoh.
badly_knitted) wrote2025-09-18 05:39 pmFic: Crazy For Trying
Title: Crazy For Trying
Author:
badly_knittedCharacters: Ianto, Lisa.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1672
Setting: Pre-Season One.
Summary: It may be crazy, but Ianto can’t give up on Lisa.
Written For: Weekend Challenge Lyrics & Nouns at
1_million_words.Disclaimer: I don’t own Torchwood, or the characters.
iamrman) wrote in scans_daily2025-09-18 05:26 pmThe Defenders #13
Writer: Len Wein
Pencils: Sal Buscema
Inks: Klaus Janson
The Squadron Supreme are an unfunny in-joke that have long since outstayed their welcome. Alas, Nighthawk is here to stay.
( Read more... )
westiec) wrote in flashexchanges2025-09-18 10:44 amFat Bear Flash
A fic & art exchange for fat bears of all kinds!
- minimums: creator's choice of 300 word fic or a nice sketch
Schedule:
Noms & Signups open: now!
Noms & Signups close: September 22
Works Due & Revealed: September 30
Creators Revealed: October 5
all deadlines are 11:59PM UTC
Tagset 🐻 AO3 Collection 🐻 AutoApp
brithistorian) wrote2025-09-18 10:39 amFun with autocorrect
I was trying to type the information for an art exhibition into the to-do app on my phone. I had typed "University of," and the three options that autocorrect offered me were "Nature," "Art," and "Style."
Obviously none of these were correct, but they're all universities I would have considered attending if I had known about them earlier in my life. ;)
smbc_comics_feed) wrote2025-09-18 11:20 amSaturday Morning Breakfast Cereal - Theodicy
Click here to go see the bonus panel!
Hovertext:
How come nobody asks for all-powerful, all-knowing, and at least PRETTY good?
Today's News:
languagelog_feed) wrote2025-09-18 02:52 pmFun with Q&A homonyms
The most famous example, of course, is the 1945 "Who's on first?" dialogue:
Wikipedia traces versions of the same idea back to 1930 and before, and lists many later derivatives, including a clever rock-band echo in a em>Pearls Before Swine comic from 10/19/2014:
My affinity for such wordplay is enhanced by the fact that I live in Ware College House, although unfortunately donors named Wye, Watt, Howe, Hu, and so on have not yet had UPenn residences named after them.
I'm not aware of any similar sketches in other languages, though it should be possible despite some morpho-syntactic impediments — perhaps readers will enlighten us.
fred_mouse) wrote2025-09-18 10:55 pmMurderbot Humble Bundle
For some days, I've seen people mention the Martha Wells Humble Bundle offer and gone 'nah, I don't need it, I've got most of the Murderbot stuff, I DON'T NEED IT'.
And then someone posted that it has the short stories, and I nearly caved. And then someone shared it on Tumblr, and I don't remember what was said, and I was like 'it won't hurt to look, right'?
I will tell you that I did not cave because it has a Murderbot book I have either not read or have entirely forgotten reading (and may not, in fact, own). I did not cave because of short stories, for I noticed not the presence of said short stories. I caved because nearly the first thing I saw was The Emilie Adventures, which I know not if I will love, but has been in my wish list many many years (best guess: 2018, which is the copyright date of what I think is the first Murderbot book I read, which was at the time the most recent. The two Emilie stories are copyright 2013 and 2014, but by the time I tried to acquire them, no legal avenues worked).
So now I have 14 ebooks, some of which I have read and some of which are short stories, and I do not have the oomph to put them in the acquired books list (which has a gaping hole in it in which I either bought no books, or did not record them), along with the three that turned up ... yesterday (and one I really wanted is not sodding available and my money has been refunded. I hate this 'warehousing glitch' or whatever the excuse is, it happens so sodding often).
lh_wayfarer_feed) wrote2025-09-18 02:00 pmThese Powerbeats Pro Earbuds Are 60% Off Right Now
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If you’re looking for in-ear earbuds with superior sound quality, long-lasting battery life, and a secure fit, the Beats Powerbeats Pro wireless earbuds are a reliable option, especially for those who are fans of Beats headphones. Right now, you can get an open-box pair for just $100 on Woot, a 60% discount.
The Powerbeats Pro feature over-ear hooks that have a secure fit and are ideal for vigorous workouts and sports, with users praising how stable they remain during movement. Compatible with the Apple ecosystem, they’re easy to pair with iOS and allow for fast device switching. They also have a strong battery life, offering nine hours of playback for the buds alone. With the included charging case, they last up to 24 hours. Volume can be controlled on the earbuds via physical buttons, as can controls that let you control and skip tracks. The IPX4 rating makes them suitable for rainy days and sweaty workouts.
The headphones feature an intense bass-heavy punch and bright highs for a sculpted sound signature, notes this PCMag review. This is mostly a pro, but it may make some tracks like orchestral music sound overly boosted—and you can’t tweak EQ on the companion app. And despite their powerful audio performance, they don’t feature Active Noise Cancellation. Still, they’re widely regarded as some of the best premium earbuds, and with their combination of sound, battery life, Apple compatibility, and a secure fit for fitness lovers, the Beats Powerbeats Pro wireless earbuds are a good deal at just $100.
bettyw) wrote in davis_square2025-09-18 10:09 amMissing trumpet slide on bike path
Thanks!
cakewrecks_feed) wrote2025-09-18 01:00 pmOw.
Presenting the world's most painful landing:
Or perhaps the world's most unfortunately shaped, colored, and placed mat logo.
Either way, I'm sure it made a real splash on the audience.
Beth C., would you care to join me in a casual crossing-of-the-legs?
*****
And from my other blog, Epbot:
