Undeterred by the failure of Google Glass, Snapchat has made a decision to launch its own pair of glasses that can record video.
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This is the “first” hardware product from Snapchat – er, Snap – the Journal said. Recording is as simple as tapping a button near the hinge and, since Spectacles will be wirelessly linked to your smartphone, the Snaps are then automatically added to your Memories.
Interestingly, the camera will use a 115-degree lens (which is wider than a smartphone or regular camera) and the video captured will be circular.
The change also has a more serious business objective – to make it easier for people to distinguish the company from its services. According to Evan Spiegel, the images that result are fundamentally different.
It is unclear when Snapchat’s Spectacles would hit the market.
Remember the failed, or “in progress” Google Glasses?
This could mean that the Spectacles are just an experiment or that they could end up somewhat like Google Glasses. However, customers have the option of choosing between black, coral or teal colors.
What do you think about Spectacles? Snap Inc says the product will be rolled out gradually in slow numbers.
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Snapchat also announced it is being renamed Snap Inc. We were walking through the woods, stepping over logs, looking up at the handsome trees. The big question today is whether many people will be willing to wear these glasses in public and risk getting them ripped off their faces. Spectacles will be available this autumn for $129.99 with “limited distribution”. Spiegel has been testing the prototype since early 2015 and was quoted by the report as saying, “It was the closest I’d ever come to feeling like I was there again”. Just like a trendy pair of sunglasses, Spectacles come with a tiny Google Glass-like camera on the sides to record things happening in front of you.
