Snapchat Announces 'Spectacles,' $130 Sunglasses That Record 10 Seconds of Video at a Time

I don't understand the point? All it does is record 10 seconds of video for Snapchat. That is an absurd waste of money. Everyone complains that the Apple Watch is useless and expensive, but the Apple Watch does a lot more than perform one single function that your phone could do. I really don't get it, and if I was to wear something that looked that ridiculous it'd better be a full-blow Google-glass equivalent
 
Creepy and ugly at the same time. I can't see how snapchat will make this work when Google with a lot of positive energy on this (at least initially) could make it work
 
maflynn said:
Creepy and ugly at the same time. I can't see how snapchat will make this work when Google with a lot of positive energy on this (at least initially) could make it work
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His supermodel girlfriend and her friends will wear them, and post pictures from them of all the fun they're having with them on their snapchat accounts.
 
You too can be a creepy stalker 10 seconds at a time.

Glassholes unite!

It's amazing how many people are afraid of the FBI, CIA, NSA, TLA (three letter agency), but not of Facebook, twitter, google, etc.

One's an unethical organization exploiting people to meet strategic goals, and the other is a government agency.

At least one can be reigned in by Congress.....
 
DudeDad said:
How many guys will forget they are recording while at the urinal.

There goes our privacy....
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Our privacy has been gone for many years now.
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MallardDuck said:
You too can be a creepy stalker 10 seconds at a time.
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Don't need Spectacles for that. Shot on an iPhone:

http://www.tmz.com/2016/07/14/dani-mathers-gym-pic-photo-police-report/
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invisiblecube said:
Ugh. Don't let Tim see them. He's sure to launch a campaign to acquire snapchat.
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This is one way for Apple to add a camera to the Apple Watch. Don't forget, Tim's the one who introduced "burst mode" in the FaceTime selfie cam, and took a fair amount of time during a keynote to do it.
 
Studied Kodak and Polaroid? More like he realized that Snap(chat) needs actual revenue streams, and hardware is the only way to do it.
 
macsba said:
Sorry, I'm not into round videos. Even hate vertical videos that they show on the news.
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Agreed. I wish phone manufacturers would force horizontal videos on a phone. I believe the sensor is big enough to do horizontal video when the phone is in vertical mode, maybe switch it to 720 or something.
 
I honestly think this is great. Taking the phone out, opening an app to take a video, let alone share it usually ruins the moment for me. I rarely take videos, and I almost never share them. This, I can see myself using. Too bad I wear regular specs and don't wear sunglasses:D Also, FYI, the black and white photo was taken by Karl Lagerfeld.
 
gaximus said:
Agreed. I wish phone manufacturers would force horizontal videos on a phone. I believe the sensor is big enough to do horizontal video when the phone is in vertical mode, maybe switch it to 720 or something.
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Here is a humorous PSA about vertical videos:


Now, a PSA is needed for circular videos.
 
A Closet Classic...

The%2BBuggles%2BBlue%2BJeans.jpg
 
MacRumors said:



Snapchat has announced its first hardware product, a one-size-fits-all pair of sunglasses called Spectacles that can record 10 seconds of video at a time, reports The Wall Street Journal. The glasses will cost $130 and launch this fall in three colors: teal, black and coral. Video will sync wirelessly to a paired iPhone or other smartphone.

spectacles-800x931.jpg

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel in Spectacles, Photo by The WSJ​

The glasses record when you tap a button near the hinge, and each tap records 10 seconds of video footage from its 115-degree-angle lens. The lens was designed to be wider than smartphone cameras, more closely mirroring the natural view of human eyes. The video is recorded in a circular format, as Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel argues that the square and rectangle form that photos and videos currently come in are a vestige of early photos being printed on paper.

Snapchat has been developing Spectacles for years, and Spiegel has been testing the device himself for a year. He tells The WSJ that one of the advantages of Spectacles is not having to hold a smartphone in front of your face because it's "like a wall." Re-watching first-person footage is like reliving a memory, Spiegel argues.
Spiegel refers to Spectacles as a "toy," and that the best use of it would be to wear it at an outdoor concert or barbecue "for kicks." The company is taking a slow approach to launch with limited distribution, similar to Google Glass. Spiegel says Snapchat wants to "figure out if it fits into people's lives and seeing how they like it." When asked why they made the product and decided to enter the hardware market, Spiegel said "because it's fun."

Snapchat has also changed its company name to Snap, Inc as it has expanded its portfolio past its Snapchat app, similar to how Apple changed its name from Apple Computer.

Spiegel thinks of the newly-dubbed Snap, Inc as a camera company rather than a social media company, The WSJ notes. He studied the early histories of Kodak and Polaroid and how they pitched portable cameras to the public. Spectacles gives Snap control of a physical camera, bypassing the smartphone cameras, like that of the iPhone, at the heart of Snapchat thus far. Spiegel hints to The WSJ that there could be "far-reaching implications" if Snap controlled the hardware its users take pictures and video with.

Article Link: Snapchat Announces 'Spectacles,' $130 Sunglasses That Record 10 Seconds of Video at a Time
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[doublepost=1474739123][/doublepost]People don't want someone with videocameras on their face hanging around, it's called an invasion of privacy, this is why Google Glass failed.
 
TRS-80 said:
[doublepost=1474739123][/doublepost]People don't want someone with videocameras on their face hanging around, it's called an invasion of privacy, this is why Google Glass failed.
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While that's certainly part of it, they were also incredibly nerdy and utilitarian, and they didn't have supermodel girlfriends to wear them with all of her friends to market them to the masses.

Add to that, like most products it introduces, google doesn't really commit to them.
 
Tompkinson said:
Spy glasses have been avaiable for long time. Check amazon. The more expensive ones are used a lot in investigative journalism. I expect voyeurs, pedophiles would choose one of them rather than this snapchat product.
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sure they have but with the Snapchat logo they have become (I hope not) mainstream. The sheep out ther will love them and buy them in their droves because they have the 'snapchat' brand of approval.

As a photographer I hate having my picture taken. I can see people with mobiles when they point them in my direction. With these you can't. Then suddenly your image appears on Social Media and the person who takes the picture could not care less about the implications.
If I want to use a picture where a person is the main subject I have to get their written permission.
I have yet to see anyone with a mobile phone lst alone anything like this ask for permission.
The legal implications of using images without the consent of the subject can be severe (in terms on financial penalties).
There is a very good reason that 99.99% of my photography is of landscapes where people are secondary.
 
Any type of recordable glasses are going to run into privacy concerns. Even though we have cameras on pretty much everything the "google glass" is literally the only cameras that are in your face/on your face, and that makes it much more personal. Until someone develops wireless glasses that both look good and addresses privacy concerns I think they are all destined to fail...
 
I don't know what is more shocking, this product, or the fact that people aren't crying about this not being Apple related.
Where am I?
 
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