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Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

wsj.com

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Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#31

Post by Gaelan »

cromwellian wrote: post #9
fowlerpower wrote: post #7

I think this is significantly better than what Google did with Google Glass. It's better because it focuses on the one thing that is really easy to do well. It does not try to do everything at once. It doesn't try to give you apps in your glasses and everything under the sun. This is the right approach to products. Do one thing but do that well. Before you criticize me think back to the original iPhone, it didn't sta…

Of course, Glass took significant heat over the fact that it had a camera that you can record people without them knowing (except that it was quite obvious when Glass was 'on'). This thing appeals to have two cameras, and given that it just does video recording, it might be able to be on significantly longer. I wonder if it has any privacy safeguards, like a red led indicating recording in progress?

It can only film for 10 seconds, so if they have not tapped it in the last 10 seconds you know you are not being recorded.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#32

Post by megablast »

fowlerpower wrote: post #7

I think this is significantly better than what Google did with Google Glass. It's better because it focuses on the one thing that is really easy to do well. It does not try to do everything at once. It doesn't try to give you apps in your glasses and everything under the sun. This is the right approach to products. Do one thing but do that well. Before you criticize me think back to the original iPhone, it didn't sta…

The iPhone is a particularly bad example. It did so much, phone, SMS, web, email, maps, compass, iPod, weather, stocks, and a lot more.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#36

Post by supercoder »

xkcd-sucks wrote: post #22
mozumder wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is a dead-end product. People aren't going to wear this, because they don't want to creep out people by having a camera pointed at them all the time. This was the real problem with Google Glass. Also, everyone already carries around a camera in their smartphone. They aren't going to add another.

It's impossible for attractive, socially connected, young people to be creepy. So, it's pretty brilliant for Snapchat to be making this sort of thing. Probably the devices to hit the market will be given to a very carefully curated set of people, and ubiquitous surveillance by camera-glasses will become fashionable.

So if an young guy who you rated as attractive came up to you and started filming you , that wouldn't make you at all uncomfortable ?

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#37

Post by jrockway »

supercoder wrote: post #36
xkcd-sucks wrote: post #22

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's impossible for attractive, socially connected, young people to be creepy. So, it's pretty brilliant for Snapchat to be making this sort of thing. Probably the devices to hit the market will be given to a very carefully curated set of people, and ubiquitous surveillance by camera-glasses will become fashionable.

So if an young guy who you rated as attractive came up to you and started filming you , that wouldn't make you at all uncomfortable ?

Based on the number of vlogs I see on YouTube shot with DSLRs, I don't think many people care about being filmed.

I probably show up in hundreds of videos from bike commuting over the Brooklyn Bridge. It doesn't matter. I'm guessing 99.99% of the videos go unwatched anyway.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#39

Post by ftrflyr »

Why? You need to seriously question the motives behind such a launch. IMHO:

[1]Snapshot is an online multimedia application. [2]The infrastructure required to move from online to hardware requires significant investment (beyond the $1.8B they recently raised) - that of which I don't believe Snapchat can fund without a serious re-monetiziation strategy beyond Ads. It is only a matter of time before FB makes the move into Snapchat's market more than they already are. [3]This is an unproven market. Google tried it and didn't succeed. A better play - let someone else test the market a bit more and then move in with a solid Ad monetization strategy around the Spectacles. [4]Why Hardware?! Seriously? I believe Evan is overplaying his hands with so much VC capital coming his way.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#40

Post by jdavis703 »

mozumder wrote: post #17
potatoyogurt wrote: post #10

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It also doesn't look nearly as dorky as Google Glass did. Google Glass had the problem where it was trying to be an all-purpose life-enhancing thing that people would wear all the time, so it was trying to be both invisible and distinctive. This doesn't need to pretend to be something that you can forget you're wearing or something that you can pair with any type of outfit -- it has a strong sense of style, and it's…

This is a dead-end product. People aren't going to wear this, because they don't want to creep out people by having a camera pointed at them all the time. This was the real problem with Google Glass. Also, everyone already carries around a camera in their smartphone. They aren't going to add another.

I think by people you mean the hacker news crowd. Remember many people don't even see much of a problem with mass NSA surveillance.
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