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Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

wsj.com

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Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#261

Post by GabrielF00 »

primigenus wrote: post #145

This fixes everything broken about Google Glass. It's almost disturbing how much more on point this is: Of _course_ they're sunglasses. Of _course_ it's focused completely on video. Of _course_ it's marketed as being about sharing your memories as you lived them. Of _course_ you can only record 10 second videos at a time. Of _course_ snaps automatically sync to the app. Of _course_ they're designed to appeal to young…

What about the problem of some people freaking out if they feel like they're being filmed?

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#262

Post by mef »

CodeWriter23 wrote: post #60

Hype and grumbles aside, I believe optimizing the "I want to record what I'm seeing right now" to a tap near your temple is pretty compelling. Fumbling to get my camera out of my pocket, or even just grab from tabletop and swipe-to-cam is often long enough to miss that precious moment with my daughter.

I love the mental image of you playing with your daughter wearing garish sunglasses

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#263

Post by PercussusVII »

whitecarpet wrote: post #232

Another huge innovation which is more about software than hardware is the new circular video format: you can rotate your phone and the video keeps its orientation. Quite impressive, you have to see it in action: https://twitter.com/ow/status/779592486461313025

Why is this innovative? Can't you just zoom in the video to get the same effect

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#264

Post by TAForObvReasons »

yolesaber wrote: post #222
n72 wrote: post #218

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Take a long, deep breath. Then take a few steps backwards, so you can take the scene in with a slightly broader perspective. Now hark back to how many times someone has been breathlessly been compared to Steve Jobs and how many times the person who has made that comparison has ended up looking silly. Let's give Evan a few years before we start fanboying him.

LMAO right? These are literally shitty-looking sunglasses with a ten second loop camera on them that's only usable with Snapchat. These will be handed out at fancy NYC/LA/SF parties where people will play with them for a minute or so before putting them back down and going on their phones.

Try to understand the essence of the problem and the whole thing makes perfect sense.

Problem: many spontaneous moments are missed because the phone is not immediately accessible. The phone is in the pocket and it takes seconds to dig out the phone and switch to the camera app, and by that time I missed the moment.

Solution: put a camera at line of sight. Make it super simple to capture.

When you phrase it as a camera you mount to your head, it sounds super creepy. The sunglass is a natural vehicle for the camera since most people have sunglasses and wear them when it is sunny outside. It allows for validation testing of the idea, and I wouldn't be surprised to see a prescription version if the demand is there.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#265

Post by Kiro »

n72 wrote: post #218
keithwhor wrote: post #99

I think this is brilliant. Even the press details seem perfectly crafted, with one article referencing Evan's "supermodel girlfriend." Snapchat can win here based on brand alone. The hardware features are a plus, but they're going to sell a lifestyle. Think GoPro + Versace. Commenters here are caught up in the tech. It's not the tech. Get a few celebrities in these, people will buy them and barely use the recording f…

Take a long, deep breath. Then take a few steps backwards, so you can take the scene in with a slightly broader perspective. Now hark back to how many times someone has been breathlessly been compared to Steve Jobs and how many times the person who has made that comparison has ended up looking silly. Let's give Evan a few years before we start fanboying him.

> Let's give Evan a few years before we start fanboying him.

Apart from the norm that fanboying is bad, why? Isn't his resume pretty good already?

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#266

Post by flycaliguy »

yolesaber wrote: post #230
flycaliguy wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ever use the first iPhone? It could barely make PHONE calls. It was a terrible phone.

Are you seriously comparing a pair of shitty-looking sunglasses to the iPhone? These are sunglasses that take a ten second video that is tied to Snapchat. They cost 130 bucks and immediately signal that you are a techie douchebag because that's what people still associate video-taking glasses with. It is literally a novelty toy that is using a WSJ article (native content advertising) to make it seem like a revolution…

I was comparing the fact that Apple tossed out an unfinished, first iteration of a product that eventually became polished tech.

I'm pointing out that the limitations on these glasses are along the same path.

Seems like a bunch of people didn't catch my point, I'll try and be more clear in the future.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#267

Post by Kiro »

yolesaber wrote: post #230
flycaliguy wrote: post #225

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Ever use the first iPhone? It could barely make PHONE calls. It was a terrible phone.

Are you seriously comparing a pair of shitty-looking sunglasses to the iPhone? These are sunglasses that take a ten second video that is tied to Snapchat. They cost 130 bucks and immediately signal that you are a techie douchebag because that's what people still associate video-taking glasses with. It is literally a novelty toy that is using a WSJ article (native content advertising) to make it seem like a revolution…

What's with the hate? You realize there's a possibility you will stand corrected?

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#268

Post by josephpmay »

rodgerd wrote: post #146
josephpmay wrote: post #84

Being someone in the AR space, I find this a smart but risky move. If they're marked right and become "cool" I'll definitely have to cop a pair (and at $130 they're almost disposable). Spectacles will make it way easier for me to post to Snapchat at parties/concerts/etc without having to break out of the moment by taking my phone out. Strategy-wise, this is a Trojan horse into the AR hardware space, which Evan has wa…

> without having to break out of the moment "Without letting people know I'm going to film them and spam them over the Internet."

They have a giant indicator light on them. Anyone who would notice you recording on a smartphone would notice on spectacles

Also, it only records 10 seconds of video at a time, and the video only gets sent out to my friends, not all over the internet

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#269

Post by josephpmay »

lucb1e wrote: post #135
josephpmay wrote: post #84

Being someone in the AR space, I find this a smart but risky move. If they're marked right and become "cool" I'll definitely have to cop a pair (and at $130 they're almost disposable). Spectacles will make it way easier for me to post to Snapchat at parties/concerts/etc without having to break out of the moment by taking my phone out. Strategy-wise, this is a Trojan horse into the AR hardware space, which Evan has wa…

> at $130 they're almost disposable Welcome to real world prices. This is definitely not disposable, this sounds like a good price for VR to me and I'd be careful with them. But they're not VR and VR is a lot more expensive, so that's why nobody outside the industry has one.

An actual comparable product, GoPros, start at $200

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#270

Post by [deleted] »

berberous wrote: post #235
yolesaber wrote: post #223

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Don't underestimate the power of social signaling. You mean the social signaling that is going to brand these users as "glassholes" as well? >At $129 this is a no-brainer. Please step out of your tech bubble. Most snapchat users are teenagers or college-age persons who absolutely do not have $129 to drop on a pair of novelty sunglasses.

Cheaper than a pair of raybans, which are fairly ubiquitous. If they are successful, the price will drop too. If the hardware is minimal, and people like the design, why not buy these instead of whatever other sunglasses they were going to buy and get a fun toy as well?

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