Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles • Hacker News Board

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#101

Post by mgiannopoulos » Sat, Sep 24, 2016, 7:06 AM UTC

ftrflyr wrote: post #39

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 i…

People build these kind of projects on Kickstarter with far less than 1.8 billion though

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#102

Post by rawnlq » Sat, Sep 24, 2016, 7:06 AM UTC

tluyben2 wrote: post #88

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…

The site seems blocked here (China) but if I read the comments, how is it AR? What more does it do than make a picture when you tap your temple? Is there any augmenting of reality going on, because then $130 would be 'free'.

Snapchat has a lot of cool tech for video augmentation (Lenses: https://support.snapchat.com/en-US/a/lenses1).

If they simply live stream the video from the glasses to the phone and do the same augmentation, I think that counts as AR.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#103

Post by Sir_Substance » Sat, Sep 24, 2016, 7:08 AM UTC

potatoyogurt wrote: post #23

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.

Maybe it is, but I don't think it's clear at this point. People certainly aren't going to wear this all the time, but I could definitely see it getting worn for many specific occasions. I see the niche it as something closer to a GoPro for things that aren't extreme sports. I already get random snapchats from friends and coworkers in their early to mid 20s who are dancing at a club, doing whatever it is people do at…

>It's awkward to pull out a phone and start taking video when you're in a club

From my perspective, that's a feature not a problem. It's obvious what you're doing, and of you try to photograph something really inappropriate, I can always slap the phone out of your hand. With snapchat (or google glass) style specs, I essentially need to attack your face to stop you filming, a far more aggressive action. I'd love to be able to bank on people knowing when not to film, but theres always one shitbag at every emergancy callout trying to get a really gnarly shot of someone elses broken arm so they can get dank internet points from their friends.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#104

Post by mgiannopoulos » Sat, Sep 24, 2016, 7:10 AM UTC

tluyben2 wrote: post #88

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…

The site seems blocked here (China) but if I read the comments, how is it AR? What more does it do than make a picture when you tap your temple? Is there any augmenting of reality going on, because then $130 would be 'free'.

Indeed , there is no screen like Glass had. This is just a camera strapped on a frame.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#105

Post by superJimmy64 » Sat, Sep 24, 2016, 7:10 AM UTC

This is a ridiculous product... reminds me of the classic upper management/CEO "ideas". You know the kind: obsolete, neglects societal concerns (security???), nobody around to tell them it's a bad idea.

> (Why make this product, with its attendant risks, and why now? “Because it’s fun,” he says with another laugh.)

Sometimes you can look at something and just KNOW that there is not a chance that pile of junk is gonna gain traction.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#106

Post by mgiannopoulos » Sat, Sep 24, 2016, 7:11 AM UTC

rawnlq wrote: post #102

tluyben2 wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The site seems blocked here (China) but if I read the comments, how is it AR? What more does it do than make a picture when you tap your temple? Is there any augmenting of reality going on, because then $130 would be 'free'.

Snapchat has a lot of cool tech for video augmentation (Lenses: https://support.snapchat.com/en-US/a/lenses1 ). If they simply live stream the video from the glasses to the phone and do the same augmentation, I think that counts as AR.

But you're supposed to be looking forward and not on your phone.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#107

Post by smegel » Sat, Sep 24, 2016, 7:13 AM UTC

Goofy but clever. The kind of thing that might be a hit with a certain youthful demographic. And you need to be "cool" to pull something like this off - i.e. not Google.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#108

Post by unimpressive » Sat, Sep 24, 2016, 7:14 AM UTC

Gaelan wrote: post #31

cromwellian wrote: post #9

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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.

I would think that's a software limit not a hardware limit. I'm sure once these are out somebody will either jailbreak them or they'll come with no security to begin with.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#109

Post by asddddd » Sat, Sep 24, 2016, 7:16 AM UTC

sheer_horror wrote: post #30

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…

These glasses are going to be a huge hit thanks to their style. The main userbase of snapchat are product-hungy 12-25 year olds without much conviction; they'll jump at the chance to get a product that looks cool and represents their favourite timesink. I am very impressed with this move because it gives Snapchat a supplement to ad-based revenue. I hope this makes them a lot of money.

I do think it will be a lot more successful than most here think.

First off, Snapchat (Snap?) isn't Google - their brands are completely different at least among the target audience. Glasses of some sort are inevitably going to be a fashion accessory with extra functionality, and Google is just too uncool. They are the company that wants to knows everything - every interaction refreshes that impression, from Street View vans to Search.

Second, it's sold as a camera on your face, instead of a computer on your face that can do things like recording a video. Even if it's the same hardware, this does make a difference. Everyone understands pseudo-mechanical functions like "press a button to take a 10 second video". Unless the wearer is mashing a button by their face, you can assume it's off. Computers and phones? One might as well assume it's recording video if the operator has the camera pointed at you. The average HNer has a good mental model of how a computer works, but the average person sees it as a magic-infused black box.

The price point looks reasonable, I assume the goal here is strong sales for the holidays. Would expect some celebrities or whoever to be spotted wearing these in the next few months.

Re: Snapchat Releases First Hardware Product, Spectacles

#110

Post by tluyben2 » Sat, Sep 24, 2016, 7:17 AM UTC

rawnlq wrote: post #102

tluyben2 wrote: post #88

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The site seems blocked here (China) but if I read the comments, how is it AR? What more does it do than make a picture when you tap your temple? Is there any augmenting of reality going on, because then $130 would be 'free'.

Snapchat has a lot of cool tech for video augmentation (Lenses: https://support.snapchat.com/en-US/a/lenses1 ). If they simply live stream the video from the glasses to the phone and do the same augmentation, I think that counts as AR.

It counts as AR but not AR glasses which makes this product not very interesting... You don't need the glasses as you still need to look at your phone which would give me kind of a neck ache trying to look at my phone to see what my glasses are seeing?