SoylentNews is people
SoylentNews
Despite disappointing results for its first (test?) run, Snap(chat) has released a second generation of its Spectacles wearable camera:
Snap today released the next generation of Spectacles, its wearable camera, with new features for taking photos and water resistance. The sunglasses, which have the same striking form as the first-generation model, have been slimmed down and now come in three jewel tones: onyx (black), ruby (red), and sapphire (blue). They're available to order starting today at Spectacles.com for $150 — $20 more than the previous model.
If you've followed the story of Spectacles so far, you know that the first version proved to be a costly misstep for Snap Inc. Although reviewers were generally impressed with their whimsical design, Snap made far more units than the 150,000 or so that it ultimately sold. The company wrote down nearly $40 million in merchandise, and laid off about a dozen people.
Even worse, from the company's perspective, is that people who bought Spectacles didn't use them for very long. According to Business Insider, less than half of users continued to use Spectacles a month after buying them. They were presented as the future of communication, but the first iteration of Spectacles felt more like a toy — a relatively cheap novelty that people used a handful of times before stuffing into a drawer.
Also at TechCrunch, The Guardian, Adweek, and Macworld.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 28 2018, @01:28PM
So, if I read this right
1. These glasses stream whatever they see to the Snapchat account of the idiot wearing them.
2. Snapchat makes money out of adslinging to the people who subsequently view this footage (genuinely don't know what their business model is, have never seen/used Snapchat).
If point 2 is correct, then irrespective of the motives of the wearer of the glasses, arguably this 'filming' is ultimately being done for commercial purposes, with the wearer becoming, in effect, an unpaid cameraman providing footage for Snapchat's financial gain. I can see some lawyers having fun with this.
If now, indeed, 'All the world's a stage' thanks to these sort of devices, then I'll be wanting my Equity card and whatever the standard rates are these days for extras from Snapchat and their ilk.