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posted by martyb on Thursday September 06 2018, @08:27PM   Printer-friendly
from the loo'd-adventures dept.

The company formerly known as Snapchat is launching new styles for its wearable camera glasses:

If the main hangup that's kept you from purchasing Snap's Spectacles has been their design, two new models that the company is introducing today might eliminate those hesitations. Snap has just announced the new Veronica and Nico styles of Spectacles 2. They contain all the same features and recording quality improvements as the model first introduced in April, but this time inside a more traditional look. It maybe won't be quite so obvious that you're wearing Spectacles anymore.

The new models of Spectacles are also different in a couple of other ways: they've got polarized lenses, and they come with a nondescript, black "semi-soft" case instead of the bright yellow hard case you get with the original Spectacles 2. Both the Veronica and Nico styles are available starting today for $199 in "limited quantities" at launch. This fall, they'll also be sold at select Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus stores in the US and a variety of retailers in Europe. And like before, Snap's partner Lensabl will let customers order prescription lenses for their glasses. Both models are only available in black for the time being.

Snap says that since the introduction of Spectacles 2, users have been posting, on average, 40 percent more photos and videos captured with the glasses. The company has also made it easier to share that content on other platforms outside Snapchat by adding automatic camera roll saves and by allowing users to export video in more conventional square and horizontal formats.

Check the article for several images of models looking cheerful while wearing the device.

Also at Engadget and TechCrunch.

Previously: Snapchat's Spectacles: A Bad Idea in Hindsight
Snapchat Takes a Second Shot at Wearable Camera "Spectacles"


Original Submission

Related Stories

Snapchat's Spectacles: A Bad Idea in Hindsight 8 comments

Snap's take on smartglasses has reportedly failed to live up to expectations:

A year ago, Snapchat was so excited about its first hardware product that it renamed itself Snap Inc. With the launch of Spectacles, CEO Evan Spiegel decided, the company would no longer be defined solely by the Snapchat app. It was not a social media company, he told the Wall Street Journal, but a camera company. Internet-connected photography, he philosophized, necessitated a "a reinvention of the camera."

Yeah, not so much. Citing "two people close to the company," the Information reported Monday that Snap had "badly overestimated demand" and now has "hundreds of thousands of unsold units sitting in warehouses, either fully assembled or in parts." This comes just weeks after Spiegel said at a Vanity Fair summit that Spectacles sales had "exceeded our expectations," topping 150,000. If the Information's reporting is accurate, then Spiegel's claim, well ... isn't. (A Snap spokesperson declined my request for comment.)

Regardless of who's telling the truth, it already seemed clear from Snap's first two earnings reports that Spectacles were fizzling. As Business Insider pointed out in August, the company reported just $5.4 million in "other" revenue in its second quarter, down from $8.3 million in its first quarter. Spectacles are presumed to make up the bulk of revenue in this category. It's one thing to only sell 150,000 of a product in its first year, as long as sales are growing. If they're already tailing off, that suggests the product might be doomed.

The devices let users record 10-30 seconds of video at a time. They are transferred to a smartphone wirelessly and can then be uploaded to Snapchat.

Snapchat Takes a Second Shot at Wearable Camera "Spectacles" 10 comments

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.


Original Submission

Instagram "Influencer" Sued for $90,000 for Not Sufficiently Sporting Snapchat's Spectacles 24 comments

Snapchat's PR firm sues influencer for not promoting Spectacles on Instagram

Influencer marketing could get a lot more accountable if Snapchat's PR firm wins this lawsuit. Snapchat hoped that social media stars promoting v2 of its Spectacles camera sunglasses on its biggest competitor could boost interest after it only sold 220,000 of v1 and had to take a $40 million write-off. Instead, Snap comes off looking a little desperate to make Spectacles seem cool.

Snap Inc. commissioned its public relations firm PR Consulting (real imaginative) to buy it an influencer marketing campaign on Instagram. The firm struck a deal with Grown-ish actor Luka Sabbat after he was seen cavorting with Kourtney Kardashian. Sabbat got paid $45,000 up front with the promise of another $15,000 to post himself donning Spectacles on Instagram.

He was contracted to make one Instagram feed post and three Stories posts with him wearing Specs, plus be photographed wearing them in public at Paris and Milan Fashion Weeks. He was supposed to add swipe-up-to-buy links to two of those Story posts, get all the posts pre-approved with PRC, and send it analytics metrics about their performance.

But Sabbat skipped out on two of the Stories, one of the swipe-ups, the photo shoots, the pre-approvals and the analytics. So as Variety's Gene Maddaus first reported, PRC is suing Sabbat to recoup the $45,000 it already paid plus another $45,000 in damages.

The lawsuit might give Spectacles more exposure than Mr. Sabbat would have.

Also at Business Insider, Engadget, and Entrepreneur.

Previously: Snapchat's Spectacles: A Bad Idea in Hindsight
Snapchat Takes a Second Shot at Wearable Camera "Spectacles"
Snap Gives Spectacles a Face Lift to Look More Like Traditional Sunglasses


Original Submission

Tencent is Launching its Own Version of Snap Spectacles 8 comments

Tencent this week unveiled its answer to the video-recording sunglasses, which, you'll notice, bear a striking resemblance to Snap's Spectacles.

Called the Weishi smartglasses, Tencent's wearable camera sports a lens in the front corner that allows users to film from a first-person perspective. Thankfully, the Chinese gaming and social giant has not made the mistake of Snap's first-generation Spectacles, which highlighted the camera with a conspicuous yellow ring.

[...] The purpose behind Tencent's new gadget is implicit in its name. Weishi, which means "micro videos" in Chinese, is also the name of the short-video sharing app that Tencent has been aggressively promoting in recent months to catch up with market dominators TikTok and Kuaishou.

(source: TechCrunch)

Related: Snapchat Takes a Second Shot at Wearable Camera "Spectacles"
Snap Gives Spectacles a Face Lift to Look More Like Traditional Sunglasses
Instagram "Influencer" Sued for $90,000 for Not Sufficiently Sporting Snapchat's Spectacles


Original Submission

Snap Announces Spectacles 3, With More Than Doubled Price 9 comments

Snap announces Spectacles 3 with an updated design and a second HD camera

Snap today announced Spectacles 3, a redesigned version of its augmented reality sunglasses with a sleek new design and an added HD camera to create depth perception. The glasses, which the company has positioned as a limited release, represent Snap's latest effort to build a new computing platform centered on the face. They will go on sale on Spectacles.com in November for $380.

That makes them more than twice as expensive as last year's model, which cost $150. Snap executives say the higher-end version is meant to appeal to a smaller group of "fashion-forward" creative types. It may also be designed to recoup more of its manufacturing costs for the famously money-losing product; Snapchat wrote down nearly $40 million in costs associated with the first version of the glasses after wildly overestimating demand.

The high price of Spectacles 3 will likely limit their appeal, particularly among the high school and college-age students who make up Snapchat's core user base. A Snap spokesperson said this year's model represented a necessary investment in the platform. The company has to figure out a way to do AR computing right, the logic goes, before it can do it cheaply.

Not quite VR180 given the 1216×1216 video.

Previously: Snapchat's Spectacles: A Bad Idea in Hindsight
Snapchat Takes a Second Shot at Wearable Camera "Spectacles"
Snap Gives Spectacles a Face Lift to Look More Like Traditional Sunglasses
Instagram "Influencer" Sued for $90,000 for Not Sufficiently Sporting Snapchat's Spectacles
Snap Will Reportedly Release AR-Enabled Spectacles With Dual Cameras


Original Submission

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  • (Score: 4, Funny) by Snow on Thursday September 06 2018, @08:49PM (2 children)

    by Snow (1601) on Thursday September 06 2018, @08:49PM (#731501) Journal

    My life is way too mundane and boring to warrant video and/or photo documentation.

    Yesterdays highlight's include:
    - My morning coffee (no fancy picture in the foam)
    - My cheese bun thing for breakfast
    - Sitting at my desk for 7 hours with bathroom breaks
    - Lunch at McDonalds
    - Trip to Canadian Tire to pick up battery
    - Realizing when I got home that I got the wrong battery
    - Hugs and kisses from my daughter (the real highlight of the day)
    - Wanking before bed
    - Bed

    Today was basically the same, except instead of lunch at McDonalds, I went back to Canadian Tire.

    Follow me on Snapchat for live updates!

    • (Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 07 2018, @03:12PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 07 2018, @03:12PM (#731783)

      - My morning coffee (no fancy picture in the foam)
      "If starbucks can do it so can I"
      #morning #yum #notstarbucks #pumpkinspice

      - My cheese bun thing for breakfast
      Carbs after workout yo. @GovArnold says it's more important than protein. Real talk.
      #saycheese #yessss #eatbig

      - Sitting at my desk for 7 hours with bathroom breaks
      DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS DEVELOPERS!!!
      #corneroffice #bossbabe #k0de!

      - Lunch at McDonalds
      Mick-y Ds yo. Got my mcNUGget happy meal prize from a guy in the parking lot XD
      Still no quadro-pounder :( :(
      #happymeal #danknugz #greens #cDc #legalizeit #burgleburlgemotherfucker

      - Trip to Canadian Tire to pick up battery
      I hav da powa!!!
      #h00ptie

      - Realizing when I got home that I got the wrong battery
      Ugh oh gotta lay off the happy meal prizes!

      - Hugs and kisses from my daughter (the real highlight of the day)
      I'd do anything 4 my babieez!!! L0L so cuuute!
      #myangel #live #laff #luv

      - Wanking before bed
      Time to light some scented beeswax candles and moisturize before bed. Shhhh!
      #quiettime #naughty #hempoil #pinescent

      - Bed
      Ahhhhh! At last!!!
      #ZzzzZZZZzzz

    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 07 2018, @03:23PM

      by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 07 2018, @03:23PM (#731786)

      >Today was basically the same, except instead of lunch at McDonalds, I went back to Canadian Tire.
      Don't want another "blonde moment" ;)
      Skipping mcnuggets today. Straight to canada tire!!!
      #pimpmyride #StraightEdge #rimz #oCanada

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by NotSanguine on Thursday September 06 2018, @08:53PM

    by NotSanguine (285) <{NotSanguine} {at} {SoylentNews.Org}> on Thursday September 06 2018, @08:53PM (#731502) Homepage Journal

    If the main hangup that's kept you from purchasing Snap's Spectacles has been their design, two new models that the company is introducing today might eliminate those hesitations.

    No. That's not what's been keeping me from purchasing Snap's spy hardware.

    I'd rather have my tonsils extracted through my ears than wear such glasses -- regardless of design or styling.

    Now, if they added a microphone so they could spy on my conversations as well as what's going on around me, I'd be all over it. Not.

    --
    No, no, you're not thinking; you're just being logical. --Niels Bohr
  • (Score: 2) by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us on Thursday September 06 2018, @10:24PM (3 children)

    by All Your Lawn Are Belong To Us (6553) on Thursday September 06 2018, @10:24PM (#731539) Journal

    ... Hopefully people will invite Snap's attention to the problem.
    But pessimistically the virginity has been broken and I'll bet not enough people will care any more.

    --
    This sig for rent.
    • (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 06 2018, @10:55PM (2 children)

      by Anonymous Coward on Thursday September 06 2018, @10:55PM (#731554)

      Snap is taking a step in the right direction, but it's still too obvious that it has a camera. I'm pretty sure smaller cameras have been around since the Cold War. They could put a tinted glossy black covering on it. And don't have a raised circle around it. Eventually the smartglasses category will have a bunch of entrants, with simple cameras beating out the full AR models.

  • (Score: 2) by archfeld on Friday September 07 2018, @02:52AM

    by archfeld (4650) <treboreel@live.com> on Friday September 07 2018, @02:52AM (#731614) Journal

    They look like the proverbial 'cheap sunglasses'

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97bMX7KV8d4 [youtube.com]

    --
    For the NSA : Explosives, guns, assassination, conspiracy, primers, detonators, initiators, main charge, nuclear charge
  • (Score: 1, Informative) by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 07 2018, @10:02AM

    by Anonymous Coward on Friday September 07 2018, @10:02AM (#731690)

    I like anything that gets Millennials thrown out of restaurants.

  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by Phoenix666 on Friday September 07 2018, @02:46PM

    by Phoenix666 (552) on Friday September 07 2018, @02:46PM (#731768) Journal

    I see things I'd like to take a picture of, all the time. I don't, because hauling out a camera, or even a phone, has always been much too interruptive. I'd rather look at the thing, and take it in, to be in the moment, than to fiddle around with an apparatus. I record it with my mind. Also, whenever I see somebody else hovering with a camera, getting in the way, pushing into the middle of things, expecting everyone to pause so they can get their picture, I want to smack them. It feels selfish, narcissistic of them. It's obnoxious.

    With glasses like these, though, I could snap pics of the yawning vista the next time I hike to an overlook and not miss a beat. I could witness misbehavior on the streets of Brooklyn and not miss the key shots. I can look at somebody's card at a business function and retain an image of it without breaking the flow of the conversation.

    That said, I could not bring myself to buy these glasses because companies like Snapchat have violated user trust and broken every promise on privacy. Neither do I want the three letter agencies looking over my shoulder, by grace of the backdoors these companies so readily give them.

    --
    Washington DC delenda est.
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