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Snapchat Takes a Second Shot at Wearable Camera "Spectacles"

posted by janrinok on Saturday April 28 2018, @12:37AM   
from the would-you-look-at-that dept.

takyon writes:

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.

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Original Submission

• Re:Free broken nose included, just wear them to a Re:Free broken nose included, just wear them to a (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 28 2018, @03:45AM (1 child)

  by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 28 2018, @03:45AM (#672910)

  How are you defining "public place"? A public street or something? If you do that and run into the police, or get recorded destroying a livestreaming device, and maybe you'll end up in prison for assault. You'll come out unemployable, and probably get divorced if applicable.

  If you live in some favela, rough part of town, or other urban hellhole, maybe you'll get away with it, but you probably have bigger problems to worry about than being recorded by a millennial.

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• Re:Free broken nose included, just wear them to a (Score: 2, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 28 2018, @03:52AM

  by Anonymous Coward on Saturday April 28 2018, @03:52AM (#672913)

  Not if he's a cop.

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