For the tech savvy who feel the need to capture even more memories on film, Snapchat has something new in store. The company, now known as Snap,Inc., recently unveiled a sporty pair of sunglasses that have the ability to record little 10 second videos to be uploaded to the site. Though fans of Snapchat may be eager to purchase a pair of the $130 glasses, some are raising questions about the usability of this product and how it may violate privacy.
The Wall Street Journal reports about the new sunglasses and some of the challenges they may pose for the company. Snapchat stood out from other social media sites early on since it allows users to upload messages, videos and pics to its site only to have them disappear as though they never existed after it has been viewed. (This probably sounds like the perfect social media experience for impulsive teens who may later regret what they posted.)
The sunglasses, which will be available this fall and come in black, teal or coral, will allow the user to take 10 second long hands-free videos of events that occur around them and experience things more in-the-moment than having a phone in front of your face would allow. Mark Suster, an avid Snapchat user and a partner at Los Angeles venture-capital firm Upfront Ventures, explains why he welcomes the new spectacles. He says, “I’m the one who has to take out the phone and take the video or picture, which means I can’t live in the moment. I love the idea of being at a soccer game or a birthday party and having my glasses do that.”
Though fans of the site may welcome the new technology, the company plans to take things slow after the wildly unpopular Google Glass failed and was taken off the market. Snap CEO Evan Spiegel explains, “We’re going to take a slow approach to rolling them out. It’s about us figuring out if it fits into people’s lives and seeing how they like it.” As far as privacy concerns go, the company believes that the outward facing lights that surround the camera’s lens are enough to alert people when the camera is in ‘record’ mode. But in the same way that dark sunglasses make it difficult to tell if someone is looking at you, there may be some confusion on exactly what is being recorded.
What do you think of Snapchat’s new sunglasses?
Does this sound like something you would want to try?
I like this idea of these glasses, you get to catch those great funny moments when your toddler/ friends do something amazing or funny." Have you ever thought if my phone was just on constant recording, I could have had that funny moment of my child being silly. " By the time you get your phone n hit play the moment is gone. I feel these will truly be a hit for the market of all ages."