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Have you heard? There’s a new must-have gadget everyone wants. Photo and video-sharing application Snapchat (you may have heard of it), which recently renamed itself Snap Inc., announced last Thursday that they’re rolling out a new product–Spectacles. The brightly colored glasses feature miniature cameras that give users the ability to film ten-second videos to send to their Snapchat app via wifi. Since Snap Inc.’s announcement Thursday, there’ve been a lot of mixed emotions. Good thing Snapchat has a filter for each and every one.
Mashable on the issue of privacy:
“Wearables security expert Matthew Ferrante, CEO of Aurora Security and CSO of Security Optics, told Mashable that companies such as Snap offer an easy way to capture video but users don’t think about the metadata — including location, facial and voice recognition data — that is really captured.
‘People are just giving their information out,’ Ferrante said, in regards to Snapchat. ‘Can it be abused? Absolutely.’”
Business Insider on Spectacles living up to the hype:
“My first reaction? Wow.
From the first moment of opening the lid to pairing the Spectacles with my phone, they were everything I hoped they’d be: well-designed, stylish, fun, and easy to use. Walking around New York City with them, I felt like part of an exclusive club, and was simultaneously worried someone would snatch them off my face.”
WIRED on tracking down a pair and the product’s benefits (if you can get your hands on them!):
“I’ve never thought about how I frame my eyesight before, and it’s a bit odd to be so aware of it now. But looking back at what I shot, it really does feel like seeing the world through my own eyes again. The real victory, though, is that this is the absolute fastest camera I’ve ever used. There’s no thinking, no planning, no missing shots, because there’s nothing to pull out or grab or unlock. Just press, and you’re recording.”
USA Today on video quality:
“The glasses are stylish and a whole lot of fun. Snapchat has done a great job at making the operation drop-dead simple. But if you’re looking for great video quality, stick with a camera or smartphone. The clips are low-res and really jerky — shooting from your eyes doesn’t allow for any steadiness help from the hands.”
Fortune on Spectacles’ rising price tag:
“The new Spectacles, stylish glasses that can record 10-second video snippets, cost $129.99 at retail from a handful of vending machines in what is a limited debut. So, naturally, some of the enterprising souls who’ve tracked down the location of the vending machines, known as Snapbots, are reselling the glasses on eBay.
Just over 70 sales have been completed since the glasses started appearing on the online marketplace. The prices on successful auctions range from $500 to as much as $2,000 for a single pair glasses, with most going for $800 to $1,000.”
So, will you make the purchase? If you pride yourself on being a serious early adopter, check ‘em out (though, you might have to head to eBay to snag a pair). However, if you’re the kind of person who doesn’t jump to purchase the latest iPhone or wait in line for crazy Black Friday deals, we suggest waiting until the next, cheaper, easier iteration.