Photo and video social network Snapchat has announced plans to release its first piece of hardware: a set of glasses.
The Spectacles, which will cost $129.99 (£100), come with a built-in video camera that records footage in a circular format and allows it to be automatically shared with friends.
By tapping a button on the top left-hand corner of the glasses, the recording mode is activated and 10 seconds of video is captured. If a second tap of the button is made, 30 seconds of continuous video will be recorded.
READ MORE
WIRED Awake: 10 must-read articles for September 26
WIRED Awake: 10 must-read articles for September 26
By WIRED
Unsurprisingly, the glasses, which come in three colours, connect to the Snapchat app and save video recorded to the user account of the wearer, without being plugged into a phone. For those using iOS devices, the video will transfer from the glasses via Wi-Fi and Bluetooth; on Android devices it will transfer via Wi-Fi.
"Circular video plays full screen on any device, in any orientation, and captures the human perspective with a 115-degree field of view," the firm said in a blog post.
However, the glasses aren't meant to be a completely serious product. Evan Spiegel, the company's CEO, said they are a "toy," "fun" and to stop the social network's 150 million daily users from holding their phones "like a wall in front of your face".
As well as the Spectacles, the company has also given itself a new name. Snapchat, the company behind the app, is now calling itself Snap. The firm, which was founded in 2012, is valued at around $20 billion (£15bn).
Snap continued: "We’ve created one of the smallest wireless video cameras in the world, capable of taking a day’s worth of Snaps on a single charge, and we integrated it seamlessly into a fun pair of sunglasses."
One lesson has been learnt from the failure of Google Glass. In an attempt to avoid criticism over recording people without them being informed, a light on the glasses turns on when they are recording.
To Watch the Spectacles Advert Click Here
- Wired Magazine