Snapchat « 360Photography

RSS

Posts Tagged ‘Snapchat’

Snapchat launches water-resistant Spectacles V2 with photo capture

27 Apr

Snapchat has just introduced version 2 of its Spectacles camera glasses, and they come with a bunch of new features. The glasses—which Snapchat has dubbed “your hands-free camera”—can now take photos in addition to video, are water resistant to the point where you can even submerge them for short periods of time for underwater snaps, and will be available with prescription lenses, too.

When Snapchat debuted its original Spectacles camera glasses in September of 2016, the company was able to leverage novelty and scarcity to make the glasses a big hit… for a time. But it didn’t take long for both novelty and scarcity to wear off, and the glasses never really caught on with a mainstream audience.

After selling a little over 200K glasses, demand plummeted and that… was that. No doubt, the new features, more stylish options, and immediate mass-market availability of Spectacles V2 are meant to appeal to a much broader audience and succeed where Version 1 fell flat.

Spec wise, Snapchat Spectacles V2 are nothing special. They take video at 1216 x 1216 pixels, and photos at 1642 x 1642 (a whopping 2.7MP). The field of view has also been decreased from 115 to 105 for less of a fish-eye look.

Where the Spectacles V2 should shine compared to its predecessor, though, is in build quality and convenience. According to TechCrunch’s Josh Constine—who got to try the specs out early—the glasses feel much sturdier, the charging case is much smaller and more convenient, battery life is substantially improved, and pairing to your phone is easier too.

What’s more, Constine seems to think these glasses could be the commercial success that V1 (and Google Glass, for that matter) never were:

After two days of use, I think Spectacles V2 cross the threshold from clumsy novelty to creative tool accessible to the mainstream. And amidst user growth struggles, that’s what Snap needs right now.

Spectacles V2 are available to purchase today from Snapchat’s website in the US, UK, Canada and France, with more countries on the way. They’ll cost you $ 150 ($ 20 bucks more than the original V1s) and are available in Onyx, Sapphire and Ruby with each color offering a darker or lighter version of the attached lens.

To learn more about Spectacles V2 or if you want to give the new camera glasses a go for yourself, head over to the Spectacles website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Snapchat launches more realistic AR face masks for iPhone X users

07 Apr

It looks like more and more third party developers are starting to make use of the iPhone X’s TrueDepth front camera that was originally implemented on the device for Apple’s FaceID unlocking feature. Yesterday, Bellus3D launched a 3D face scanning app for the iPhone X. Today, Snapchat has delivered an update to its iOS app which lets iPhone X users decorate their selfie images with augmented reality masks that take advantage of Apple’s advanced facial mapping technology.

Apple’s TrueDepth front camera will help the masks more realistically superimpose onto the user’s face, and face motion will be tracked more precisely than for Snapchat users with other mobile devices. To start with, there are three Snapchat lenses that utilize the TrueDepth technology: a Mardi Gras-style mask, a Day of the Dead skull, and a gold-plated eye cover. More masks are expected to be made available in the near future.

The TrueDepth camera also allows for DSLR-style blurring of the background, and more accurate application of small details and 3D objects that reflect and react to ambient light in the image.

If you happen to own the iPhone X, let us know in the comments how the new feature works for you. With similar technologies being adopted by other smartphone makers, we’d hope the new Snapchat masks make it to Android devices (at least high-end ones) in the nearer future as well. Snapchat for iOS can be downloaded free of charge from the App Store.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Report: Snapchat has hundreds of thousands of unsold Spectacles sitting in storage

27 Oct

In late 2016, Snap launched Spectacles: a wearable camera embedded into a pair of sunglasses. At first, Spectacles could only be purchased from a special yellow vending machine, making the availability very limited. Long lines and high eBay resale prices seemed to indicate high consumer demand, and eventually Snap decided to start selling the glasses through major retailers.

But a new report indicates that initial demand had more to do with novelty than actual desire… and now Snap is in trouble.

Since first launching Spectacles, including the wider Amazon launch this past summer, Snap has sold more than 150,000 units; however, a new report by The Information claims that “hundreds of thousands” of Spectacles units sit unsold in warehouses, eclipsing the number Snap has already sold. Snap misinterpreted the initial demand, and now they’re stuck with a lot of unsold (and possibly unsellable) camera glasses.

To make matters worse, The Information’s sources also claim that Snap has abandoned plans to launch its own drone. Pair this news with mediocre stock performance since going public, and the rising popularity of Instagram Stories, and things don’t look good for Snap Inc. … not at all.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Snapchat ‘sky filters’ use augmented reality to replace the sky with stars, sunsets and more

27 Sep

File this one under minor smartphone photography news: it seems Snapchat is using its augmented reality powers to expose non-photographers to the magic of dropping a new sky into your photos. The newly released feature—dubbed ‘sky filters’—can take a regular boring old blue sky and replace it with a colorful sunset, starry night scene, and more.

Sky Filters are already rolling out now to both iOS and Android users, and like their other AR features, this one will rotate daily so you can experience a variety of world-bending effects.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Instagram and Snapchat expected to hit $10B and $3B in revenue by 2019

10 Aug

Instagram and Snap Inc., the company behind Snapchat, are expected to see massive revenue growth over the next couple years, according to a research note released by Citi Research. If Citi’s predictions pan out, Instagram will reach almost $ 10 billion in revenue by 2019, while the smaller but highly popular Snapchat may hit the $ 3 billion mark. The reasons for each apps’ growth differ, however.

As far as Instagram goes, the company enjoys a massive user base of about 500 million, which is largely behind the anticipated growth. Snapchat, by comparison, boasts a much smaller user base of about 170 million, but those users spend much more time on the app than Instagram’s users. According to Citi, Snapchat users are spending more than 30 minutes on the app per day on average.

Both companies are facing an increasing number of competitors, Snapchat in the form of cloned features like Facebook and Instagram Stories, whereas Instagram is competing with the likes of VSCO, EyeEm, and similar platforms. Still, for now it doesn’t look like either of these photo sharing behemoths have anything to fear but… well… each other.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Facebook takes aim at Snapchat and Prisma with new camera features

28 Oct

If cute animal selfie masks are the wave of the future, then Facebook isn’t going to sit idly by. The company will be updating its in-app camera function with some Snapchat and Prisma style functions soon. It is currently testing a new version that includes animated selfie masks, overlaid graphics, and geofilters, similar to those available on Snapchat, and a range of filter effects that convert your images and videos into fine-art paintings, like on the popular Prisma app.

In addition there is a series of new ‘reactive’ filters that respond to movements of your body. They cover the screen with ‘bubbles’ that can be move around by waving your arms, or line patterns than be disrupted by motion.

Once you have accessed the new camera, filter options can be made visible by swiping down. In addition, you can tap on the new creative tools button for even more effects. The latter include pieces of virtual clothing and fashion accessories and art-filters. And it’s not just the filters that will remind you of Snapchat. Like on Snapchat, photos disappear after a 24 hour period, unless unless someone leaves a comment to start a conversation. The new Facebook camera features are currently being tested in Ireland, but should be expected to roll out globally soon.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized

Snapchat unveils Spectacles, a pair of sunglasses with an integrated camera

27 Sep

Snapchat unveiled its first hardware product over the weekend, a pair of sunglasses with a built-in camera called ‘Spectacles.’ With the new product comes a new company name: Snap Inc. The name change, Snap explains, is directly tied to the launch of Spectacles. With the product, Snap has become more than a company centered around the Snapchat app, and the new name reflects this expanded focus.

The sunglasses feature a built-in wireless video camera that records circular videos with a 115-degree ‘human perspective’ field of view. The glasses also include an integrated battery able to sustain a day’s worth of recording on a charge, as well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi for shuttling content from the device to the user’s smartphone and, specifically, the Snapchat app.

According to the Wall Street Journal, the sunglasses feature a button near the hinge to initiate recording, which happens for up to 10-second durations. The publication also states the glasses will be priced at $ 129.99 ‘with limited distribution’ and a slow rollout as the company tests the waters.

Spectacles will be offered in teal, black and coral, but no other official details have been provided at this time. Snap says Spectacles will be available ‘soon.’

Via: Snap, Inc.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

Comments Off

Posted in Uncategorized