Snapchat debuts recording 'Spectacles,' changes company name
NEW YORK (AP) - Social media app Snapchat is introducing video-recording glasses called Spectacles and is changing its company name to incorporate the new product.
The glasses can record video 10 seconds at a time by tapping a button on the device. The video is then uploaded to the popular image-messaging app via Bluetooth or Wi-Fi. The glasses are the first hardware from the Los Angeles-based company.
The glasses record so-called "circular video," meaning it plays full-screen on any device in any orientation.
They will be available in the U.S. in the fall on a limited basis and cost $130.
In a way, the Spectacles recall Google's venture into eyewear, Google Glass, which took photos and video. But that device also had a screen that let you surf the web as well and cost $1,500.
Google shuttered that venture in early 2015 after it received a tepid response from users.
The company says it's changing its name to Snap Inc. since it now has more than one product. The app will retain the name Snapchat.
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Online: https://www.snap.com/news/
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This article has been corrected to show that the video is uploaded to the Snapchat app, not a special "Memories" section.