Snap Inc. - the company formerly known as Snapchat - has kicked off sales of its Bluetooth-connected video sunglasses in the U.S., and it looks like they could be a hit. Dubbed Spectacles, the glasses are currently only available in travelling vending machines that stay at a location for 24 hours. As a result, the elusive glasses - priced at USD$130 - are selling for over $1,000 on eBay.
Unless you've got friends in the U.S. (who also happen to be at the right place and right time), forking out over a grand on an eBay auction is currently the only way for Aussies to get their hands on a pair Spectacles.
Spectacles record video in 10 second blocks, which then get saved to your Snapchat Memories folder. The twist is, the glasses have a 115-degree lens, and as such, record video in a circular format designed to mimic the way the human eye sees. When you're watching these back on your phone, they'll automatically be cropped to either landscape or portrait orientation, depending on how you're holding your phone.
Spectacles feature an outward-facing light that fires up when you're recording (presumably, to alert others they're being filmed), and an internal light for your benefit. Tapping a button on the top-left hand corner of the sunnies will start recording a snap. Users can tap again to expand the capture time up to 30 seconds.
You'll pair Spectacles to your Android smartphone or iPhone over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi, but you'll still be able to use the glasses as a standalone device. Videos will be stored on them until you connect to your phone.
Spectacles also come with a charging case that contains enough juice to recharge Spectacles four times.
Alex Choros
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