Snapchat video-catching sunglasses introduced             

Snapchat video-catching sunglasses introduced             

SAN FRANCISCO: (APP) Vanishing message service Snapchat announced Saturday it will launch a line of video-catching sunglasses, a spin on Glass eyewear abandoned by Google more than a year ago.

The California-based company, which also announced it is changing its name to Snap Inc., said in an online post that its Spectacles will be "available soon," with media reports pegging the price at $130 a pair.

READ MORE:  Google Allo App: New initiative in instant messaging

"We've been working for the past few years to develop a totally new type of camera," said the post by Team Snap.

"Spectacles are sunglasses with an integrated video camera that makes it easy to create Memories."

Snap earlier this year added a way to save images as "Memories," a shift for a service know for messages that disappear after being viewed.

READ MORE:  Digital Punjab project discussed at Google Headquarters USA 

Spectacles were billed as having one of the smallest wireless cameras in the world, capable of capturing a day's worth of "Snaps" on a single charge.

The sunglasses connect to Snap software wirelessly using Bluetooth or wifi connections.

Spectacles cameras take video from the perspective of wearers, boast a 115-degree field of view, and capture snippets of video intended for sharing at the service.

"Imagine one of your favorite memories," Snap said.

READ MORE:  Russia heavily fines Google

"What if you could go back and see that memory the way you experienced it? That's why we built Spectacles."

Snap estimates it has more than 100 million users globally of the service for sending videos, images and text messages which vanish after being viewed. Some reports say it generates 10 billion video views per day.