Right now, the very nature of Snapchat is ephemeral: an app that allows users to post or send photo and video messages that will eventually self-destruct. But the company may be moving more into the physical realm, according to a new report that says the software company is looking to expand into hardware with some kind of wearable device.
CNET combed through the LinkedIn profiles of some new hires the company has made, presenting the results as evidence that it could be working on a device, noting that almost a dozen wearable technology veterans as well as industrial designers.
So what could the device be? CNET floats the idea of some kind of smart goggles, pointing to other tech giants that have gone that route, including Facebook (Oculus) and Google (remember Google Glass?).
Snapchat also owns a startup called Vergence Labs that makes glasses-like devices that record what the wearer sees, which could come in handy.
Then there are those new hires that could also point to eyewear in Snapchat’s future, including one employee who used to work for Microsoft’s HoloLens headset project, and another who happens to be an eyewear designer, among others.
Of course, even if Snapchat is putting in the work, that doesn’t mean it will ever produce a device that makes it to market.
“If they are actually investing in new tech, that could be great,” one virtual reality entrepreneur, who wasn’t authorized to speak about a potential competitor, told CNET. “They probably know that most apps in their situation have a limited lifespan and monetization potential.”
Snapchat declined to comment on CNET’s report.
SnapGlass? HoloChat? Snapchat is secretly hiring wearable technology experts [CNET]
by Mary Beth Quirk via Consumerist
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