Snapchat wants to score with a flying mini camera

LOS ANGELES (dpa-AFX) – The makers of the Snapchat photo app are expanding their device experiments with a flying mini camera. The compact device, dubbed the Pixy, works with multiple preset flight programs, Snapchat co-founder Evan Spiegel said on Thursday. The camera takes photos and videos, follows the owner and then lands on the palm of the hand. However, it was said that the small camera drone would only be available in the US and France while supplies last.

At the time, Snapchat was best known for photos that disappeared on their own. In the meantime, however, the operating company Snap is also relying very heavily on so-called augmented reality (AR), in which digital objects on the screen are integrated into real environments. Snap turns it into a business: users can, for example, try out fashion or cosmetic items virtually on the smartphone screen. During the corona pandemic with its exit restrictions, this option became even more popular. He is convinced that such AR shopping will continue to be used actively, said Spiegel of the German Press Agency. Brands are now investing heavily in the function.

In addition to expanding the app, Snap is also experimenting with devices. First came camera glasses, but their popularity waned relatively quickly. Last year, Snap also pioneered AR glasses that overlay digital content into the user’s field of vision. The “Spectacles” glasses with AR function have been available for developers and content authors for a year. At the Snap Partners Summit developer event, an application for the glasses was shown, among other things, in which the software can recognize text that the user points to with his hand./so/DP/he