Snapchat’s parent company, Snap Inc., has established Specs Inc. as a distinct subsidiary which it says will provide greater operational focus and alignment on its wearable tech business, distinct from its photo and video-sharing app.
Snap said the move would also enable new partnerships and capital flexibility including the potential for minority investment. It should also help analysts and traders more clearly value the business as it works towards the public launch of Specs later this year, the smart glasses which have been in development fore more than a decade.
Specs smartglasses have see-through lenses that add digital objects to the world in three dimensions, enabling natural controls with your hands and voice.
Computers and smartphones are designed to capture attention, block out the reality, and isolate from in-person relationships. Specs do the opposite, allowing users to remain present in the moment, and bringing together friends, family, and coworkers through shared experiences like running around in the backyard playing capture the flag, learning about chemistry by simulating reactions, or reviewing virtual designs of a new product together as a team.
Specs are launching at an important time, as artificial intelligence transforms the use of computers.
Instead of an operating system that expects us to do all of the work, Specs feature a first-of-its-kind intelligence system that uses its understanding of the user to help get things done on their behalf while protecting and respecting your privacy.
Over the long term, there is potential for Specs to reduce waste and make everyday tools more widely available as some physical objects are replaced by digital goods.
Nearly 50 years since the introduction of the Macintosh, it’s time for a new computing paradigm that puts the user first by bringing us together in the real world, gets work done by understanding surroundings and anticipating needs, and is designed to reduce our environmental impact by substituting physical goods with digital ones.
