Spectacles, the sunglasses with a built-in camera by Snap, are no longer bound to a traveling vending machine. The company has launched the glasses in three different color options on Amazon, where users can order them without having to spend hours standing in a line. The glasses are priced at $129.99 USD, and they'll available to purchase as of today.
The new version of Snapchat allows you two record up to six Snaps in a row. With this new ability, Snapchat users will be Snapping faster than they've ever Snapped before. They'll be Snapping so much, they'll have no trouble sharing Snaps with every single person on their list of Snaps all Snappin' day long. Also note: 6 Snaps in a row is the new limit - but there's no knowing how far Snapchat will go next.
![How to use Snapchat Map with Custom Geofilters [NEW]](https://c.slashgear.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/filters23425.jpg)
This week the folks at Snapchat have decided to make Snapchat Maps useful by allowing users to create their own custom event Geofilters. These filters will be appearing in "On-Demand Geofilters" immediately if not soon. With these filters - created by everyday users or event planners - users will be able to identify their Snaps with lovely animated balloons and images with text placed over them - just like they've never known they've always wanted!
It's taken a little while for Snap's Spectacles to make their way out of the US, but today they're finally landing in Europe. Snapchat announced the Euorpean release of Spectacles earlier today, opening online orders for a number of regions. Of course, if you want the true Spectacles experience, you'll also be able to stop by a number of self-serve vending machines to pick up a pair.
In the past year we've seen Snap Inc., the parent company of the well-known social media app Snapchat, make an interesting entry into the hardware market with their camera-outfitted Spectacles. It seems drones could be next on the company's list, as Snap has reportedly just acquired Ctrl Me Robotics, a small drone manufacturer located in Los Angeles, California.
Snapchat has introduced Stories in Search, the ability to search for specific types of stories within the app. The feature is being rolled out as of today and will be making its way to 'select cities' to start. With it, users can, as one example, search for their favorite sports team and then see Snapchat Stories related to it, helping users get right in on the action as quickly as possible.
Slowly but surely, Facebook continues to become more like Snapchat. First it was the introduction of Instagram Stories, then My Day on Messenger, and now the company is introducing a new update for the main Facebook app that adds some Snapchat-like features. Those come in the form of new camera effects and new ways to share your photos and videos on Facebook.
Facebook seems to be taking quite a few pages out of Snapchat's book lately, so it shouldn't be much of a surprise that Messenger's newest feature seems awfully familiar. Dubbed Messenger Day, this new feature allows you to take photos and videos you share within Messenger discussions and add them to collection that your friends can view. In other words, this is Facebook's version of Snapchat's Stories, right down to the 24 hour time limit.
We're dealing with a bit of déjà vu today, as WhatsApp has decided to roll out a massive update to its years-old Status feature. Early adopters will remember that WhatsApp launched as an application for sharing your status with friends and family, which means this feature was in place before even messaging - now the main draw of WhatsApp - was introduced. Today's update to the Status feature is a revamp in every sense of the word, but you'd be forgiven if you find it instantly familiar.
Earlier in the month, Snapchat said that it would make its hard-to-obtain Spectacles easier to buy in 2017. Today it's making good on that promise by finally putting Spectacles up for sale online. That means no more waiting in line to purchase your Spectacles from a kiosk, though a fair amount of waiting is still in your future if you decide to buy online.
Snapchat plans to exclusively offer a ‘Planet Earth 2’ short-form video show, it has been announced, including giving viewers access to all new footage. The move is being done in partnership with BBC Worldwide, which seems to have embraced the social platform as a way to help drum up excitement for the show, which will be airing in the United States and Canada in the coming days.
Snap had a hit with its Spectacles, a pair of sunglasses with a built-in camera for recording videos from a life-like perspective. The wearable wasn’t easy to get ahold of, though, being offered in only select major cities via a yellow vending machine. Lines were hours long in some cases, and the Spectacles that made their way online were being sold for hundreds of dollars. All of that is set to change this year.
