Google has just announced Google Clips, a new hands-free camera that takes photos for you. Instead of having to pull yourself out of special moments to shoot photos and videos, Clips will capture moments so you can be in them.
Software is at the core of the camera, meaning Clips can be made smarter and more powerful over time as Google continues to push out new updates.
Clips can capture a 130-degree field of view at 15 frames per second. Each motion photo moment captured by Clips lasts several seconds and is called a “clip,” and they can be browsed using your Pixel phone. No audio is recorded. Each clip can be saved as motion photo, or you can select a single frame from the motion to save as an auto-enhanced, high-resolution photo.
On the front of Clips is a button for capturing photos manually. With a tiny form factor, Clips is designed to be clipped to “almost anything” or set down to document things remotely.
Clips has facial learning features — the more it sees a person, the more it learns to capture more clips of that individual. It also learns to recognize pets like cats and dogs.
Google engineers have laughably attempted to address the privacy implications of their Orwellian creation by giving it an offline mode. In other words, they’re telling potential buyers you don’t need to connect it to the Internet to use it. But of course, you’ll be encouraged to do so — the device has been designed for semi-autonomous recording and the presumption is people will want to share moments they’ve recorded.
There’s also an indicator light — which is a standard feature of webcams.
Commenters at PetaPixel are rightly skeptical. Writes one:
This is not about memories. How many people actually have time to go back and relive the unbelievable amount of memories that would build up? This is about Google’s AI learning and growing. This is about amassing algorithms to make their AI smarter. Simply put, this is getting scary. A record of intimate moments kept on Google servers. But like you, I guess I have already given up freedoms because of my Google phones and tablets. What have I done?
Says another:
As if Google didn’t know enough of our lives yet….
And another:
I don’t like it… We’re getting into some real Orwellian #$%& here. Always listening microphones, bed facing cameras and 24/7 recording body cams… I don’t want any of this stuff, having a phone is bad enough.
Save your $250 and pass on Google Clips, another unnecessary invention the world doesn’t need.