Snapchat shares value dropped and the parent company wants to buy a selfie drone. These news are unrelated but the do come from the app that revolutionized social media usage and, according to some, lowered our attention spans even further with their „disappearing stories”.
On Tuesday, Snapchat shares fell 4%, closing at $13.10, due in part to lockup expiration, which allowed insiders to finally sell their shares. It could also be due to the fact Instagram copied its „stories” feature last year, or due to the privacy concerns surrounding Snapchat maps, that show where your friends are at any given time if they opt-in to share location.
Well, let’s not dwell on the bad news and see what is Snap up to, features-wise. Snapchat’s mother company is no stranger to investing in bold projects like AR glasses, so this is not surprising.
Snap wants to buy Zero Zero Robotics, the maker of the Hover Camera Passport selfie drone. It’s a lighter, smaller camera drone than GoPro’s Karma, weighing at just 242 grams and measuring just 33 mm thickness when folded.
The selfie drone camera has a 13-megapixel CMOS sensor which can capture video at 4K, 1080p and 720p, all options with 30 fps. Storage-wise, it offers 32 gb of internal memory, and it connects to your PC just like an everyday Android device.
The base model, aptly named Essential Package, is available for $499,99, with accessories like an extra battery or a protective case available for $44,99.
The passport does not come with a dedicated controller, instead relying on a companion app that connects your iOS or Android device over 2.4 GHz or 5 Ghz over Wifi Hotspot. Reviewers have lauded the launching and retrieving of the drone: the propellers being covered, there’s no risk of hurting yourself, and the device slowly lands itself when battery levels are critically low.
Each of the two batteries in the Hover Camera Passport offers a 10 minutes flight time on a 40 minute charge cycle. If Snapchat does decide to purchase Zero Zero Robotics, taking the perfect selfie will have to be a 10 minute max process. Is it enough for you?
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