*By Alisha Haridasani*
Snap's decision to sell a second version of its camera-equipped glasses indicates the social video company's desire to push its way into consumer hardware, said Cheddar's Alex Heath.
The [Spectacles V2](https://www.spectacles.com/) went on sale Thursday.
“Evan [Spiegel, CEO of Snap] is really sold on this idea of augmented reality as being the next big platform and eyewear as maybe a potential replacement for the phone one day,” said Heath. “They think that if they can start early and iterate over time they’ll be in a good position when that technology finally catches up.”
The new, waterproof glasses are available online in three different colors for about $150 a pair, $20 more than the original version released in 2016. V2 can also be equipped with prescription lenses for up to almost $280.
Snap's decision to double-down on Spectacles after disappointing sales the first time around shows that the social media and technology company is committed to selling tools and devices that can be used to create content. It acquired FiveFocal, a Colorado company that makes camera technology, at the end of 2016 and was reportedly pursuing partnerships with the eyeglass makers Warby Parker and Luxottica.
The initial Spectacles were first sold in bright yellow vending machines installed at surprise locations around the country. The gambit created buzz, but it was difficult for the company to predict demand for the glasses when they were released widely. The company expected to sell about two million pairs based on the lines that formed at the vending machines, said Heath. Customers bought only about 220,000 pairs and Snap lost roughly $100 per pair sold.
“They had to write down about $40 million in unsold inventory,” said Heath.
Cheddar first reported plans for the updated version of Spectacles [last month](https://cheddar.com/videos/exclusive-snap-to-release-new-spectacles-this-year), and said the company also has plans for a third version that could have two cameras for greater depth of field in videos shot with the device.
For the full segment, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/snap-unveils-its-latest-spectacles).
The State Department had been in talks with Elon Musk’s Tesla company to buy armored electric vehicles, but the plans have been put on hold by the Trump administration after reports emerged about a potential $400 million purchase. A State Department spokesperson said the electric car company owned by Musk was the only one that expressed interest back in May 2024. The deal with Tesla was only in its planning phases but it was forecast to be the largest contract of the year. It shows how some of his wealth has come and was still expected to come from taxpayers.
At 100 years old, the Goodyear Blimp is an ageless star in the sky. The 246-foot-long airship will be in the background of the Daytona 500 — flying roughly 1,500 feet above Daytona International Speedway, actually — to celebrate its greatest anniversary tour. Even though remote camera technologies are improving regularly and changing the landscape of aerial footage, the blimp continues to carve out a niche. At Daytona, with the usual 40-car field racing around a 2½-mile superspeedway, views from the blimp aptly provide the scope of the event.
You'll just have to wait for interest rates (and prices) to go down. Plus, this deal's a steel, the big carmaker wedding is off, and bribery is back, baby!
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William Falcon, CEO and Founder of Lightning AI, discusses the ongoing feud between Elon Musk and Sam Altman, and how everyday people can use AI in their lives.
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