Last autumn Google announced the Clip, a camera powered by artificial intelligence aimed at families who take a lot of spontaneous photos. The device was stealthily put up for pre-order yesterday for $249 USD but those hoping to purchase one of the cameras are out of luck. The product page for the Clip invites you to join a waiting list. If you were able to order one you can expect it to arrive in late February or early March.
The aptly named Clip features a … well, a clip. The camera is small enough to attach to your belt but the idea is to put it somewhere around the house – resting on a table or affixed to a piece of furniture. The device’s AI is said to be smart enough to gauge lighting conditions, composition and even facial expressions. All of this allows the device to capture brief “motion photos” without sound. Any frame from a motion photo can be exported as an enhanced photo to be shared from the camera’s own app or Google Photos. The Clip has 16GB of storage capacity and Google offers unlimited cloud storage for your little masterpieces.
While undoubtedly intended for family events, there seems to be a bit of potential for abuse. Fortunately, the Clip never has to be connected to the internet. Google also points out that the camera does not share any data or images with external servers.
Google and Amazon are fiercely engaged in the smart home wars while Samsung is hard at work on its own AI ecosystem for homeowners. How do you feel about the revolution for high-tech homes?
