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Google Clips update lets you capture more moments
Google is rolling out an update for Clips, its hands-free camera that automatically records short video segments when it determines something interesting is going on. When we reviewed the camera earlier this year, one of our complaints was how unpredictable it was. It wasn't fully clear why certain events were captured when others weren't, and a number of memorable moments featuring both people and pets were left unrecorded. But with the latest update, Clips now offers a "completely rebuilt" High Capture Rate so you can "capture many more hugs, jumps, smiles, dances and more."
Google's Clips camera can be shared with your whole family
Until now, Google's Clips camera has only been usable by one person. That's something of a problem for families -- what if your partner wants the AI-guided cam to capture a special moment when you're away? Google is about to fix that. It's rolling out an update this week that introduces family pairing, letting you pass the cam to another member of the household to view and share your creations.
Google's Clips camera now takes high-res photos on demand
Google Clips' manual 7-second video bursts are fine if you're not a stickler for high resolution, but there are times when you just want to snap a quality still photo to share with friends. Why can't you capture both? Well, now you can: Google is delivering an update to Clips' Android app that lets you take a high-resolution photo alongside the video when you press the shutter button either on the camera itself or in the live preview on your phone. That could be more than a little helpful if you want to capture a sharp picture the moment something interesting occurs, rather than hoping you have time to take a separate shot.
Google Clips review: A smart, but unpredictable camera
A few months ago, I met my favorite dog. I was standing in my friend's living room when Tassie, a little black and white chonzer puppy, came sniffing by my feet. She looked up at me, got up on her hind legs and placed her two front paws on my shin. A second later, she leaned forward, crossing her paws behind my calf and hugged my leg. I froze, my heart stopped and I melted into a puddle on the floor. I didn't dare to move in case she stopped hugging me. But then I thought, "This is a moment I want to memorialize!" So I reached for my phone, and as I shifted my weight slightly, Tassie walked away. I tried to get her to hug me again, but to no avail. My heart had been won, but the moment was lost.
Google's $249 AI-powered Clips camera is finally on sale
At its Pixel 2 launch event last year, Google also revealed its tiny Clips camera, that uses AI to figure out when it should take a picture or video. Now the $249 device has quietly become available for purchase on its website, however as Android Police notes, it could take a while to arrive. Depending on the address used, I saw potential delivery dates between range between February 27th and March 5th. So should you order one? While most cameras rely on your best guess about when to take a picture, Google Clips has had its AI trained by pro photographers. The 2-inch square has a shutter button 12MP sensor, 130-degree field of view and 16GB of storage to save up to 3 hours of selected video. Chris Velazco was impressed by the results during our hands-on test in October, but we'll need more time to find out how good it is at sorting through daily life for the highlights, and if we feel secure with its strategy of sending the results to a paired phone.
Google trained its AI camera with help from pro photographers
When Google unveiled its $249 Clips camera back in October 2017, it was easy to question Google's motives. Lifelogging cameras weren't a new idea, nor were they particularly successful, and given the rise in smartphone imaging and video quality, it was a tough ask to let a wearable camera automatically capture important moments. With Clips expected to debut in the coming weeks, Google has penned a blog post (first detailed by The Verge) detailing how it's trained its algorithms to identify the best shots. In order to do that, its AI needed to learn from something or someone, so Google called in photography experts from various different backgrounds and supplied their model with some of the best photography available.
Google Clips camera lays the groundwork for our AI-powered future
Allow me to make a bold prediction: Google's Clips camera is going to flop. Clips is a $250 camera powered by artificial intelligence and designed to snap images of important moments as they happen, no human input required. At best, it'll probably sell OK at launch -- there will be a handful of cute videos showing how the camera performs while attached to a dog or the top of a baby's toy mobile, and the internet will briefly swoon. Maybe a few months later, it'll catch a crime in action, and we'll be reminded that these odd, all-observant cubes exist. But, regardless of the viral content that comes out of Clips, it's not going to be enough to convince mainstream consumers to run out and drop more than $200 on a clip-on camera. Smartphones have cameras (really good ones, even), and a lot of people have smartphones. Clips might address a real problem -- freeing up users to experience life without worrying about filming it -- but no one needs this technology right now. Besides, it's kind of a creepy concept overall. Allow me to make another, less bold claim: Google knows all of this. And while it would be great for the company's bottom line (and its data-collection department) if Clips takes off, it doesn't need the hardware to sell well right now. Google most likely has larger plans for Clips' software.
Google Clips hands-on: Not just a camera, but a photographer too
I'm not trying to gush too much, but I'm far, far more excited for the Pixel 2's camera than I thought I'd be. What's really bonkers to me, though, is that Google saw fit to squeeze its AI-powered photography tech into a cutesy 2-inch square it calls Clips. I don't think I'm alone, either: most of the people I chatted with at the event seemed at least a little perplexed by Google's ambitions here. Curiosity piqued, I had no choice but to track the thing down and have a closer look for myself.
Google Clips is a $249 AI-powered camera
Final hour leaks suggested Google Clips would be some kind of accessory -- but neglected to mention what for, and what it would do. Now we know: it's a Google-powered Narrative camera accessory that uses the company's AI know-how to automagically take photos and videos. (Yes, there's still a shutter button.)
