The intention behind the creation of Google Clips is to “capture the little moments that might be otherwise tough to photograph” (Heater, 2018). It is a smart camera that uses both AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) to “identify familiar people and animals and determine the moments worth capturing” (Heater, 2018). While the “clips” appear to be static images when first looking at them in the Google Clips app on a phone or other device, the images are actually “clips”, ranging from 1-7 seconds in duration. This allows Google Clips to capture movements, whether that is of a newly walking child or jumping goats.
One of the best things about Google Clips is it is incredibly simple to use, as it has one manual shutter button and an on/off knob. The device can simply be placed in any desired area in your home, turned on, and the built-in operating system does the rest. Furthermore, because there is no screen on the back of the device, it takes the stress away from people always trying to capture the perfect shot: “Many of us record far more than we ever edit, or even look at. To Google, that looks like a problem AI might solve” (Fowler, 2018). Google Clips is definitely individuals who desire to capture more candid, natural moments in their day-to-day life.
The battery on the device lasts for three hours on one charge, it can hold up to 16GB of storage, and the camera has a 130-degree field of view due to its wide-angle lens (Kircher, 2017). For such a small device, the angled lens and HD picture quality is impressive. In reference to privacy, Google Clips does not connect to the internet or linked to the Cloud, and the photos taken by the device are physically stored onto the camera until you use an app to transfer over the clips to your phone’s camera roll (Fowler, 2018). This is a huge positive for those worried about the far-reaching capabilities of the Google empire, specifically in the realm of personal data and confidential information. Whether this “disconnected” feature of Google Clips is truly accurate or will always remain a part of the device’s features will be interesting to observe.
Google Clips encourages detachment from our devices: “It’s a new piece of technology designed to free you from being constantly tethered to another piece of technology” (Heater, 2018). With its constant surveillance and searching, Google Clips can find the perfect shot, allowing individuals to focus on what is more important: taking in sites/surroundings, engaging in sincere conversation, and living in the moment.
References
Fowler, G. A. (2018). Google’s first camera isn’t an evil all-seeing eye. Yet. The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-switch/wp/2018/02/27/googles-first-camera-isnt-an-evil-all-seeing-eye-yet/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.11e0aa8943e6
Heater, B. (2018). Google clips review. TechCrunch. Retrieved from https://techcrunch.com/2018/02/27/google-clips-review/
Kircher, M.M. (2017). Google’s new AI camera is an adorable cube that quietly takes pictures of your family while you do other stuff. New York Mag: The Intelligencer. Retrieved from http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/10/google-clips-camera-uses-ai-to-recognize-kids-and-pets.html