Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Facebook Developing Video Chat Device, Smart Speaker

Facebook
Facebook is working on two big new projects that will expand its ventures in the world of hardware.

The social media giant already owns and sells the Oculus Rift VR headset, but is now developing two other pieces of hardware more specifically targeted at its own ecosystem.

The first is a large tablet-like device around the size of a laptop, designed for video calling. The second is a smart speaker to compete with the likes of Amazon's Echo and Apple's HomePod.

Facebook Video Chat Device
The information on both devices was obtained by Bloomberg from people familiar with the matter.

Apparently, the tablet is designed to be a new product category with a large touchscreen between 13 and 15 inches that stands on a large vertical stand.

Building 8, the hardware lab set up last year by Facebook, is developing the device. It features a wide angle camera lens, microphone and speakers, and is designed to help users feel like the other caller is in the same room.

The lab is also testing a camera system which locks onto people's faces, as well as a 360-degree camera, though the latter is unlikely to be ready for the product's launch.

Facebook has considered using the Android operating system to power the tablet, rather than using its own operating system.

The unnamed device is currently in the prototype stage, but is reportedly undergoing testing in people's homes. It could be announced as early as next spring at Facebook's annual F8 developer conference.

It's said that the speaker will probably cost somewhere around the $100 range (from roughly £75 - £100), whereas the video chat device may cost a few hundred.

The marketplace of smart home devices is becoming ever busier, with significant efforts from Amazon, Apple and Google in the space over recent years.

Facebook is the last of the four giants to expand its efforts in this direction, but with 2 billion monthly users (just under two in seven people on Earth) using its service on a monthly basis, the game of catch-up may not be such a struggle for the social media specialist.

Author:

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