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Snapchat: the gift that keeps on giving
Kirsty Grierson

Snapchat: the gift that keeps on giving

It’s been quite the summer for Snapchat. The introduction of Memories, Instagram causing outrage by basically stealing Stories, CEO Evan Spiegel popping the question to Victoria’s Secret Angel Miranda Kerr – every tech geek’s dream – and now its rebrand to Snap Inc. and of course the launch of Spectacles.

We’re a bit obsessed by Snapchat at the moment, everything they do seems to work. But Spectacles? Spectacles caused a bit of a discussion on Monday morning. What’s the point? Can anyone really be bothered buying and wearing a pair of sunglasses for the sole purpose of capturing a video? Have they learned nothing from Google Glass?

We weren’t sure. However, having dug a little deeper we think this might actually work.

 

What are ‘Spectacles’?

If you haven’t heard – which from a bit of research (a question in the girls’ WhatsApp group) not many outside of the communications industry have – a bit of background for you. Spectacles are the latest piece of wearable tech. A range of sunglasses from Snap Inc. that will record 10 to 30 second video clips with just a tap, the video footage will then wirelessly transfer to a user’s Memories in the Snapchat app. Spectacles look nice, nicer than Google Glass anyway, and will be available in three colours when they launch in the US this autumn for $129.99.

Initially, I had no idea who would want these. Why wouldn’t you just use your phone like we have been? But, actually, imagine being able to capture one of your favourite memories or events, then going back to see that memory exactly the way you experienced it. For me, it feels like they’ve introduced the GoPro for everyday members of Gen Z. Instead of capturing outdoor, extreme activities you can record everyday moments – the last day of school, the family BBQ, your best friend’s wedding. They’ve introduced the fun factor that was missing from Google Glass.

 

How will this work for brands?

A recent piece of research by Cisco Systems predicted that 80% of consumer internet consumption will be video content by 2019, and just last month Facebook sheepishly confirmed that text posts are declining on the platform in favour of video and images. We know video is becoming more and more important and it looks very much like its popularity will continue. The technology Snap Inc. are introducing means that the circular video can play full screen on any device, in any orientation, and captures the human perspective with a 115 degree field of view. Meaning even if you aren’t there, you can experience it, not just watch it – exactly what got people so excited about VR tech this year.

I think the popularity will depend on the early adopters. Will Gen Z influencers get on board; can we imagine the likes of Kylie Jenner, Zoella and Calvin Harris, some of Snapchats most loyal users, wearing Spectacles? I’m not sure. But, I’m looking forward to seeing how it works.

What if The Great British Bake Off refuses to go with the dough?
Georgia Lea

What if The Great British Bake Off refuses to go with the dough?

There are three things guaranteed to get the British public hot under the collar: Jeremy Clarkson, a political expenses scandal, and The Great British Bake Off.

Since the show first hit our screens in 2010, it has undergone its fair share of scandal. From the infamous Baked Alaska #bingate of 2014, to the custard stealing antics of the series 3 contestants, and even a flurry of bet-rigging accusations. There was nothing however that could have prepared us for the announcement made on Monday that the BBC’s posterchild programme will be moving to Channel 4.

The BBC was balanced, measured and generally very BBC in the way it broke the news:

bbc-tweet-bake-off

Channel 4, on the other hand, was slightly more excitable:

channel-4-tweet- bake-off

Within minutes, #GBBO was trending across the nation as fans voiced their indignation. Most were horrified by the idea of the show featuring adverts, a sentiment that anyone who has been attempting to follow the Paralympic Games in Rio will no doubt echo.

There’s an additional catch. The £75million, three-year deal cut by Love Productions with Channel 4 only includes the rights to the show, not the all-important quartet of presenters and judges.

Yesterday, a blow as hard as an unexpected soggy pie bottom was dealt to Channel 4. In typical pun-filled style, presenters Sue Perkins and Mel Giedroyc announced that they will not be leaving the BBC:

“We made no secret of our desire for the show to remain where it was. The BBC nurtured the show from its infancy and helped give it its distinctive warmth and charm, growing it from an audience of two million to nearly 15m at its peak.

“We’ve had the most amazing time on Bake Off, and have loved seeing it rise and rise like a pair of yeasted Latvian baps. We’re not going with the dough. We wish all the future bakers every success”

The immortal Mary Berry, stalwart of British baking television and someone you would definitely want as your grandmother, has yet to comment on the move, but I have a feeling that at 81 she doesn’t have time for this nonsense.

For all her diplomacy, kindness and compassion in times of cake-based crisis, Mary definitely isn’t someone I would mess with. At 13, she contracted polio which left her with a twisted spine and weakness in her left arm. She was told at school she would never amount to much, but look at her now: she is currently filming for the US version of Bake Off and has published more books than JK Rowling (a true fact!).

Paul Hollywood is harder to read. A Liverpudlian with a penchant for expensive cars, he can be forgiven for wanting to have his cake and eat it. At the end of the day though, he’s a smart cookie. Without the softness of Mary and the innuendo-laced moral support of Mel and Sue to balance his blunt manner, the show would be sorely lacking.

The Great British Bake Off is British television at its finest: a quintessentially twee hour of weekly escapism amidst a schedule full of ‘gritty realism’, chilling thrillers and police dramas. The battle for the rights to the show is set to be piping bags at dawn though, and I can’t wait to see the drama unfold.