That is hardly the primary time an organization has pitched simplicity as a technique to seize and relive reminiscences. Google debuted an AI-powered camera called Clips in 2018 that might report brief movies, and also you did not even must press a button. Simply flip it on and the AI may work out the suitable moments to seize, and these 7-second clips have been then accessible within the telephone app. Clips was discontinued almost two years after its launch.
The time could also be ripe for Kyu to step in as a non-public, private social community. BeReal, the social media app that championed authenticity, has been in sharp decline since its explosive development in 2022. The mass migration from X to Bluesky has left some folks questioning the place to publish. And TikTok may get banned in the US in 2025.
Maybe the intent of carrying round Kyu in your hand, the instant camera-like “restrict” on how a lot you may seize, and the simply stitched-together edits within the app will assist create reminiscence bursts which might be bite-sized however nonetheless can transport you past the identical outdated scroll. Since you will must be extra picky with what you seize earlier than area runs out, you will not have pointless recordsdata hogging area. And the ensuing movies are mercifully brief—nobody needs to sit down via your 10-minute travel log. It’s also possible to management whether or not these movies are saved in your digital library as a substitute of the automated nonstop backup most of us are used to with our smartphones.
Courtesy of Kyu
Proper now, the Google Photographs app has “Reminiscences” you may cycle via that present outdated photos, however these are sometimes random pictures chosen by Google’s AI as a substitute of a group of reminiscences tied to a selected occasion. Google just lately launched a function that employs generative synthetic intelligence to create a yearly recap of your reminiscences with AI-written captions. My 2024 recap did not significantly tug at my heartstrings, however perhaps Kyu clips would have made extra of an affect.
That is the primary product from a brand new firm, so we’ll have to see the digicam in motion earlier than passing judgment. I am hoping it might full its promised capabilities efficiently—a low bar for 2024. The Kyu is available for preorder globally and prices $299. There’s an elective $30 subscription within the works to, sarcastically, retailer your reminiscences within the cloud, although Ando assures me it’ll additionally embrace different perks like insurance coverage to guard the system, a restore program, and even a reduction on future merchandise.
The {hardware} launches in April, however if in case you have an iPhone, you may obtain the Kyu app now and begin capturing 9-second movies. Simply do not name them Vines.
