Snap Spectacles take in Austin

Spectacles, glasses created by Snap Inc. (formerly Snapchat, which The Verge’s Sean O’Kane writes is now calling itself a camera company) that allow the wearer to record what he or she is seeing for later viewing, landed in Austin, Omar Gallaga reported Wednesday in the Austin American-Statesman’s 512Tech blog, only to sell out 30 minutes after doing so.

The glasses are available only via bright yellow, pop-up vending machines that appear in various cities at random-seeming times, as a way of rolling out the product, Gallaga noted. The Austin Spectacles “bot” showed up at Torchy’s Tacos’ South First Street trailer Wednesday, reported Gallaga, who also noted that the specs come in black, coral, and teal and cost $130.

As the review in The Verge noted, the glasses were introduced earlier this year and give “Snapchat users a more immediate way to record videos ... that get sent right back into the app.” (The review is generally favorable.)

Gallaga’s article featured Twitter posts from happy purchasers and disappointed latecomers alike, but didn’t indicate when, or if, the specs will be back. Till then, we’ll just have to go back to waiting in line for barbecue instead.

• In close taco proximity, Snapchat Spectacles arrive for Austin [512Tech]

• Snap spectacles review: fun that’s totally worth the trouble [The Verge]