Facebook users ditched the social network in droves earlier this year following the Cambridge Analytica scandal, and Mark Zuckerberg has been scrambling to rebuild consumer trust ever since.
His next move? Installing a big camera inside of your home that records conversations.
According to Cheddar, Facebook is set to release Portal, the company's first foray into the consumer hardware market, next week. It will function as a video chat device and come in two different screen sizes, retailing at $400 (around £300) and $300 (around £225) respectively.
Bloomberg reported that the device was set to be unveiled at the company’s F8 conference in May, but Zuckerberg decided against it amidst the public fall-out from Cambridge Analytica.
The device, which features a wide-angled video camera with the option of a privacy shutter, uses AI to recognise people in the frame and follows you around the room.Portal was reportedly spearheaded by Building 8, Facebook's secretive hardware project centre.
‘Rather than position the device as a smart assistant akin to Amazon’s Echo speakers, Facebook intends to pitch Portal as a way for families and friends to stay connected through video chatting and other social features,’ Cheddar wrote.
‘Facebook plans a formal product introduction in early May at its annual developer conference and hopes to ship the device in the second half of 2018.’
Nick Pope is the Site Director of Esquire, overseeing digital strategy for the brand.
