It’s the dream of the future to be able to turn to any particular wall and instantly strike up a conversation with a coworker or family member hundreds of miles – or worlds – away. And it was no doubt this dream that inspired the new Logitech Circle.
Most smart home cams are used for security, and that’s also what the Circle could be used for…but it’s capable of so much more, too. The secret is in the handy little base, which is also a charging station. While in the base, it can show live video and enable two-way conversations with anyone who has the right app and login, letting you have easy talks. The wide field of view means that you don’t feel compelled to hover in front of the cam, either, but rather just get on with working in the kitchen, garage, study, etc.
At a moment’s notice, you can choose to pop the Circle smart cam off the base and carry it around, positioning it to show various activities. The charge lasts for a couple hours, enough time to cover a variety different conversations or special events.
Logitech seems to aim this at family members who are expats, in the armed forces, or just frequent travelers who still want to share all the special moments of their family. There are a couple of features clearly designed to help out with this goal. There’s an option to see a 30-second speed up of an entire day through the Circle’s view, called Day Brief. There’s some sort of intuitive learning that appears to be a motion sensor, at least until Logitech explains more about it.
With the average webcam, use is relegated to specific times and places. Circle is designed to be an always-on sort of thing, which is nice for sci-fi dreams but more awkward in our real world of hacking, greasy fingers, wailing kids, and stubbed toes. Is the Circle good enough to pass muster? You can find out for $200.
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