It’s a foregone conclusion that in the near future everything will be captured on camera. Unveiled at SXSW four years back, the Narrative Clip was part of a small contingent of hardware solutions that really leaned into the notion. The square device was designed to sit on the wearer’s lapel, taking photos at 30 second intervals, regardless of subject matter or focus.
I tried the first generation when it came out. I can’t say I was particularly enamored by the thing. The picture quality wasn’t great, the price was near $300, and honestly, I’m still having trouble wrapping my brain around the value of lifelogging in that form.
Early last year, the company introduced a new model that improved upon image quality and framing of the first generation, while lowering the price point. The key question of “why,” however, still lingered. It’s a question that the company, sadly, wasn’t properly equipped to answer – at least not for a large enough userbase for Narrative to maintain operation.
Yesterday the company sent a note to users announcing its voluntary dissolution, a move that will see an end of sales and support for the company’s one-time buzzed about wearable, effectively marking the end of company as a hardware maker.
Moving ahead, it seems, the company will exist more as a support group for Clip buyers, through a tool designed to grab captured content from the company’s devices and servers. Narrative has also started a Facebook group for its small but loyal community to offer one another technical support.
We’ve reached out to Narrative for an official comment.