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Facebook Reportedly Working on a Camera Equipped Streaming Box for TVs

Facebook Reportedly Working on a Camera-Equipped Streaming Box for TVs

By Indo-Asian News Service | Updated: 17 October 2018 17:15 IST

Highlights

It would support functionalities like video-calling
Device would use AI to automatically detect and follow people
It could also help Facebook compete with the likes of Apple and Amazon

Social networking giant Facebook is developing a camera-equipped set-top box for TVs that would support functionalities like video-calling, a media report said.

Internally codenamed 'Ripley', the device would use Artificial Intelligence (AI) to automatically detect and follow people as they move through the frame during a video call, news website Cheddar reported on Tuesday.

Apart from facilitating video-chat, the device could also help Facebook compete with the likes of Apple and Amazon in the TV segment.

Earlier this month, the social networking major launched its smart-speakers Portal which incorporated AI technology to follow user movements while on a video-chat and remove unwanted background noise during a call.

Priced at $199, sporting a 10-inch display, built-in Amazon Alexa support and pre-loaded with Facebook's own Watch video service, the smart speakers would begin shipping in November.

With projects like Portal and Ripley Facebook is trying to build a consumer-hardware business outside of its virtual reality brand Oculus that was acquired by the social networking giant in March 2014 for nearly $2 billion.

Facebook declined to comment on the subject, the report added.

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