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| Go Pro Camera with WiFi kit |
Chicago, IL—During the recent NATO protests in the Windy
City, there were as many as a dozen people using IPads and IPhones to broadcast
live streaming video to the Internet.
The images were only as good as the WiFi connections available
and the tiny camera lenses would permit.
Some were better than others. The
real breakthrough here was that this technological marvel could be managed by
nearly anyone.
I spent several hours watching what the NATO protest I-cameras
were broadcasting and found it interesting along with some very candid remarks
by protesters. I had to guess the locations
they were broadcasting from, by the local landmarks because the camera
operators were not professional or even marginal reporters. They simply let the cameras roll.
Perhaps ustream.com or the camera makers could direct their
consumers to some places where they could get some very basic reporter
instruction. Reporting on who, where and
why this event is unfolding is as important as broadcasting the pictures. Of course you never want to interrupt
important sound from your newsmakers. YouTube
has several such tutorials posted right now.
The incredible power here is that with minimal cost anyone
can instantly broadcast live video at a breaking news event where the whole
world can see exactly what’s happening.
Go Pro has been making inexpensive cameras for primarily
capturing sporting activity from skiing, surfing to every form of racing
sports. The quality of the video and
images is breathtaking.
Now they are offering Wi-Fi kits that would enable people in
the thick of civil unrest, rescue efforts or any major newsworthy to wear live
HD video cameras. The images can be
seen on sites such as ustream.com and can be picked up by any other broadcasters
such as television news.
I fully expect to see a variety of inexpensive, stand-alone
WIFi kits being offered to use with today’s prosumer video cameras for even
better images and audio.
The only limitation for live broadcast is a steady broadband
Internet connection. In populated areas
outside of the Third World this is less of a problem every day.
In case you were wondering these cameras are also incredibly
effective for surveillance applications. They can be placed covertly almost anywhere
subject to battery life or external power sources.
I favor Go Pro because of the price, quality of images and
their commitment to engineering every possible way to mount their products.
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