The Premise. Sometimes we fantasize about the scenes that go on around us, which we know we can never be a part of. We’ve all said things like “I wish I could have been there to see that!” or “I would have paid to see the expression on his face when… ” and the ever popular and overused phrase “to be a fly on the wall…” And sometimes, it’s not fantasy, but a comfort to be able to peer in to a place without physically being there– think baby monitors and nanny cams.
The Product. CamNGo enables you to record videos with sound from almost anywhere. Its coaster-like compact and smart design makes it easy to mount to most surfaces, and incorporates a SIM card so you can stream live footage straight to your smartphone – even if the camera is not connected to Wi-Fi. You can also use the app to take still images from the video with the press of a button. Battery life is about 10 hours, but video storage capacity is about 3 hours. It’s unknown if footage can be automatically backed-up to your smartphone for continuous use over the life of the battery.
The Pitch. The campaign video, while energetic, takes us into territory that vaguely borders on creepy. Watching it, you may wonder if the product was innocently inspired by a father who wanted to record a perfect day spent with his daughter, or by a boyfriend who wanted to record a perfect all-nighter with some guy’s daughter. There’s also a shady scene showing two men exchanging money while another man looks on, obviously pleased. And let’s not forget the assumed husband peering on his wife who is enjoying a private moment while cleaning the house. One that is not only being watched, but also being shared to an assumed mutual friend: creeptacular. Pair that with these words from the campaign website, “This camera … allows you the control and the knowledge of the special times, the expected and unexpected times, the magical times, and all the little surprises on the way which make life so meaningful.” and you have stumbled upon the stalker’s mantra.
The Perks. Backer perks range from $5 to $100,000 with the highest levels intended for prospective distributors. If you’d like to secure yourself a CamNGo in either bright white or metallic pink (odd choices for something that may be want to be used discreetly), you can take advantage of an early bird special for $169. For Black or Metallic Silver CamNGos you’ll need to shell out an additional $10.
The Potential. If you can look past the product campaign, you will see that there are many practical and justifiable applications for a product of this nature. There are many other remote-controlled Internet cams out there, but few of the popular ones have cellular capability. If funded, it could have the potential to challenge the video-dedicated giant that GoPro has become. The campaign goal is hefty at $100,000, however it’s a flexible funding campaign so founders will receive all funds raised over the campaign’s 40 days, even if it does not make goal. If CamNGo goes into production, we can only hope that it does not turn into a “CamNCreep”.