Videoconferencing is a pretty good way to communicate with fellow workers and business clients without having to be in the same room together. But existing solutions can be more complicated to use than the average person would like.
Hello is a voice-controlled videoconferencing camera that easily connects to a TV via HDMI. It offers wireless screen sharing and live broadcasting capabilities, as well as security surveillance with motion detection.
Since the dawn of the digital camera and years into the smartphones imaging revolution that launched billions of photos around the Internet, syncing up photos with friends, family and fellow party guests is a game of jumping through digital hoops using a barrage of services with different tradeoffs: Facebook, Dropbox, Google Photos, iCloud photo sharing and on and on.
XY Share It offers a twist on photo sharing that addresses the sometimes surprisingly difficulty in sharing photos with mobile devices that may be right next to you. By introducing a small Bluetooth gadget similar to the locator tags (such as the one created by the company) that have deluged crowdfunding platforms, one can easily and securely share photo with those who have the tag. Essentially, the small squareish device acts as an authentication device.
With the formidable quality of video that can be captured by smartphones, there’s got to be something special offered by a camcorder to arouse interest. GoPro figured out that small size, ruggedness, a wide angle. It’s attracted a number of competitors, including Contour, Drift Innovation, Sony, C&A Marketing (using the Polaroid Cube brand) and, more recently, TomTom (yes, the GPS company) with a 4K camera called the Bandit.
Graava enters this crowded field with a small, polished gemstone-like camcorder that affixed to a range of bikes and apparel with the right mounts. Lacking an LCD as many of these products do, it has a grid of LEDs on its side that indicate the product’s status, and has an enclosed HDMI connector and microSD slot for expansion It can also be charged wirelessly using the Qi standard. What sets Graava apart is that it has the ability to analyze the video it captures and pick out the most interesting parts depending on how long the resulting video is. And when it’s not capturing extreme surfing, it can be used to capture the gentle sounds of a napping infant as a baby monitor.
How far can one take smartphone imaging? Each of the many accessories that are available to improve the standard output of their integrated cameras compromises their portability either with more stuff to manage or by making for an awkward group of phone appendages that must often be treated gingerly.
olloclip is familiar with this scenario. The company that created a Kickstarter stir in 2013 with a series of smartphone lenses. It has since come out with a new version for the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus that includes a small holster to encourage taking the accessories along. Paving the way for much more than lens add-ons, though, the olloclip Studio “mobile photography system” begins with the rare protective case that can accommodate the olloclip lenses and a grip for steading the iPhone.
With smartphone cameras constantly improving and the cost of their camera components dropping, there’s the impetus to put cameras into just about anything — cars, doorbells, pet collars and… things that look like mutated Gumbys.
Flex Cam PIC takes what appears to be a low-end smartphone camera (5 megapixel stills, 720p HD video) and throws it into a rubbery casing that allows it to be wrapped around a great variety of objects from bicycle handles to hula hoops. The device sports 16 GB of flash memory and a small internal battery that’s good for only about an hour of video. Taking a cue from the action cam world, it shoots with a wide angle (124°) and is waterproof. While it offers remote activation via Bluetooth, images and video are transferred over USB for higher-speed transfer.
While there are many outdoor security cameras on the market, many are not specifically designed for outdoor use. What’s more, many of them provide mediocre images at best, in part because they are stationary and lack the ability to pan.
The iSensor HD Patio outdoor security camera stands out in this regard. The product was specifically designed for use outside the home and is housed in a clear, weather resistant casing. It can be controlled remotely by users via both Android and iOS apps. The camera comes standard with 4 GB of onboard memory and can remotely pan 170 degrees via a user’s mobile device. Further, the camera has a motion sensor and a 240 degree range of view without distortion, according to its Indiegogo campaign. If suspicious activity is detected, the camera will instantly inform users via notifications, snapshots, and HD-quality video that is automatically uploaded to the user’s Google Drive; all for no extra charge. It comes in a choice of black or white at $199 and will ship in May. Its maker is looking to raise $1,000 by April 5.
ISensor HD Patio holds great promise, offering clear advantages over many rival products.
Dash cams are slowly becoming more popular in the U.S. as a way to record evidence of what may have happened should there be a collision involving the front of the car while driving. But automobiles are vulnerable from all their sides even when they’re parked.
LyfeLens strives to create greater accountability to those who would harm your vehicle. The aerodynamic car sentinel can record video using its windshield-facing or interior-facing camera, track the car’s location via GPS, and alert a smartphone when it detects a break-in. It can record video on a microSD card or send it up to the cloud and on to a smartphone. During less urgent times, it can take advantage of its 4G cellular connection to create a mobile hotspot in the car. LyfeLens costs $199 and is expected to ship in fall 2015.
Anyone who has ever experienced a hit-and-run would appreciate the value of having LylfeLens on the job. Clearly, though, the biggest technical challenge is keeping it powered while it passively monitors its surroundings, records video and serves up Internet access. The company claims the product has a high-capacity internal battery that can power a few days of active and standby use, but is looking into methods such as wired installation and solar.
3D was the laughing stock of the TV industry a few years ago. Despite all the ridicule and lack of content hurled at it, though, all of those 4K televisions flying off the shelves can support 3D. In addition, new TVs in development promise improved quality 3D without glasses.
For those who’d like to take advantage of the second (or extended first) coming of 3D television using today’s devices, Tel Aviv-based Moebius Industries has created Stesco. The clever pocket-sized bracket holds two iPhones adjacent so that they can each capture part of a stereoscopic image Its price is so low that the campaign can be forgiven for its gratuitous use of selfie sticks in its videos. The company offers a free app that stitches together the two photos or video streams after establishing a communications link, presumably via the Lightning connector. Moebius seeks to raise £30,000 (about $44,000) by April 13. Stesco costs £8 (about $12) for either the iPhone 5(S) or 6 and should ship in July.
While iPhone photography add-ons have proliferated, most have focused on the convenience of the device that happens to be in your pocket. Unfortunately for Stesco, few people carry two iPhones in their pocket. And even if you have a friend willing to lend you one, it must be of the same generation to work to the product. While it produces smaller images and costs more than three times as much, Poppy 3D does the 3D capture trick with one iPhone. However, for partners, families, or amateur video crews who have easy access to a matched set of Apple smartphones, Stesco is a ridiculously inexpensive way to create stereoscopic photos and video.
Walk down any street, waltz into any restaurant, or take up a teaching job in Asia. In each scenario, there will undoubtedly be groups of people taking selfies with oversized smartphones or tablets. The selfie craze has gotten to the point where smartphone makers are specifically touting selfie-friendly features as a way to address what everyone already knows: it can be pretty awkward to take a kick-ass selfie.
Enter the Podo, an 8 megapixel Bluetooth camera designed to be attached and re-attached to most flat surfaces to facilitate easier selfies. Its makers appropriately tout it as a “stick-anywhere camera.” Clearly, versatility is one of its strengths.
The 4GB Podo has three major modes: a photo mode for single shots, double exposures, and burst shots, a video mode capable of recording 720p video at 30fps, and an auto mode that captures content based on custom time intervals for things like time lapse videos. An embedded accelerometer is included which serves to ensure that photo orientation is always correct, thereby making photos social media friendly from the start. The device can be synced up to a companion mobile app with support for both iOS and Android.
An individual Podo costs $89 with an estimated delivery date of August 2015. The campaign is looking for $50,000 in funding by April 20.
Selfies haven’t been the same since the selfie stick, and Podo is poised to shake things up yet again. Not having to rely on the length of an arm or the kindness of a stranger, along with eight LEDs for night shots, really makes the Podo a stand-out in the selfie accessories category.
Scuba diving is one of those sports that allow for killer views, like hiking or skydiving. However, unlike other sports, it can be difficult to take photos or record videos underwater.
The Video Diving System is a way for scuba divers to record their underwater adventures safely. This waterproof product consists of a compartment for GoPro, DLSR or smartphone cameras. A stabilizer makes sure that any footage captured is clear, even at night. The System can either be held by its grips on either side of the camera, attached to the diver or placed on a stable surface underwater. For a full list of cameras the Video Diving System is compatible with, check out the Indiegogo campaign.
While this is a product certain to be appreciated by many divers, it’s unclear if the cameras need to be switched on before entering the water and then just left on during the dive. That’s a point the creators may want to address. Still, the Video Diving System seems to have solved the underwater footage problem plaguing many divers. For their own, backers can donate $134 for delivery in August 2015. The funding goal is set for $35,000.