If editing video is not your cup of tea but you have hungry social media followers who need to see the awesome stuff you’re up to, you might want to check out what Seattle, Washington’s Sioeye has created. The cloud-based video streaming company has recently put their expertise into the Iris4G, an action camera that instantly broadcasts your videos in real time.
The Iris4G was designed to make posting videos simple, and prevent your POV footage from never getting edited and collecting digital dust somewhere on a hard drive. Watching live action also adds a unique element of excitement for viewers, as they share your adrenalin-spiking moments from afar.
The ‘wearable smart camera’ broadcasts video via the 4G LTE cellular network, and its app instantly notifies your social media followers so they can catch the action. While the Iris4G’s practicality for riders will definitely be debated, innovations like this always seem to spark a cool application from someone thinking outside the box…
The Iris4G starts recording and broadcasting with the touch of a single button. When you begin filming, your followers are automatically notified through their smartphones and/or a link which will instantly appear on their Twitter and Facebook accounts. With one click they’re enjoying your current exploits.
The camera’s iOS, Android and web-compatible app notifies followers of your video posts, stores your footage in a cloud account for future viewing, and hosts a forum for interaction with other Sioeye users.
The Iris4G uses a data (sim) card to stream video, so users can pop their phone’s card into the camera (or a separate card with an active data plan) and start shooting. The camera is unlocked so it can be used with various carriers: T-Mobile and AT&T’s networks are currently being tested in the USA, with others to follow.
You’ll have to consider this an early sneak peek at the Iris4G, because currently there isn’t a lot of information available. Right now we can’t tell you anything about the lens, battery, video resolution or frame rate options, or what kind of info the camera’s internal barometric, GPS, gyro and magnetic sensors can provide.
There’s no mention of audio capabilities, and no info on the camera’s dimensions or what kind of cases or mounts might be available aside from a few photos. The website does mention that the Iris4G’s body is weatherproof and waterproof (but it’s also shown in a case that looks waterproof)… A press release is expected to come out early next week, so we’ll follow up with further info thereafter.
There are some unique advantages to the Iris4G. It allows for simple live broadcasting of POV video with less stuff to carry, only one battery to keep charged and no need to spend time uploading and editing. If your followers miss your broadcast, all your clips are saved in a Cloud account and can be replayed within a few minutes of their initial live stream. Finally, there is an extra bit of excitement viewers get when they can see things happen as they happen, not sometime after the fact.
Of course, there are other considerations. First off, for those who are planning on doing post-production work after shooting the Iris4G holds no particular advantages or disadvantages versus other POV cameras on the market. Also, viewers have to be on social media or catch their phone notification to watch your live streams- Regularly scheduled posts might be effective but random snippets could be easily missed by anyone who’s not electronically engaged at the right moment. Also, how much data does the camera use when streaming videos? One would hope it’s within reason, but will users find themselves with massive phone bills after broadcasting a few rides?
If the lack of initial info is outweighed by your need to share in real time, pre-order an Iris4G for $499 USD with shipping expected for March. Stay tuned to Bikerumor for further details…
