Contour makes cool video cameras that you can wrap around your head so that you can take video while you&'re skiing or otherwise engaged in an extreme sport. But the problem with these &''head cams&'' is that you can&'t see what is really within the frame of your camera&'s viewfinder.
Contour is launching its Viewfinder app and a Connect View Card today that you can use to view your camera&'s picture on the screen of your iPhone or iPod Touch. If you&'re nutty enough to want a head cam, then you&'re probably nutty enough to want this stuff, too. It goes to show that when you are clever enough to create technology for extreme athletes, you have to go on creating stuff for them that makes those earlier inventions more useful.
I&'m not sure how many people really want to do this. But those who do probably want to do it really badly. So Seattle-based Contour probably has a pretty loyal market here. The $29.99 ConnectView card is a Bluetooth device that you insert directly into the ContourGPS camera. It connects with your iPhone or iPod Touch via Bluetoooth, using the free app. Then it can stream live video from your camera to your device, giving you a viewfinder so that you don&'t have to take your head cam off. As Marc Barros, chief executive of Contour says, &''Hands-free video just got a lot more hands-free.&''
Calling all mobile executives: This April 25-26, VentureBeat is hosting its inaugural VentureBeat Mobile Summit, where we&'ll debate the five key business and policy challenges facing the mobile industry today. Participants will develop concrete, actionable solutions that will shape the future of the mobile industry. The invitation-only event, located at the scenic and relaxing Cavallo Point Resort in Sausalito, Calif., is limited to 180 mobile executives, investors and policymakers. We&'ve pretty much finalized the invite list, but have a few spots left. Request an invitation.
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Companies: Contour
Companies: Contour
Dean is lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat. He covers video games, security, chips and a variety of other subjects. Dean previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News, the Wall Street Journal, the Red Herring, the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register and the Dallas Times Herald. He is the author of two books, Opening the Xbox and the Xbox 360 Uncloaked. Follow him on Twitter at @deantak, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.
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