A lot of people will tell you that while it’s nice to have videos of your activities, the hassle of having to run the camera can detract from your enjoyment of those very activities. You could use a head-mounted camera like a Looxcie or even the one incorporated into Google Glass, although not everyone wishes to look so ... cyborg-like. That’s where the pendant-style smartphone-controlled ParaShoot comes into play.
The ParaShoot hangs from an adjustable-length neck strap, and records 720p HD video to either an encrypted cloud storage system (in unlimited quantities), or to an onboard SD card. The microphone-equipped camera’s settings and functions can be controlled either via physical buttons on the device itself, or wirelessly using an accompanying iOS/Android/Windows app. The app also allows users to line up and review shots, using their phone’s screen as a viewfinder.
Power comes from a rechargeable, replaceable 600-mAh lithium-ion battery located in an ergonomically-designed compartment in the back of the neck strap. Should users wish to use the camera without that strap, however, they can do so using a secondary battery located in the actual camera.
Recordings on the ParaShoot can be manually stopped and started, just as would be done with a regular camcorder. For people who are interested in using it more for life-logging, however, it can automatically record whatever is in front of the user at preset intervals. The frequency and duration of these intervals can be set by the user via the app, although its designers suggest starting at a rate of five minutes of footage recorded once every half-hour.
The ParaShoot was designed by a team led by New York-based entrepreneurs Matt Sandy and Colin Glaum, who previously brought us the LinkMe text message-displaying bracelet. They’re currently in the process of trying to raise a whopping US$260,000 in production funds, on Kickstarter. A pledge of $149 will get you a ParaShoot, when and if they’re ready to go. The estimated retail price is $269.
A rather similar pendant-style video camera, the MeCam, is currently available for just $49.99 – although it doesn’t offer smartphone controllability or the option of cloud storage.
Footage shot with the ParaShoot (which actually looks pretty good) can be seen in the pitch video below.
Source: Kickstarter