Ah, the selfie stick ... perhaps one of the most made-fun-of inventions of the past few years. The SoloCam takes the basic idea and adds to it, however, creating a tool that could actually be useful to video bloggers or even serious journalists whose camera operators have been laid off.
The SoloCam consists of a telescoping pole with a smartphone/compact video camera mount at one end, and a Bluetooth omnidirectional handheld microphone at the other. This allows users to do stand-ups (news term for when the reporter talks to the camera), with better-quality audio than would be possible using the phone's mic.
The SoloCam's mic is built into a 180-degree swiveling ring-shaped handle that also contains a joystick-style controller. That joystick allows them to wirelessly control an iOS/Android app that in turn offers features such as a teleprompter, record start/stop, and the ability to switch between the phone's front and rear cameras – this means that they could switch from a shot of themselves to a shot of what's in front of them.
If you're interested, the SoloCam's Israel-based designers are currently raising production funds on Indiegogo. A pledge of US$49 will get you a device, if all goes according to plans. The estimated retail price is $99.
Source: Indiegogo
