The live-streaming of your buddies snowboarding or mountain biking or being generally action-sporty could get a bit more pervasive if a new camera from Seattle-based Sioeye catches on this fall.
The company announced that it is bringing a retail-ready 4G-enabled camera called the Iris4G Blink to U.S. stores for $249. A pre-sale offer on the Sioeye website puts that price at $199.
Sioeye also announced that it would extend streaming capabilities to YouTube Live. And on Monday, Sioeye was listed as one of 16 new video providers that are part of T-Mobile’s Binge On video service.
In fact, if you purchase the camera through Sioeye.com, you’ll also get 5GB of data for free on a pre-installed SIM card from T-Mobile, which amounts to around 10 hours of live stream. No doubt, John Legere wants to see you wakeboarding in magenta shorts.
The Blink live streams using 4G LTE, 3G or Wi-Fi connectivity directly built into the smart camera. The live stream is automatically broadcast through the SioeyeLIVE platform available on iOS, Android and the web.
“The introduction of a high quality, affordable LTE connected device combined with the ability to broadcast to YouTube Live will fundamentally change how fans and friends interact with people in the action sports community,” David Abramowski general Manager at Sioeye, said in a news release. “Live streaming and the action sports market naturally go together, and Sioeye is at the center of this convergence.”
According to the company:
- The Blink live streams at 480p with 30fps, and can simultaneously record HD video to local storage during a live stream session.
- It runs on Android 6.0 with an internal GPS and barometer sensors, delivering additional information to viewers on stream including speedometer and altimeter dashboards.
- The Blink can switch into traditional video capture mode to capture 1080p HD video, as well as 8 megapixel still shots. It also supports photo bursts and time-lapse videos.
This is the second offering from Sioeye, which released the Iris4G to market in April. The company, which is privately backed with angel investments totaling $4 million, used a Kickstarter campaign to gauge market interest for that first camera.
