GENERATION C. LIFE CACHING. If hearing about these trends yet AGAIN makes you groan, then don’t read any further. And if you’ve had your share of cell phone ideas, stop right here. For everybody else: Canadian ComVu has created PocketCaster, the world’s first live video broadcasting solution from mobile devices to global audiences. Which means that with the push of a button on a cameraphone, bloggers, consumers, citizen reporters, and corporate professionals can broadcast live events to their communities, or friends and family. The key here is ‘live’: this is not moblogging (uploading videos for all to download), this is streaming video, i.e. turning consumers’ cameraphones into TV style live broadcasting tools. How it works: upon launching ComVu’s PocketCaster software, a connection is made between the user’s mobile device and the (patent pending) ComVu Video Manager. Before starting the webcast, a link to the live transmission is sent to the selected audience by group notification via sms/text, IM and email. Audiences, big or small, can then ‘tune in’ to the broadcast via their web browsers. Costs: after the beta phase, which is free to users, a basic level of webcasting will remain free, while some enhanced features – including more bandwidth – will be charged for on a monthly basis.

Opportunities

ComVu is catering to an interesting new market, inspired by initiatives such as Scoopt, the citizen journalists’ photo service. In their own words: “it’s only a matter of time before all newspapers and broadcasters will seamlessly tap into ‘on the spot’ video feeds streamed live from cameraphone users”. Springwise’s translation: there will forever be a promise of lots of money from making professional services available to the masses!

2nd September 2005

Website: www.comvu.com/Index.aspx