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Pivothead review: video recording eyewear for (reasonably) discreet POV clips
We won't mince words -- the Pivothead Durango have a decidedly "sporty" style that probably won't win it too many fans. But, if you're in the market for some POV video action, chances are style isn't particularly high on your list of must-have features. They have the appearance of low-key, but bulky Oakley knockoffs. But again, if you're hurtling yourself down a hill on a snowboard, how cool your specs look is probably secondary to recording high-quality video and absorbing a beating. So, we promise, this is the last you'll hear about how unsightly these things are. (And they are just that -- ugly.) Once you head past the break we'll have video samples, photo samples and field tests, but nary a word about how embarrassing it is to walk around in public with these on. Promise. So, join us below as we put Pivothead's video sunglasses through their paces.
Pivothead video glasses offer impressive quality, we go hands-on (sample video)
There's a new adventure video capture company in town, and both Zeyez and GoPro would have good reason to be afraid. You may not have heard of Pivothead -- the company has had a remarkably quiet push to market over the last few months -- but the video recording eyewear startup could very well become a household name after its first products hit the market this April for $349. Aurora, Durango, Moab and Recon may offer distinct exterior designs, but they're virtually identical under the hood. Each model includes an eight-megapixel Sony sensor (that reportedly captures higher quality images than the iPhone 4S cam), a four-element glass lens, 8GB of built-in storage, a 440mAh battery (with about an hour of shooting time) and three video modes: 1080/30p, 720/60p and 720/30p. We had a chance to go hands-on with Pivothead earlier today, and took the glasses for a spin on the streets of New York City. You'll find that sample video, along with our impressions, just past the break.
ZionEyez becomes Zeyez, wants you to know it's still watching
When ZionEyez launched its Kickstarter campaign this summer, the company promised a "Winter 2011" ship timeframe for its Eyez video recording glasses. And when that deadline came and went, many backers were understandably frustrated, requesting refunds and even emailing us for a status update after attempts to contact the design team were unsuccessful. We've been in touch with the company on a consistent basis since we first covered its Eyez project, and we even had an opportunity to test out a prototype in December. Now, ZionEyez (now simply "Zeyez") executives have provided several explanations for the unexpected delays, including an enormous number of project backers, broader market appeal and a desire to partner with a top-tier manufacturer in order to produce a higher-quality product. Jump past the break for the unabridged appeal.
Eyez 720p video streaming / recording glasses hands-on (video)
Sure, you may already lead an exciting life, but wouldn't it be great if you could broadcast those daily escapades -- you know, to all of your internet friends? ZionEyez hopes to deliver a method for sharing your point of view -- quite literally -- in realtime, across the web. The company's first product, a set of 720p embedded-camera eyeglasses called Eyez, houses a tiny camera to the left of the standard-size eyeglass lens, with a processor, Bluetooth and WiFi module embedded in the adjacent ear piece. We first read about the inconspicuous specs when the company launched a Kickstarter page, netting nearly $350,000 in pledges from curious backers, but just had an opportunity to spend a few hours with the device, recording the journey to a meeting in New York City. Jump past the break for a closer look, and our sample footage.%Gallery-141272%
Dropcam app comes to Android, lets you monitor your security cameras from afar
iPhone users have been able to keep watch on their Dropcam security cameras from the convenience of a dedicated app since the Dropcam Echo launched last summer, but Android users have unfortunately been left with no other option than to simply use the standard, less-than-mobile-friendly web interface. The company's now finally corrected that oversight, however, and released a full-fledged app for Android smartphones running Android 2.2 or higher. The key advantage with a Dropcam setup -- as we noted in our review of the camera itself -- is that it's entirely cloud-based, and doesn't need to be connected to your home computer to record or share video (unfortunately, that convenience comes at quite a cost). As for the Android app, it will let you receive things like motion and audio alerts, and of course let you check in on a live stream or access recordings -- those just looking try the service can also simply access some public webcams to test it out.
Thanko's Spy Button video camera becomes slightly less ridiculous with high-def video mode
It still won't fool your mark if you pin it to a stained T-shirt, but if you're rocking the plaid button-down look you'll be happy to know Thanko's Spy Camera has received an incremental update. For ¥4,980 (about $58), the third revision of the button-hole camera will shoot 8 megapixel stills and record in 1280 x 960 HD for up to 50 minutes on a charge, which sets the household espionage device just this side of crapgadget territory. Bring your own dignity... and microSD card.
Pennsylvania spycam case heating up
A student who says he was spied on by school officials on his Mac laptop has filed new claims in the case. Harriton High School sophomore Blake Robbins claims pictures were taken of him while he was asleep and only partially dressed, and instant messages that he sent to friends were captured. The Lower Merion school district is now conceding that the effort it was making to keep track of school owned laptops was misguided, and today the district said it would release the results of its own internal investigation "good and bad." In a court filing, Robbins says the school captured more than 400 webcam images and screen shots using his computer. Robbins lawyer says that thousands of pictures were obtained from laptops issued to students by the school tech staff. Lawyers involved in the case met Friday for a status check and to discuss pending issues. According to an attorney for the Robbins family, school technology coordinator Carol Cafiero refused to answer questions during a recent deposition, citing her 5th Amendment rights against self-incrimination. The suburban Philadelphia school has issued Mac laptops to 2,300 students at two high schools. The FBI joined the case in February. [via the Philadelphia Inquirer]
Robovie-mR2's puppy dog eyes make it the perfect spy
This Robovie isn't a dexterous grabber, a powerful computer or a walking tank like its Vstone counterparts. No, at first blush, the Robovie-mr2 is just your average designer Japanese cutebot, albeit one with an iPod Touch for a heart, but that's exactly why this one foot tall bot makes the perfect spycam. No one would suspect it hides 18 servo motors, a miniature CCD camera, speakers and microphone inside its demure, puppy dog exterior (hear it speak Japanese after the break), much less that you can directly control every movement over WiFi. And even should they catch your Robovie eavesdropping, they'd be hard pressed to execute a being with such powerful charm. Hit up the gallery if you don't believe us -- this robot knows just how to beg for its life. %Gallery-88939%
Two-timing air purifier doubles as spy camera
It's not like we haven't seen air purifying functionality crammed into nearly everything under the sun before, but the latest iteration doubles up in an entirely more discrete fashion. The Air Purifier Spy Camera does precisely what you'd think, as it innocently cleans air while waiting for movement to be detected in front of it. Once that happens, it records video (no audio, unfortunately) of the scene until 15 seconds after the motion ceases. To store the incriminating evidence, it writes the video to the built-in 16MB MMC, but if you expect a whole lot of naughty to be going on, you can certainly implant a larger card. Notably, this sucka most definitely does not come cheap, as the basic version rings up at a staggering $725, and you'll be asked to throw down an additional $179.95 if you like your videos in color.[Via TRFJ]
Switched On: Creep spy for the cheap guy
Each week Ross Rubin contributes Switched On, a column about technology, multimedia, and digital entertainment: My mama raised me to treat everyone equally, but I have to admit that I have this thing about zombies. Now I know you shouldn't judge someone by the color of their rotting flesh or whom they eat. However, those pale-green cannibalistic undead just make my skin crawl -- not literally like theirs does, mind you, but crawl nonetheless. To set up a quick and inexpensive monitoring solution to alert me of their presence this Halloween, I needed to use my brain before they did. The first product I checked out was the $179 "Secret Security Camcorder Hidden in a Clock" from The Sharper Image, the awkward name of which may have been even scarier than the zombies themselves. Such spycams are, of course, effective only as long as they remain unrecognized, and appearing in a national store chain and catalog may defeat some of the clock's clandestine advantage. The "clockcorder" uses 64 MB of flash memory to record up to 12 minutes of motion-activated QVGA video encoded using DivX; its capacity can also be expanded using SD cards. The product can also run entirely on batteries for more placement flexibility. Without any LCD or way to preview the video, the camcorder clock relies on an adjustable base and a clever mirrored button similar to the tiny round mirrors used for taking pictures of yourself on cameras and camera phones. In fact, the device is so simple to use that the manual devotes more space to the clock functions than the camcorder ones. To play back video, you can either pop the SD card out of the clock and into your PC or connect the clock to your PC via an included USB cable. (Unfortunately, the cover for the USB port fits poorly.) Video files can be played by Windows Media Player on the PC or QuickTime on either the PC or Mac after adding the DivX component.
