LiveViewfinder
Latest
ContourGPS Connect View app hands-on
The $350 ContourGPS sits among the top-tier of consumer-friendly helmet cams, but it's always posed one major problem: you can't really tell where it's pointing. Sure, it shoots a pair of wicked lasers out of the front, but it's always a challenge to gauge the extents of its 135 degree lens. We knew there was a secret trick in there waiting to be unleashed, which we got to play with at CES, and now here it is. Contour has released its Connect View functionality for iOS, letting you view live footage from the camera right on your phone. Keep reading for our full impressions. %Gallery-120293%
Contour launches Viewfinder App, lets your iPhone talk to your ContourGPS (video)
Helmet cam aficionado? Contour's ContourGPS currently has the greatest range of connectivity options, and one of those options, Bluetooth, is finally good for something. The company has just flipped the switch and deployed its Viewfinder app that we last saw at CES, which allows iOS devices to pull live video from the camera, even if it's still stuck to the side of your head and covered in mud. Users can also tweak camera settings in real-time, which is a huge step forward over the previous process that required tethering the cam and booting up some software. However, there is a catch: to use the device you have to install a little card, called a ConnectView, into your camera. This sucker will set you back $29.99, though we're told the upcoming Android release of the app will be able to do without. Unfortunately, that version won't be along until an unfortunately vague "Spring," but the iOS flavor is a free download right now in the App Store.
ContourGPS Live Viewfinder on iOS hands-on
We got a chance to spend a little time with Contour's upcoming Live Viewfinder for the ContourGPS, an app that finally lets us know for sure which way our little cameras are pointing. The app makes a Bluetooth connection to the camera and pulls down footage in real-time, also allowing you to tweak camera settings, which is hugely more convenient than tethering to a PC or Mac. The company also showed off a rifle-ready picatinny rail mount (above), following in the footsteps of Tachyon. Get yourself a taste after the break.
