Archive for July, 2012


Extreme Olympics anyone?

Some sports are mesmerising, no, not for tiny tight panted beach volleyball reasons (though obviously horseguards parade has never been so popular as a venue). I mean the kind of sports that we could never imagine doing ourselves, like base jumping, sky diving and extreme fast-rope abseiling. Recently I was invited to partake in a ‘fast-rope abseil’ off a very tall building, the Shard. Yes, the Shard, the 310m tallest building in Western Europe. To be absolutely honest, at this moment I’m not sure that my new filming schedule will allow it, but that hasn’t stopped me browsing a few sites for possible tech. I mean, imagine that I can do it, it would have to be documented as I would Never EVER do anything like it again!

The Shard
The Shard – and incidentally the view from the TR office – would you want to abseil down that?!

For many years I have utilised the wonderful little Go Pro Hero hd cameras, small enough to mount anywhere, offering broadcast quality hd pictures. We use them a lot for filming because they are reliable and built to withstand the general bumps and bashes equipment receives when being put through its paces. So when my attention was drawn to live streaming their shots, my eyebrow did its best Roger Moore impression.  I couldn’t help but imagine how useful this tool would be to preening adrenaline junkies across the globe wanting to share their great feats.

Go Pro Wi-Fi Bacpac

The GoPro WiFi BacPac is a wireless device that attaches to the back of a GoPro HDHero or HDHero2 camera, and connects to the Remote control via a wireless signal created from the BacPac – you don’t need an internet connection to use the remote control.

After a Firmware Upgrade on the camera, the product should be working, then it requires the app, which I’m assured will be available very soon. This will enable the smart device to become the view finder for the camera and the full controller. So, shots can be streamed live to the device, or better still, the internet as a live feed! I also love the fact that one remote could control up to 50 cameras.

While we are on this subject, I find base jumping utterly beguiling. I’m not sure that crazy antics get any cooler than jumping off stuff and actually flying with the help of just a technical ‘Batman’ style suit. Have a peek at this ‘Vampire4 wing suit’ and imagine yourself in it. A wing suit! How cool is that? I will never, ever skydive, but I must say that I was in total awe of these suits giving ‘superior glide, precise control and high forward speed’ but it raises the question; how much forward speed can one person genuinely need? You have just jumped off a building for goodness sake!

So that takes me back to my jump, can I or can’t I? …that is the question.

Currently, if you’re not discussing sport you’re not in the ball park. You are the person who turns up to a Trekkie convention dressed as Avon from Blakes 7… you get the drift. When it comes to top tier events, this is it. Wimbledon, Tour de France, Champions League and recently the Euros – where Twitter was bombarded with more than 15,000 messages per second as the final goal rocked the back of the net – sport is now more social and more connected than ever before. Next up, the Olympics, and I for one can’t wait.

It is being deemed the ‘Socialympics’. The stage is set, the technology is capable and we are poised. During the last Olympics Facebook boasted 100million users and Twitter, 6million. This summer the figures total more like 900million and 140million respectively. Globally we will be glued to our TVs, (worth buying a 3D TV for) watching live streaming on the net and apparently some even managed to get tickets to be trackside ;-)

Wenlock and Mandeville

Wherever we are, we can share, capture and post our experience, our moment, our joy, expectation, our memory… because let’s face it, Usain Bolt we ain’t!

Why record a portion of an emotion when you can save the whole thing? I’m talking 360. There is a great new little device called ‘Bubblescope’ about to go to market. It’s an imaging device that you attach to your phone which enables you, in one click, to shoot the entire 360 surrounding as a still or video. No stitching together or multiple shot faff – perfect for THOSE moments – and then using the ‘Bubblepix’ app you can upload your masterpiece and share it with the world. You can find more information at www.bubblepix.com.

BubblePix - Suzi Perry

It’s the simplicity that I like, I don’t want all my shots to be in surround, but the scope twists on and off easily and is small enough to carry in your pocket, something that I will actually do rather than just think is a good idea. Beware if you are ever standing behind me, you may end up in my bubble!

Here are a few apps that you may like to grab in time for the Olympics:

London Olympics Ultimate for Android. Schedules, medal tables, news etc.
2012 Olympic news.  For Windows Phone 7
London 2012: Official join in. For iOS
and live streaming on BBC Sport facebook Apps and Eurosport Player.

Enjoy x

PS, if you’re younger than 40, you may need to google Blakes 7!

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