Personal video recording has never really taken off the way photography has. This could be about to change.
Everyone and their uncle has a camera and knows how to use it. Everyone can show you photos they have taken from their camera. It's part of our culture for people to take photos.
This has been far from true with video recording. I realize that the major video sharing sites have millions of uploaded videos, but the number of videos taken still are a drop in the bucket compared to the number of photos taken.
Many people have video recorders, but very few people use them on a regular basis. They are too annoying to use because you have to hold them or mount them. It seems like too big a deal to even bother with. Once the novelty of owning one wears off, they often get stored away for years.
The market is starting to change. Video recording is going to get even easier than taking a photo with a camera phone. HDHF (High Definition Hands Free) video is starting to take off. There are several companies making high definition video cameras that you do not have to hold in your hand or put on a stand.
HD video sunglasses are going to win this race. It is all about quality and ease of use. It is now possible to record real HD video with a pair of sunglasses. At a recent trade show, 3M gave an award to one of these companies for the most innovative product for 2011.
It is now possible to put on a pair of good looking wireless video recording glasses and record exactly what you see in High Definition. People will just assume you are wearing regular sunglasses. This is called point of view recording. Imagine filming your child's soccer games with these. You just wear the sunglasses and watch the game. That is all you have to do now. The possibilities are endless and people will think up new and cool ways to use this technology.
Remember that the first generation iPod was for digital music only. Now there are millions of podcasts, video's, and apps. There has been an explosion in creativity because of the simplicity of the device. The hardware and ease of use really allowed people to get creative and open up whole new industries that the people at Apple could not even dream about when they first came out with their iPod. A similar phenomenon could very well happen in the HDHF space.