From the Department of Nothing Better To Do Department…
While visiting with fellow Microsoft MVPs and developers a few weeks ago, I managed to snag a GoPro Hero3 camera. These are tiny little cameras bicyclists wear on their helmets to record their rides (or accidents with cars) or drivers mount on their dashboards to record their commutes (and maybe their accidents too).
It’s a neat little gadget. It has its own built-in Wi-Fi to enable remote control and viewing using a phone. It has a micro-SD slot for storage and a USB port for charging or connecting directly to a computer. And it has several modes for very wide screen recording, normal 1080 resolution or even 60 FPS for slow-motion captures.
Like all the good gadgets, it has (some optional) accessories too! The package included simple adhesive surface mounts with quick-release connectors and a water-proof (to 10 feet) enclosure. Along with the camera I received a chest-mount harness. Not sure what I’ll do with that yet but I can envision some creative uses.
So what does someone like me do with a GoPro? I record myself preparing for Thanksgiving dinner.
Maybe I’ll get a little more creative but all I wanted was to see what it could do. With a $10 tripod mount kit I attached my little camera to a Joby GorillaPod, which I’ve had forever, and hung the rig upside down from my kitchen chandelier. The GoPro has an “upside down” mode, which came in handy.
I started the camera using the iPhone app and just let it record everything as I worked. After a couple hours I had a few 2 GB files of raw video. Nothing exciting unless you’re a voyeur. The following clip is about 18 minutes. I annotated it using Camtasia 2 for Mac.
Remember the Human 