New York - UPI
A Livestream app will enable Google Glass users to stream live video of whatever they want to record, but at the same time it could heighten privacy fears already surrounding the device. With a simple tap of the device and at the voice command "OK Glass, Livestream," Glass users can stream what they are recording to an online audience. The app is already available on iOS and Android is being used for a multitude of applications including citizen journalism, news coverage, sporting events, concerts and more. "The possibilities of Livestream for Glass are endless," CEO Max Haot said in a statement. "From a reporter covering a protest, to an athlete competing in a sports arena, we believe that Glass will be instrumental in democratizing the future of live video streaming." According to co-founder and chief product officer Phil Worthington, the app has been used in the past by citizen journalists to record and live stream major news events. But the first-person perspective that Glass provides makes the app even more valuable. Livestream was used to provide a live feed Twitter's initial public offering and is used at other big broadcasting companies. The app allows followers of the stream to post comments that will pop up at the bottom of Glass's interface. It can also post to Facebook when you begin shooting and will also provide on-demand tape to link once the user is done shooting. One of the limitations of the app is its drain on battery power, but Worthington said people dedicated to live streaming can connect an external a battery pack to shoot for longer durations. Speaking of privacy issues, which are already a big concern among opponents of Glass, Worthington said, "Yes, maybe there are privacy concerns, but I think the information it shares with the world is much more valuable than that."