"Open your eyes -- everything is about to change for travelers," says contributing editor Christopher Elliott. Here's how:
One of the most popular cameras on the number one photo-sharing site isn't
a camera at all. It's the Apple
iPhone.
I mention this for two reasons. First, because a new iPhone is being
released June 19. And second, because it now includes a feature that
promises to change the way we travel: a
video camera.
The specs are nothing to rave about -- 640 by 480 pixels, which is not exactly HD -- but the implications are far-reaching for each and every one of us. At the touch of a button, travelers can now publish an edited video to YouTube. Not coincidentally, YouTube just last week added a feature that allows you to directly share clips to Facebook, Twitter, and Google Reader.
One of the most popular cameras on the number one photo-sharing site isn't
a camera at all. It's the Apple
iPhone.
I mention this for two reasons. First, because a new iPhone is being
released June 19. And second, because it now includes a feature that
promises to change the way we travel: a
video camera.
The specs are nothing to rave about -- 640 by 480 pixels, which is not exactly HD -- but the implications are far-reaching for each and every one of us. At the touch of a button, travelers can now publish an edited video to YouTube. Not coincidentally, YouTube just last week added a feature that allows you to directly share clips to Facebook, Twitter, and Google Reader.
Why does any of this matter to travelers?
Because it marks a fundamental shift that could alter the way we get our
information about travel and the way we share our travel experiences.
It's a move from "tell me" to "show me."
You can already see the beginning of this migration on social networking
sites that specialize in travel, where users are gravitating toward photos,
as opposed to written reviews. Just last week, in a write-up in TripAdvisor, several users claimed they disregarded the
written reviews and just looked at the pictures. When everyone is carrying
a video camera, and when posting to the Internet is as easy as pushing a
button, imagine how people will make travel purchasing decisions?
Let's just take a moment to consider this.
Say you're buying a plane ticket, but it's a toss-up between United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic. At the moment, you can look up reviews of both airlines and find lots of information on blogs. You can also go to a seat review site like SeatGuru or to an old-school forum like FlyerTalk, and get a reasonably good idea of what to expect. But what if you have actual user-generated video content of the seats and can compare seat pitch, in-flight entertainment, and overall comfort by seeing it instead of reading about it.
How would that change things?
What if you're trying to decide where to make restaurant reservations? You could check out Zagat or Yelp and read all about it, but what if you could see the entrees as they're served? Now imagine these video clips are delivered in real-time, or as close as possible to it. Sites like 12seconds and Seesmic already let you do that. (Think Twitter for video.) Now imagine everyone has access to it in real time. That's what Google Wave is all about, and when it's released later this year, it could potentially revolutionize the way in which we consume information. Here are a few highlights of Google Wave's features, courtesy of our friends over at Lifehacker.
We're on the verge of nothing less than a revolution in media. The travel industry will be at the frontline, but it won't take long to turn everything upside-down.
Are you ready?
Chris Elliott is a syndicated travel columnist. You can read more interviews on his travel blog.
Photo via apple.com
Let's just take a moment to consider this.
Say you're buying a plane ticket, but it's a toss-up between United Airlines and Virgin Atlantic. At the moment, you can look up reviews of both airlines and find lots of information on blogs. You can also go to a seat review site like SeatGuru or to an old-school forum like FlyerTalk, and get a reasonably good idea of what to expect. But what if you have actual user-generated video content of the seats and can compare seat pitch, in-flight entertainment, and overall comfort by seeing it instead of reading about it.
How would that change things?
What if you're trying to decide where to make restaurant reservations? You could check out Zagat or Yelp and read all about it, but what if you could see the entrees as they're served? Now imagine these video clips are delivered in real-time, or as close as possible to it. Sites like 12seconds and Seesmic already let you do that. (Think Twitter for video.) Now imagine everyone has access to it in real time. That's what Google Wave is all about, and when it's released later this year, it could potentially revolutionize the way in which we consume information. Here are a few highlights of Google Wave's features, courtesy of our friends over at Lifehacker.
We're on the verge of nothing less than a revolution in media. The travel industry will be at the frontline, but it won't take long to turn everything upside-down.
Are you ready?
Chris Elliott is a syndicated travel columnist. You can read more interviews on his travel blog.
Photo via apple.com
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I didn't like the first iphone because of it's mediocre camera without any provision for videos.
Now I'm ready for the purchase of new iphone as it boasts a 3.2 megapixel autofocus camera with high quality video recording.
Finally the iphone revolution hits the traveler’s mind, that’s the thing most travelers will love. A video camera becomes an essential thing when you are little bit interested in videos and love to share your creations with your friends and family. The new iphone will definitely serve all purpose for candid videographers.
Shail : Agra India
So I got this new iPhone, I like it for the most part, but when I happened to have an issue with that - the customer service rep wasn't helpful at all. Oh, besides - horrible music ringtones - I had to download more to use.
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The new iPhone 3G! 3G gives you fast access to the Internet and email over your cellular network. And 3G makes it easier to multitask:
If high quality video recording is the concern than Omnia HD is the best option which can record HD quality videos.I was expecting at least 5MP camera from iphone 3GS.
5530 vs iphone
Thank you for giving me such beficial information related to this iphone and awaring me to the new fetures of that iphone.