by Robert van Alstyne
WHAT’S HAPPENING
- UStream’s latest mobile app, Broadcast for Friends, gives consumers the power to stream their iPhone’s video camera view directly to their Facebook feed.
- Users of the free app can both stream video live and record it for later circulation using either the forward-facing or rear-facing camera on their phone. A number of built-in Instagram-like filters make it easy to jazz up the feel of the impromptu mobile film.
- In a crafty acknowledgement of privacy concerns, an Only Me, Friends or Public option pops up before filming begins. Settings only apply to live broadcasts so users can always alter them on recordings later if they want to circulate videos more widely.
WHAT THIS MEANS TO BUSINESS
- As we outlined in our trend “More Than Words,” the locus of power in social media continues to shift from words to pictures and video. Consumers who truly want to let the world in on what they’re up to can now simply hit record rather than take time to type out commentary and upload pictures.
RESOURCES
