Video Recycler – A Mobile App Idea
When somebody builds this, please let me know. I thought it up in 2009, and figured I’d have done it by now. I’m too busy, so you can have it.
The Nutshell
I fire up the mobile app, hit the Start button, and my mobile starts shooting video. Then, based on the settings I have configured, it shoots for X amount of time, saving N number of videos, and deleting any videos older than the Nth, until I hit the Stop button. Then it keeps the current video, and the 2 – N videos in my picture gallery.
The Use Cases
- My infant/toddler son is about to do something cool and I want to capture it. But I don’t want to shoot for an hour and edit later, nor do I enjoy hitting Record => try capturing it for a minute or two => Stop Recording => Repeat indefinitely.
- I’m driving down the road and the car in front of me is swerving. If he is loaded and takes out himself or somebody else, I want video to show the police. But I don’t know if or when he’s going to actually crash. Rather than take a half hour video, let me film for a minute at a time, saving the last 3 minute-long videos as evidence.
- I’m at a baseball game, it’s the bottom of the 9th, tie game, and Matt Kemp is at the plate. I could record for the entire 5 minute at bat and edit later, or record in 30 second intervals, saving only the last 1, in order to capture his walk-off HR.
- My odd neighbor is mowing his lawn with a machete and I just know something bad is about to happen. Rather than capture the hour long experience, I just want 2 minute intervals, saving the last 5, so I can capture him losing a leg, and the ensuing aftermath.
I think you get the picture.
So why not just film and edit? Because first, this would be simpler. And second, these days you want to get those videos up on Facebook or YouTube as fast as possible. Especially if you are somehow involved in the event, you would kind of like to get back to watching, helping, celebrating, or staring in awe.
It shouldn’t be too hard for an experienced app maker to build, and I’ll gladly pay you $4.99 for it. I think others would too. So hit me up on Twitter when you’ve got it released in the iPhone app store would ya? @criddar on Twitter.
Thanks!