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Move Over, Webcams - Dashboard Cameras Are the Latest Video Tech Gadget

By
Real Estate Broker/Owner with Madeline Island Realty 50317-90

You've seen lots of Webcam sites online.  Now get ready to see DashCam videos.

DashCams have been used by law enforcement personnel for years.  Tune in to an episode of "Cops" and you'll see dashboard videos taken by highway patrol and police squads.  Now the same technology is available to the public.

The CarCam Voyager (priced at around $70 on eBay) is a slim, wireless dashboard camera that stores video to an SD card.  With up to 2 GB of memory, the CarCam allows you to store up to five hours of video.  The CarCam is perfect for bloggers!  Just pop out the SD card into a card reader, or use the AV cord (included) and upload to your computer.  The CarCam runs on three AAA batteries and includes a laser pointer for precise aiming of the camera.

I learned about DashCams from my friend John Lindquist, who sent me a link to his YouTube video of an ice road trip to Madeline Island.  John used a Vivitar ViviCam 3650 which he modified for dashboard installation in his vehicle.  John gets great results from his dashboard setup!

You might just get some great footage for your blog by using one of these DashCams! 

 

 

Madeline Island Realty 

A second home is an affordable luxury.

Discover why a vacation retreat on Lake Superior is the ultimate indulgence! 

 

Contact Broker Eric Kodner today at 612.670.2539.

Eric Kodner is a luxury property specialist and real estate educator with a unique perspective on the Madeline Island real estate market.  Madeline Island Realty is a member of the LuxuryRealEstate.com luxury properties network.

© Copyright 2007-2008 Eric Kodner & Madeline Island Realty

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Karen Anne Stone
New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Real Estate
Eric:  What an amazing video and really cool toy.  As I was watching the video, I was thinking about how much it would add to the experience if we could hear the sound of the tires crunchin on the ice, and the wicked wind whistling by.  Or... was there sound on this video, and I just didn't turn it on?  Thanks so much for sharing.
Apr 11, 2008 05:32 PM
Eric Kodner
Madeline Island Realty - La Pointe, WI
CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -
Christopher, I'll bet there are all sorts of uses people in the real estate industry could find for these cameras!
Apr 11, 2008 05:45 PM
Eric Kodner
Madeline Island Realty - La Pointe, WI
CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -
Anthony, they seem to be coming down in price.  The product reviews say the best ones are $70 and up.
Apr 11, 2008 05:46 PM
Eric Kodner
Madeline Island Realty - La Pointe, WI
CRS, Madeline Island Realty, LaPointe, WI 54850 -

Karen Anne -- John told me he had no sound recording capability, but he wanted to dub music over the video. 

Since we leave our windows rolled down when we drive the ice road, you would certainly hear the wind whistling..and the sound of the driver's teeth chattering!

Apr 11, 2008 05:49 PM
Michael Setunsky
Woodbridge, VA
Your Commercial Real Estate Link to Northern VA

Our local news had a segment the other day about dashboard cams. They are being used in cars to help drivers ward off accidents. One showed a young girl driving and talking on a cell phone as she drove off into a field. Another one was about a guy who wasn't wearing his seat belt. His car rolled over and it showed him being thrown all over the inside of his SUV and out a window. I hope it made an impression on drivers who talk on cell phones and people who don't wear their seat belts.

Real estate agents could use these to show prospective buyers video tours of neighborhoods.

Good Post!

Apr 12, 2008 12:55 AM
Eric Kodner
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island
Michael -- Your suggestion about using a dash cam to do a neighborhood tour is an excellent one!  I think a dash cam view is a great way to communicate the feel or "flavor" of a neighborhood.
Apr 12, 2008 02:56 AM
Obeoman Glade Jones
www.obeo.com - Salt Lake City, UT

 

Eric - once more,

another cool gadget...what about hooking the Dashcam up to your computer with the wireles network and going live at you blog for that neighborhood tour?

Steve

Apr 12, 2008 03:06 AM
Tom Braatz Waukesha County Real Estate 262-377-1459
Coldwell Banker - Oconomowoc, WI
Waukesha County Realtor Real Estate agent. SOLD!

Eric

How goes it? It has been a long time.

Sincerely

Tom Braatz

Apr 12, 2008 08:19 AM
Eric Kodner
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island
Steve -- I want to get one of these!  Ice road or no, I think it would be fun to have one.  Maybe that way I'll capture some great footage the next time a bear crosses the road in front of my car!
Apr 12, 2008 10:33 AM
Eric Kodner
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island
Hi Tom!  You still planning a trip to see us on Madeline Island?  C'mon up!
Apr 12, 2008 10:34 AM
Gene Allen
Fathom Realty - Cary, NC
Realty Consultant for Cary Real Estate
It sounds pretty neat.  It is something you really don't need but is cheap enough to have.
Apr 12, 2008 11:47 AM
Eric Kodner
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island
Gene -- It could be a great way to come up with blogging material, or to benefit your business.
Apr 12, 2008 12:05 PM
Dottie Hicks
Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage - Parkton, MD
ABR,CRS,GRI, Historic Homes Specialist

I tried out my flip camera by driving around the neighborhood, window open and holding the camera, did a great job plus I had the sound of the tires and sounds of whatever was going on at the time, also tried it with my radio on, was really cool.  Have not figured how to get it to websites yet.  If you have a Flip video give it a try, might surprise you. 

Dottie

Apr 13, 2008 12:34 PM
Eric Kodner
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island

Dottie, I was wondering how the Flip camera would perform in this application.  It would be great if there was a dash mounting kit for the Flip.  The sound capability is a nice plus and the fact that it's a USB upload, rather than an SD mini-disk is also something I'd prefer.

Thank you for contributing the results of your Flip camera experiment!!

Apr 14, 2008 12:27 AM
Steve Homer
The HBH Group (Keller Williams affiliate) - Round Rock, TX
Interesting idea.  Have to check into it!  Thanks! Steve
Apr 14, 2008 12:29 AM
Eric Kodner
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island

Steve -- I keep thinking of new ways to use a dash cam.  There's lots of room to experiment with these cameras.

Apr 14, 2008 02:13 AM
Karen Anne Stone
New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Real Estate
Eric:  Home Depot has a very inexpensive dash mounting kit.  You can find it in the same department as the duct tape.  (smile)
Apr 14, 2008 02:28 AM
Eric Kodner
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island

Karen Anne -- How about using a big blob of chewing gum instead??  LOL

Apr 14, 2008 03:46 AM
Karen Anne Stone
New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX
Fort Worth Real Estate
Eric:  According to numerous surveys and tests, the results indicate that using a gigundo wad of chewing gum works much better in the Spring and Fall. The gum gets all gooey in the summer, and freezes in the winter.  During those times, as previously suggested... please resort to duct tape.  Take care... hope your weather up there is getting more pleasant for you.
Apr 14, 2008 04:02 AM
Eric Kodner
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Eric Kodner Sells Twin Cities Homes - Minnetonka, MN
Wayzata Lakes Realty: Twin Cities, Madeline Island
Karen Anne -- Spring is finally arriving in the upper midwest!  I'm in Minneapolis today and the grass is greening up a bit.  Tomorrow it's supposed to be in the sixties here and in the upper fifties on Madeline Island.  So I'll be heading up that way.
Apr 14, 2008 04:42 AM
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