BRICK, N.J., Jan. 3, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- Through an exclusive arrangement with America West Airlines magazine and the U.S. Army, the new Deja View Camwear 100, the first camcorder to capture action BEFORE the "record" button is pressed, will be used by a reporter embedded with the First Cavalry Division in Fallujah, Iraq.
During a two-month period, the award-winning innovative camera from Deja View, Inc. in Brick, N.J., will be tested under combat conditions. The results will be published in a future article to appear in the travel industry publication under the byline of Toby Sullivan, a freelance journalist on assignment with America West.
Now selling for the suggested retail price of $399.99, the Camwear 100 is tiny and can be worn on a pair of eyeglasses or bill of a hat, and has the unique ability to record visual experiences after the fact.
The camera/microphone unit with clip is less than an inch long and smaller than a nickel in diameter, and is tethered by a thin wire to a PDA-sized remote unit that clips to a belt or waistband or fits into a pants or coat pocket or handbag.
With their hands completely free, users turn on the power and just watch the action as it occurs in front of them. The camcorder is always-on as a scanning feature feeds a continuous video stream into the control unit or "hip pack". Although users may turn away from the action for a few seconds, they can still capture up to 30 seconds of the previous action by hitting the "record" button. The camera is compatible with SD memory cards with up to 1 gigabyte of storage capacity.
Normally, to obtain action footage with a standard handheld video camcorder, users must keep the device turned on and constantly aimed and ready, anticipating what might happen in front of them -- before, during and after the event occurs.
The 1st Cavalry Division, one of the oldest and most combat-experienced units in the U.S. military arsenal, currently has more than 17,000 soldiers stationed in various parts of the world, including the Middle East. It is headquartered at Fort Hood in central Texas.
According to Sid Reich, the president of Deja View, and inventor of the product, "the Camwear 100 -- with our patent-pending 'after-the-fact' technology -- is attracting a lot of interest from a wide range of vertical markets, including the military and home security. They can see great potential for the camera in applications involving the ability to record events that can not be captured by conventional technology."
"The Camwear 100 eliminates the need to view the world through a viewfinder," added Reich. "It is wearable and lightweight, providing a completely hands-free experience."
The Camwear 100 is available on the Deja View website, www.mydejaview.com, and through a network of consumer electronic chains, camera stores and major online resellers, according to Jeff Sobel, executive vice president.
Key Features:
-- Wearable on glasses or cap for completely hands-free operation.
-- Rechargeable battery provides up to 6 hours of power.
-- Video quality at CIF (320x240) and 30 frames per second.
-- From 64MB to 1GB memory. (Minimum of 16 video/audio clips
with 64MB card).
-- Indicator light warns when less than five minutes of storage
capacity remain.
-- 110v charger similar to cell phone chargers.
-- USB cable along with ArcSoft ShowBiz 2 software allows
downloading video/audio clips to PC.
-- Direct output available to TV, VCRs, or DVD burner via RCA
jacks.
-- File viewing possible with ArcSoft ShowBiz 2 software or
Windows Media Player.
-- ArcSoft ShowBiz DVD 2 software is also included, allowing
users to create CDs and DVDs and, depending on their computer
hardware configuration, users can capture still photos from
their saved video clips.
About Deja View
Deja View, Inc. was founded in 2002 to design, manufacture and market a complete line of wearable camera products based on its own patent-pending "after-the-fact" video camcorder technology. The privately held company is headquartered at 260 Chambers Bridge Road in Brick, N.J., 08723. Phone number: 1-866-DEJA VIEW (335-2843). Email: info@mydejaview.com. Web site: www.mydejaview.com. Fax: (732) 477-4572.