'Lifecast' venture takes in big picture

In the late 1990s, Jim Carrey starred in a movie about a guy who had his entire life broadcast on television. In "The Truman Show," Carrey didn't realize that his life was a fictitious world, but we're still capable of drawing similarities between the film and what San Francisco's Justin Kan is trying to do. Kan and his partners are bringing a modern-day Truman Show to the Internet with their latest venture, Justin.tv.

The premise of Justin.tv involves Kan wearing a camera on his hat 24 hours a day, seven days a week so that online viewers can keep up with his every move around San Francisco. Kan refers to this as "lifecasting." On the site, you can watch the live video stream of what Kan sees and hears as others interact with him via chat or text messages. The site also features a calendar that serves as a guide for Kan's upcoming days.

There are a few situations where the camera shuts off and Kan doesn't broadcast his life. He doesn't broadcast private meetings or when someone asks not to be on camera. Don't worry, he also doesn't broadcast the happenings in the bathroom.

Before starting Justin.tv, Kan and his partners were the founders of Kiko, an online calendaring solution that lost its momentum when Google released its own online calendaring solution last year. The team sold the assets of Kiko on eBay and came up with the idea to launch Justin.tv.

Unlike other live cameras that have existed for years, Kan's startup separates itself by being the only one that allows broadcasts all around San Francisco rather than just a house or a studio.

Along with the camera attached to Kan's hat, he carries a backpack that contains a Sony laptop, several batteries and four high-speed wireless Internet cards that transmit the video and audio signal to the Justin.tv site.

In the first few weeks of the Justin.tv lifecast, Kan provided the show's live call-in number, which prompted several viewers to prank the show.

In one case, someone reported a stabbing at Kan's apartment. Viewers watched as the San Francisco Police Department entered the apartment with guns drawn only to find several geeks on computers and a guy with a camera on his head.

In another prank, a viewer reported a fire at Kan's apartment. Six firetrucks responded, prompting Kan to be evicted from his apartment. Viewers watched him pack up and move to his new place.

Kan's show is only the beginning. The Justin.tv team plans to expand its network to include other shows by people around the world.

Just recently, Justine Ezarik, a blogger and graphic designer based in Pittsburgh, signed on to lifecast her daily trek as a designer/video producer.

Kan also recently launched a show for Parris Harris, an up-and-coming fashion designer in San Francisco and Los Angeles to give viewers an inside look at the world of West Coast fashion.

If you're interested in starting your own lifecast, you don't have to wait for Kan to open his network to a wider audience. A recently launched Web service called Ustream lets anyone create their own 24/7 Web show.

The basic Ustream service is free, and anyone with a computer, an Internet connection and a Web cam can set up a channel and broadcast live to viewers around the world.

Justin Williams is a local blogger and the owner of Second Gear, a local Web and software development firm. He can be reached at justin@secondgearllc.com.

Originally published in Evansville Courier & Press

Apple's iPhone is tech savvy, enticing

I can't remember the last time I saw so much pre-release hype for a device as there has been for Apple's iPhone. After seeing how Apple revolutionized the digital music platform with the success of the iPod and the iTunes Store, consumers are hoping the company can perform the same magic in the mobile phone industry. The iPhone aims to improve the cell phone experience by simplifying both the handset itself and the operating system that powers it.

Weighing in at just 4.5 inches tall, a little less than half an inch thick and 4.8 ounces, the iPhone features a single button on its face, which takes the user back to the home screen of the phone. There is no send or end call button. Instead, all interaction with the phone takes place via tapping and dragging on the 3.5-inch screen with your finger. Apple has removed the keyboard found on Blackberrys and Treos and replaced it with an on-screen keyboard that appears when you tap on a text field.

As a cell phone, the iPhone contains all the functionality you've come to expect from a mobile phone. You can make and receive phone calls, send text messages and synchronize all of your contact information with either a Mac or a PC. One of the special features to the iPhone's mobile experience is its support for visual voicemail. With other cell phones, listening to voicemail is a linear experience, but the iPhone allows you see a listing of all the voicemails in your box and select individual ones to listen to.

Apple describes the iPhone as the "ultimate iPod" thanks to its widescreen display and use of multi-touch technology. The iPhone is capable of syncing your music, photos, television shows and movies from iTunes onto the device for viewing or listening on the road. If you rotate the iPhone horizontally, your music library will appear in Cover Flow view. Cover Flow displays all your music's album art in an easy-to-navigate interface that mimics a jukebox's browser.

The iPhone is also capable of accessing AT&T's EDGE network to send and receive e-mail, browse the Web or find your way around town using the built-in Google Maps application. iPhone bundles a version of Apple's Safari Web browser to ensure Web pages render on the iPhone the same way they do on a Mac or PC. If you don't have a cell signal or want a faster browsing experience, iPhone is capable of accessing any wireless Internet hot spot.

The biggest area of contention for potential iPhone customers is third-party software. Apple is suggesting developers, and in turn users, turn to Web-based applications for their third-party software needs. This is in stark contrast to the Windows Mobile and Treo platforms, which allow for native third-party software to be installed freely.

By now you have seen one of the four ads being circulated by Apple showcasing the iPhone. Unlike most ads for mobile phones and other technology-related products that focus on the form factor of the device, these ads simply demonstrate how the iPhone works.

In one ad, "Calimari," Apple demonstrates how to unlock the phone, play a movie, locate a restaurant with the Google Maps application and call the restaurant — all in 30 seconds. These ads are a testament to the killer feature Apple thinks its first entry into the cell phone market: a great user experience.

The iPhone is scheduled to ship June 29 at all Apple and Cingular/AT&T stores around the nation for $499 for the 4-gigabyte version and $599 for the 8-gigabyte version. If you're a Verizon, Sprint or T-Mobile subscriber, you're out of luck — Apple has an exclusive deal with AT&T that is rumored to be for at least five years.

Justin Williams is a local blogger and the owner of Second Gear, a local Web and software development firm. He can be reached at justin@secondgearllc.com.

Originally published in Evansville Courier & Press