Late last year, the Sweden-based tech startup Memoto AB launched their camera in Kickstarter. It was a huge hit and has earned ten times the goal.
The Memoto camera is a lifelogging device — a tiny, wearable camera that automatically takes a 5MP geotagged image every 30 seconds. The photo’s orientation is also recorded so that the app can show the image upright no matter how you are wearing the camera. The Memoto camera is only 36mm x 36mm x 9mm big and does not have any buttons. Just clip it on your clothes and go! Lay it flat or put it in a dark place to turn it off.
When I first heard about the Memoto camera, two things came to mind: privacy concerns and the possible deluge of inane pictures of narcissistic people online. But it will really be sweet to have such an automatic and unobtrusive camera during travel or special events. Reliving the whole thing without having to dampen the original moment’s enjoyment by having to snap pictures and take videos is certainly appealing.
Of course, for many people, the appeal lies in the details — the little things that we don’t take much notice of or bother to take pictures of. With this camera, no more blurry recollections of things, places, and people we’ve encountered.
The built-in battery of the Memoto camera lasts for two days before having to be recharged. When the camera is connected to the computer through a micro-USB port, the battery is recharged while the photos (up to 4000 photos) are automatically uploaded to Memoto’s servers.
The Memoto app organizes the images into groups of “moments” on a timeline. The app uses the images’ metadata such as time, place, and light; this enables the user to search for specific pictures. The photos are in private mode by default but can be shared to several social media services if the owner wants to. The app works for both iPhone and Android.
The company offers its customers infinite photo storage at a flat monthly fee. The images transferred to Memoto’s cloud servers are stored encrypted.
The Kickstarter project has ended but interested buyers can pre-order the camera at the Memoto Web site. The company offers free shipping worldwide for preorders (estimated delivery: April 2013), with 1 year storage included. The cameras are available in three colors: Memoto Orange, Graphite Gray, and Arctic White.
