I remember when I first showed an audience of people UStream and what it was like to broadcast live video via my iPhone. Everyone was amazed, and I used services like UStream, TwidVid, and others to broadcast video live from SXSW several years ago. However, live video hasn’t really taken off with your average Joe.
A few days ago, an app called Meerkat launched to try to take streaming video to Twitter. It’s convenient that it’s just a week before SXSW – which has launched a few apps into stardom (Twitter, Foursquare, and others).
Meerkat is a very simple, very easy to use app that allows individuals to very easily launch a live video stream from their phone and participate in chat around the stream. You can also schedule streams in advance, allowing users to subscribe and get notifications when the stream goes live. When the stream is complete, you can save the video to your phone.
I think it’ll be PERFECT for an event like SXSW, and I pray that many, many people use it there, so I can watch streams of sessions I never would have been able to attend virtually. I think it’ll spread like wildfire, and I’ve already heard it being referred to as the “breakout app of SXSW” (but you’ll hear that about 50 different apps every year). However, after SXSW, I wonder how much utility it really has… as many people discovered with Twitter – people’s lives just aren’t that interesting. Who wants to watch you eat lunch?
I’m very curious to see what happens with it at SXSW (and if you’re going, please use this app to stream the sessions your attending – for my sake!). You’ve got a lot of early adopters there who will certainly use it in Austin. Given the rate that Brands jump on the bandwagon nowawadays, you can be certain you’ll see companies using it. But as I’ve said before… it won’t blow up unless it’s something my grandma might use. It’s certainly simple enough to use that she might, but we’ll have to see.
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