Twenty20’s Wearable, Hands-Free Video Camera Meets Up with Action Sports Athletes in Tough Environments; First VholdR Videos Posted Online
Seattle, WA — Seattle Internet startup Twenty20’s newest product, VholdR, is set to officially debut at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on January 7, 2008. But, a limited quantity of the wearable, hands-free video cameras are already leaving the factory and heading for customers. One VholdR “hit the road” just after Thanksgiving with Twenty20’s Anthony Godoy, to meet up with action sports athletes who will put the first cameras to the test in tough environments. The VholdR “road trip” videos will be posted online at www.vholdr.com/news/?cat=5.
“VholdR is tough,” says Godoy, “So why baby it? Out on the road it goes to do its job: capturing and sharing the excitement of action video!”
Twenty20’s VholdR (www.VholdR.com) weighs just a few ounces, fits in the palm of your hand, but it’s armored: with its brushed aluminum body the camera works in rain, snow, and mud. VholdR records video to an internal SD card. Small grooves on VholdR’s body are designed to couple with various mounts so the camera can be used anywhere–or even worn. A single on/off button makes VholdR the ultimate in simplicity to use, even with gloved hands. Easy-to-use software quickly organizes the video and offers a “Click-to-Share” option to post the video online.
For years, sports enthusiasts captured video in motion with helmet cams–a nice name for a mess of lenses, wires, and batteries strapped to their heads. The heavy and unbalanced contraptions were cumbersome, and always expensive. Sharing the video online didn’t risk life or limb, but it did require hours of tedious editing and uploading. The target of the uploaded video was usually a social networking Web site, where friends and family could watch the recorded athletic exploits in awe–and safety.
“Now,” says Barros, “VholdR’s ‘Hands-free Shoot, Click-to-Share’ design will make shooting and sharing video in motion easy for everyone, even the Dad who wants to record the excited faces of his family from the front seat of the corkscrew roller coaster.”
But, to test VholdR’s prowess, the first videos will come from some extreme environments:
• On November 23-24, VholdR will spend time capturing the action at the Day in the Dirt Motocross Grand Prix, held at the Los Angeles County Raceway. A Day in the Dirt is presented by Troy Lee Designs and Elrod Racing, and hosted by the Hollywood Stunt and Film Community. The unique Grand Prix course includes asphalt, a huge pit to drop into and fly out of, and a motocross track designed for maximum thrills.
• On November 29, VholdR meets Ryan Clark near Waddell, Arizona. Clark, a member of the Solitaire motocross team, recently added his name to the prestigious Montreal Supercross winner’s list.
• On December 1, VholdR will arrive in Moab, Utah, for some four-wheeling in Pritchett Canyon, some biking through the canyons, and to catch the action of free-climbing some red rock walls.
• On December 3-5, VholdR arrives at the headquarters of the United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USAA) in Park City, Utah. The USAA is an Olympic sports organization dedicated to fielding the best skiing and snowboarding teams in the world. VholdR will catch up with some of them and hit the moguls.
• On December 7, VholdR will catch up with Daron Rahlves at Sugar Bowl, near Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Widely regarded as the most successful American downhill speed ski-racer of all time, Rahlves should capture some exhilarating VholdR video.
• On December 12-13, Vholdr will be in Portland, Oregon. In-town bike riding is one the agenda, with a visit to the ski and snowboarding slopes at Mount Hood.
“We are posting all of the first-ever VholdR videos online,” explains Barros, “so that people can see the quality of VholdR video, and the merits of it’s rugged, hands-free design. VholdR was designed to shoot and share exciting action video. This is only the beginning. Our video sharing site will be unique, because the videos our camera owners will upload will be unique. The community of people on our Web site will be sharing something special: videos episodes from inside the action–their experiences from their point of view. We expect to see some amazing things.”
VholdR will ship with “Click-to-Share” software that automatically uploads video to the Twenty20 Web site and YouTube. Twenty20’s video sharing Web site, VholdR.com, is expected to be as unique as it’s camera.
Seattle-based Internet startup Twenty20 invents easy ways to “Shoot and Share” video in motion. Twenty20 products are sold through a network of sports retailers and also online. For more information, visit www.VholdR.com.
