The idea of a camera to monitor your driving and if someone crashes into you is something many drivers can get behind, but if you’re not game to grab some new hardware, there’s a software solution for your phone coming along.
Developed by Uniden, the idea is to embrace the smartphones we’re all using today, which if you drive anywhere in Australia, legally have to be in a hands-free attachment in your car.
With many of these attachments sitting in the middle of a windscreen, Uniden has come up with the neat idea of taking advantage of the rear smartphone camera, turning an iPhone or Android handset into what is essentially a black box.
The Crash Cam app takes advantage of a phone’s motion sensors to automatically start recording when any sudden movements are detected, recording audio and video the moment it happens, with the quality available in both standard definition and Full HD, for as much as one, two, five, or up to twelve minute recordings.
Your speed is also recorded, alongside time and data stamps, and if you’re feeling like someone who wants to share, the footage can sent online over Facebook, Twitter, and email.
Uniden’s Crash Cam app, which is available on iOS for $4.49 and is coming to Google’s phones from March 1, isn’t quite the device that other “crash cameras” are, as the regular video-recording black boxes for your car are meant to be left in your car at all times, even when you’re not there, which isn’t something you’re likely to do with a smartphone.
Still, the idea could be a good way for someone to try out the whole “crash cam” concept without spending on the full package, especially since you may already have the phone, and just need the software to make this work.
