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Smartphone-controlled GoPro cams stream video to Web

It's unlikely that you'll have the opportunity to film yourself with 50 GoPro cameras like sponsored skater Ryan Sheckler, but now you can control multiple sports cameras placed right where you want them. GoPro Monday released its $100 Wi-Fi BacPac + Wi-Fi Remote Combo Kit, allowing users to film anything from terrain park tricks to their bust-a-move dance routines and stream the video right to the Internet. 

The kit makes it possible to control up to 50 GoPro cameras at a time using either a smartphone, tablet or the included waterproof Wi-Fi Remote.  

Users have been using GoPro cameras for years to capture their adventures by mounting a camera to a helmet or board during skating, snowing or surfing. Previously, users set the camera to record and later uploaded the footage to their computers. 

Now, they can place the cameras at different locations in a venue and control shooting from a wearable remote control (and soon, from their iPhone or Android device, which can live stream the video right to the Web).   

Pro skateboarder Ryan Sheckler shredded the streets of New York City from the top of the Manhattan Bridge through Chinatown, ending at the entrance to a Lower East Side skate park. No camera was mounted on his head or on the board. Fifty of them were positioned along his route. Watch:

For now, the kit comes with a remote that can be worn like a watch or hooked onto a belt loop to control the cameras. It's waterproof and can control up to 50 GoPro cameras at a time from a range of 600 feet. The Wi-Fi BacPac attaches to the back of a GoPro camera to make it Wi-Fi capable. 

Of course, your location will have to have Wi-Fi, but that's becoming increasingly common. Most terrain parks at big resorts have Wi-Fi, as well as larger skateparks. [Wi-Fi Roaming Tech Will Let You Hop Between Hotspots ]    

The company said it will soon release a free app for iPhone and Android so users can control cameras from their phone, [Americans Like Android Phone More than the iPhone ] giving them the ability to activate burst mode, preview footage and stream directly to their devices. The Wi-Fi BacPac is available from GoPro.com as well as retailers including Amazon.com, Best Buy, Target and most major sporting goods stores.


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