The LyfieEye is a new, tiny plug-in camera from startup eCapture that promises to make your life easier. For starters, it plugs directly into your phone. That means there are no batteries to charge it, and no Bluetooth syncing required .At around $150, it's also one of the most affordable 360-degree camera options.
During testing, the connection between the two cameras (front and rear) appeared seamless. Its HD image quality isn't as sharp as some of its competitors, but it's adequate for Facebook Live.
LyfieEye's app shows a live image of what the camera is capturing and allows you to compress and post your creations directly to the social network of your choice when you're done.
The app also lets you edit your videos, but a future update may let you narrow the scope of your footage to a narrower view, said Sherwayn Tan, vice president of eCapture. “Sometimes you want to film everything around you except yourself if you’re shy.”.
The only disappointment? LyfieEye is only for Android. Tan explained that Apple has stricter requirements and it would require a lot of modifications to be compatible with iPhones, so eCapture decided to focus solely on Android.
The first batch of LyfieEyes is ready to ship, and the company's Kickstarter campaign has raised $53,957 – double its goal.
The camera is also available for online , and eCapture is considering making them available for retail sale in cities in Asia and North America.
Tan said he's interested in developing 3D sensing photography technology in the future. While the scene is still in its infancy, there could be early demand from the design industry for cameras that allow you to digitally model an object so you can print a 3D copy right away.
