An oGo is a system of devices that let's you record, share and re-live your life experiences. Formerly referred to as "LifeTivo," this system can evolve because it is a public domain invention (not patented) and can use a variety of components from many manufacturers.

I think that the oGo is the next step in the logical progression of consumer behavior, as we desire to share our experiences with others. Witness concert-goers snapping cameraphone pics and short video clips and sharing them with friends at home, live.

I created a list of people in my personal address book that have seen the first prototype oGo screen / system or who I thought would be interested in keeping track of the oGo as it evolves. If you do not wish to receive further updates about the oGo, please just reply to this email and I will remove you from the list.

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I will soon start a wiki website called http://evolvethis.com and the first thing to evolve is the oGo, beginning with the oGo Screen.

The oGo Screen is a personal rearview mirror on a headset boom that is transparent yet reflective, also curved. In use, it floats about 3" in front of your mouth. You see an image of your face and a wide angle view of what is behind you. Awesome for snapping camera phone pics (or video!) to share not only what you are seeing, but a picture of your face superimposed with your own facial expression (and lip movement).

When combined with mobile phone video calls, GPS, and head tracking, it has the potential to create the experience of actually being somewhere you are not (virtual reality). By focusing a temple-mounted camera on the oGo Screen, a wireless PC/PDA/phone in your backpack or pocket could track your eyes (and your line of sight). With some processing and a temple-mounted laser, it could project text or evenually video on the oGo Screen based on what you are looking at... look at your wrist, there is the time, look at a face, there is your notes about that client, etc. There are tons of future applications. Alternatively, I just read about a tiny projector that can project images through the lens of your eye, directly onto your retina -- that would also work -- different variations of the oGo will evolve to use the best components available.

The best part is that people can quickly and easily make their own oGo Screen out of cheap sunglass lenses, floral stem wire, soda straws and an old baseball hat. I am currently making a second prototype out of a telescoping metal pointer and probably a telephone headset. The prototype is fun to use now, even without any electronics attached. You can hold the lense of your camera phone (or mini-DV camcorder, as I have been doing) up to your temple and record away.

The idea behind evolvethis.com is that if we share inventions and improvements openly in the public domain without patent or copyright, we can advance and improve the inventions very rapidly, for everyone's benefit. I intend to keep the instructions for how to make your own oGo Screen freely available on the website and encourage people to make improvements and share them. I will sell kits with the raw materials on eBay for people that don't want to run around and pick up the items themselves. Also I intend to test and make recommendations for complete oGo systems, and sell the whole system as kits.

If someone else makes a better kit or improves on the instructions with a new version, great. I'll keep photos, links and instructions for people selling kits for various different versions on evolvethis.com, ranking them by page views or votes. Meanwhile, I will come up with more new inventions (I have too many as it is). If someone comes up with a better way to run an evolving invention website... well, hopefully they will hire me to work for them. Or... there is always the next idea to work on. :-)

I'll send out the next email when evolvethis.com is up and running with photos and video of (and from!) the prototypes, including free instructions to make your own!

One question: I am looking for a tiny USB webcam on the end of a flexible snake, preferably with a clip and a light built-in.... any ideas? The ones I have found so far are pretty bulky. I have enough stuff strapped to my head as it is! Or maybe I could use a button-hole spy camera and capture the analog video.

The oGo's battery life is a concern. I was looking at the new Sony VAIO TR3SP mini-notebook with the available extended battery pack. I figure that with the screen closed and some hacking it could record MPEG-4 video directly to a DVD-R in my backpack. Does the TR3 have analog video in?

Wait until you see the video of the security guards in the shopping mall telling me to stop recording -- coming soon!

Whenever I write these ideas down I post them on whynot.net and my website(s) to establish "prior art," in an attempt to prevent someone from patenting the oGo. I seriously considered filing for a patent and then releasing it into the public domain, but I strongly believe that the entire patent and copyright system is a net harm to society and I feel that I would be a hypocrite for using it at all.

Nate

My ongoing search for the best way to record my life...

I am trying to strap something to myself that will record (and even transmit) good quality audio and video of everything I experience. Ideally, the battery would last all day.

Looking for components to help me do this, I am leaning toward a super compact laptop for its storage, connectivity and multimedia compatibility (versus an iPod-like device), perhaps using a USB webcam and mics, or perhaps just starting with audio-only and still photos from a bluetooth camera phone. Actually I'd like to test all these configurations.

At the same time, I am looking for new career, so my resume is below and attached. I would like to run a free website where I document and test various devices rigged up for the above purpose, but I could really use an investor to get started. $50,000 would allow me to do it right, including some contract work from artists and programmers, but even $10,000 could work. I am experienced in digital multimedia technology, running websites and building online communities... and I have several connections that will help.

The website would no doubt get plenty of free publicity. As an example, the website that I run part-time from my own server at home (it is moving to professional host shortly) is http://betterdifferent.com, a full-time site of mine would be even more professional and visually engaging, using Flash, etc. I am also planning to run a website devoted to reviewing and promoting new uses for wiki website technology (http://n8johnson.editme.com) - I just started it a few days ago.

I look forward to hearing what you think about this idea, and any ideas you have about the best ways try to "record my life." We unofficially called it LifeTiVo, since ideally you'd be able to rewind your experience to recall that guy's name you met on the elevator, but a new name was needed and it is here: oGo.

This idea is firmly in the public domain, we developed it on Whynot.net, here: Perfect Personal Audio [and video] Memory

-------My Resume / CV.

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