Ustream Live Broadcaster is the 1st app that can stream live video from the iPhone to the Net. It is free, and it works. Will society ever be the same? History may very well record that Knocking Live, which debuted with some fanfare last week, was the iPhone's first video-streaming app.
But only other the iPhone users can only watch the feeds; Ustream lets the world tune in. Indeed, in case you are unaware of the service, Ustream permits anybody with a Webcam to send out live video to a personal or public audience. In this situation, the iPhone acts as the Webcam; all that you need is a Wi-Fi or 3G connection. (If there isn't any connection available, you can record your video and upload it to the service later). And talking of 3G, the app works alongside both the iPhone 3G and the 3GS--impressive given the previous can't, on its own, record video.
Other advantages include a useful on-the-fly polling option (just tap your screen and spectators can right away log a "yes" or "no" vote), video sharing through Ustream and / or YouTube and Facebook, Twitter integration, and even the option to share your GPS location. In my fast tests of the Ustream app, it worked perfectly though it doesn't disable the iPhone's auto-off function, you have got to tap the screen every once in a while (or disable that function yourself before beginning your stream). It is going to be fascinating to find out how folks finish up using and the suspect abusing-this strong capacity. Ustream turns your iPhone into a little Television studio, in a position to broadcast live events anytime, anywhere. Which doesn't answer the question: does this create new privacy concerns? We already live in a society that pictures everything.
