While having just a few hours of sleep before my 8am Comm class, my attention span was at an all-time low. However, when Wade Larson, Vice President of UrtheCast described UrtheCast’s platform as “…Google Earth…on steroids”, I was suddenly hit by my own version of Hurricane Sandy – my “eye” began to open, my brain was flooding with questions, and I was moving offshore to find some answers.
As Wane began to elaborate on UrtheCast’s “mashup” between YouTube and Google Earth, I began to see how HD live-video streaming could be the game-changer for a large potential audience – benefiting educators, humanitarians, and environmental organizations. Being an Earth and Ocean Sciences student myself, I can imagine the power of this tool in enriching the classroom learning experience.
In my long-run forecast, I see a huge potential for revenue generation through contracts involving news stations and the media; still, I have doubts about the initial success of this company. With that said, UrtheCast has incorporated the necessary components to prosper – they have the first-mover advantage and are allowing for their technology to be a social media outlet as well, appealing to our generation of social media addicts!