Newsgathering using SmartPhones

In the recent past, Content to Mobile was the magic phrase everybody talked about. Our latest NewsGate release (called NewsGate Mobile) however, turns this hype upside down: With a special SmartPhone Add-On module, reporters can now use their SmartPhone to record news and instantly transfer the AV material via the central NewsGate system to the stations content archive.

There is one simple answer to how this works: easy and extremely fast! The reporter in the field shoots a picture or records an audio/video item. He opens the special NewsGate Applet on his smartphone and after filling in the customized upload form and - if desired - adding some notes, he uploads the item to the central broadcast station without delay. No cables, no cards just send it through the air! The upload form is configurable and can be user group specific.

BBC Worldservice
The module was developed on special request from BBC Worldservice, but is available to any existing NewsGate user (or those wishing to become NewsGate user). The first Smartphone applet is designed for the Nokia N95/N97 smartphone, but other popular brands will follow soon.

GPS information
The possibility to include the GPS coordinates automatically within the metadata may open up new usage possibilities. The coordinates reveal the exact location of the capturing of the material and can be archived together with the material. With automated lookup mechanisms, it is possible to translate the GPS coordinates into Country, Region, City information or even more detailed.

Crowd gathering
Why not let ‘the crowd’ gather the news for you? Allow your listeners/viewers to upload pictures, movies, audio recordings from newsworthy happenings to a public NewsGate server: the included GPS coordinates are a great help for you, to – more or less automatically – determine and monitor the practical value of any uploaded item. The technology is here!