But capturing such a rare incident has gotten much more frequent thanks to technology many Americans aren’t too familiar with: the dashcam. Security cameras mounted on a car’s dashboard, always-on and recording in a loop over their own memory, are more prevalent throughout much of the world. Their use has spread, in large part, as a response to insurance policies in countries outside the U.S. which place a premium on video evidence. To protect against damage liability, drivers have turned to dashcams, which also capture sometimes amazing events such as the 2013 Russian Chelyabinsk meteor.
“In Russia, in particular, there are a lot more incidents of insurance fraud. Drivers would be intentionally wrecking into you for the sole intention of collecting that paycheck,” argues Andrew Aboudaoud, founder of Austin, Texas-based TheDashCamStore.com, an online outlet for the devices which sells to customers around the worl. Aboudaoud says incidents of that sort in the U.S. aren’t nearly as prevalent as they are elsewhere in the world.
Russians, in particular, seemed to have fervently adopted the technology. In fact, they’ve become so popular in Russia that you could spend days watching video compilations of Russian car accidents. In the case of Taiwan, there’s the added incentive that many dashcams are manufactured in the country, mainland China and Korea, making them cheap and popular. The TransAsia crash is only one in a long line of viral Taiwanese dashcam videos, which including gas explosions and landslides.
Top 10 Tech Product Designs of 2014
Nest
Acquired by Google in Jan. 2014, Nest Labs wants to turn your home into a smart device. The home automation system includes Internet-connected smoke detectors and thermostats, which have screens and chic, round designs — a huge design boost for devices that haven't really changed in recent decades. Aya Brackett—NestDJI Inspire 1
The latest DJI quadcopter retains the simple style that's made their drones so popular, but adds 4K video capability — and the ability to transmit the HD video wirelessly to an on-the-ground devices. A new ground-facing camera also allows Inspire 1 to fly steadily to keep the video footage clean.DJIiPhone 6 and 6 Plus
Bigger is better, or so the critics cried, calling for Apple to make a supersized phone. That was before Apple quieted them with the release of the iPhone 6 Plus in September, the company’s largest iPhone ever. With an alluring 5.5-inch display that makes it feel something like a portable iPad, the phone is is a challenge to Samsung’s larger models. Along with a powerful 8-megapixel camera and longer battery life, the phone is more a statement than an answer.AppleOsmo Tangram
Tired of seeing your kids staring at screens like zombies? This iPad game brings virtual play to life. A reflector equipped with artificial intelligence snaps over your iPad's camera and can sense when objects are moving (or being drawn) on a pad in front of it. Osmo comes with three games, all of which promote creativity and—because it’s best played in groups—social intelligence. The best way to understand how Osmo works is by watching the video of kids who have never played with the device before testing it out for the first time.OsmoTesla 2014 Model S
Tesla 2014 Model S has been praised both for its luxury feel and high-tech interior. The electric car offers instantaneous acceleration from a stop, a function very few other cars on the market provide. TeslaJawbone's UP3 Wristband
Depending on your view, Jawbone is on the road to making us all super fit athletes or brutally efficient cyborgs who operate by data alone. How many minutes of REM sleep did I get last night? What’s the difference between my heart rate while resting and during a workout? How hydrated am I? How many calories did I burn on my last run? Jawbone UP3 answers all those questions better than any other Jawbone did before. The $179 wearable fits on your wrist and comes in black and silver.JawboneSquare Stand
The iPad holder and credit card reader launched last year with the goal of transforming an iPad into a point-of-sale. The sleek, white stand also offers an enhanced credit card reader, and can be adapted to include a cash register.Square Nerf Rebelle Rapid Red Blaster
Last year, Nerf decided to even the battlefield and create a new line of guns, arrows and crossbows specifically for girls. The resulting Nerf Rebelle line takes a cue from the success of The Hunger Games: The box is covered with tweens styled like that series' hero, Katniss Everdeen.HasbroOculus Rift Crescent Bay
The latest Oculus Rift prototype, Crescent Bay, marks one step further before the commercial release of the virtual reality handset. Crescent Bay features upgrades like 360-degree head tracking, a lighter weight, and high-quality audio. Lucky participants in the demos recalled the mind-boggling immersion in the scenes they were watching. The consumer version, Oculus Rift, is expected to launch as early as April 2015.Oculus VRQualcomm WiPower
Sick of tangled phone charging cables? Qualcomm WiPower allows you to power up your phone without plugging it in — a function that, to most people, is basically magic. The wireless charging pad eliminates the fuss of power chords, while also allowing you to turn everyday furniture like tables and chairs into charging surfaces.Qualcomm
Some mainstream American brands are trying to make the devices, which can cost between $50 and $300, trendy at home. “We have great insurance processes here in the U.S., but more and more, the questionable insurance claims and fraudulent situations are climbing,” claims Rhonda Marsh of GiiNii, an authorized licensee of Polaroid’s new dashcams.
The continuing drop in price and size of video-recording equipment is likely to make this kind of surveillance more widespread. “Cameras and the way technology is these days, are very, very useful for the public to tell their side of the story,” says Jacob Crawford, co-founder of We Copwatch. Or, they may simply catch an unexpected event tailor-made to go viral.
