It's CES 2024 time, so that means we are about to see a deluge of weird and wonderful products, that will in likelihood never make it to market. However getting in there before the show has even got into full swing, Belkin has unveiled one of the coolest vlogging and steaming accessories I have seen yet – and even better, you can buy it soon!
The Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro is an AI-powered camera assistant stand that can sit on your desk, and follow your movements so you are always kept in frame. If you are a particularly animated vlogger or streamer, or just can’t sit still during a video call, then this might just be the thing for you.
The stand works with DockKit – an Apple addition in iOS 17 that pretty much went under most people’s radar. DockIt is an API that iPhone apps can hook into that allows the iPhone camera face and body tracking smarts to communicate with accessories like the Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro for automatic motorized tracking.
The Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro can track 360º of horizontal movement, freeing you to walk around the room, and has up to 90º of horizontal tilt to track you as you stand up and sit down. The stand can be powered from a wall socket or has a rechargeable battery promising up to 5 hours of battery life for creativity or meetings on the go, and an LED light keeps you informed of when it is recording.
The Auto-Tracking Stand Pro has a built-in MagSafe charger so you can charge your device at the same time as streaming or chatting when the Stand is plugged into a 15W charger, and there is a 5ft USB-C cable and 30W power supply supplied in the box.
Currently, the Auto-Tracking Stand Pro is pegged to work with FaceTime, Instagram, TikTok, Canva, WhatsApp, Microsoft Teams, as well as other social media apps or messaging platforms. As more developers get to grips with the new tech we can likely expect to see more apps and accessories in this space soon.
The Belkin Auto-Tracking Stand Pro will cost $179.99 and be available to pre-order later this month from Belkin’s website, with shipping starting soon after that.
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