Back even before I started openly carrying my sidearm when I was out in public, helpful folks like Pol Mordreth strongly recommended that I invest in an audio recorder and carry it around with me in case I am ever hassled by anyone, and especially anyone in a uniform. Unfortunately, I have been slacking, and have not actually picked up such a toy yet, but I am happy to say that the only time I regret not doing so was right after my conversation with a Canadian regarding open carry.
However, it might appear as though my slacking is not without its merits… Thanks to Joe Huffman being an early adopter, I know now about video recording sunglasses, which, as John Hardin already pointed out, would be absolutely fantastic for open carriers concerned about law enforcement interactions.
I do have a few quibbles with the product (their webpage says their lenses are polarized, while the picture of the box indicates they are “Polaroid” (which, I will grant, is an amusing error, but makes me concerned about the rest of the product’s quality control), and the price is a bit steep, though I guess not for what you are getting… and I hear that if you use the coupon code of “Tori”, you get $30 off your order), but the video quality seems decent, the concept is definitely welcome, and the applications for it are endless.
If nothing else, this product is an outstanding first attempt at an integrated sunglasses+video camera technology, and hopefully, as interest in these things undoubtedly increases, other companies will pick up the idea and run with it. Or, at least, whoever builds these will invest in a copywriter…
Update: Two days in, the glasses broke. If you want something similar, at a third the cost, and with probably similar durability, WizardPC found your hook-up.
I like the idea of the video recording sunglasses, although I find the first thing the police tell you to do is take off your sunglasses when you’re talking to them. Telling them “no” is only going to make your dealing with them worse. You can tell a lot buy watching a persons eyes when you’re talking to them.
They also come with clear safety lenses. I think yellow might also be available.
My one concern with this is getting caught in the goofy wire-tapping laws in the country. Very odd legal circumstances you can get in recording your own day-to-day life if somebody who gets captured in voice or image doesn’t like it.
You could just buy them directly from China for about $200 cheaper.
I’ve purchased from that site before. Couple of times.
@Mike-ENDOtactical – ‘Tis true, but so long as they are on and recording, you are at least still getting an audio record of the events, which is sometimes all you need, and assuredly better than nothing.
@Joe Huffman – I see some wicked low-light shooting videos in the future…
@Weer’d Beard – Yeah, I should have made that more clear in my original post. Here in Tennessee, so long as one party is aware of the recording (like, say, you), you can record any conversation you like (and as long as you are not a cop acting in official duties, and a few other oddities). That is not the same for all states, though, and people should be very cautious what they record and how.
I wonder how it would work if you talked to someone across a state line while wearing one of those…
@wizardpc – Good call, especially with Joe’s pair apparently having a bad day. We have ordered a few things from them as well, and as long as you understand exactly what you are buying, everyone is good to go.