#ffffff; display: block; color: #000000; font-weight: normal; font-size: 10px; text-decoration: underline; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Video streaming by Ustream Apologies for the ad applied by uStream!

Video Caption: Jason Eppink's uStream channel on April 25, 2012 at 11:21am (start at four minutes in). Note the quality and consistency of the streaming aerial video. The stream stopped because the phone's battery (which was already in the red when we started) ran out.

Lots of folks have been testing aerial video, either simply recording it locally for viewing once the balloon is pulled down, or more recently, for streaming over the internet. To stream live video, people have been flying phones or other network-connected devices. Several services have been tried: Skype video calls, GMail video chat, and uStream. Two networks have been tried: cell (3G and 4G), and WiMax (Clear Channel). Three locations are known to have been tried by Public Lab folks: Where2.0 2012 in California, Central Park in Manhattan, and the Open Plans / Vizzuality rooftop in Lower Manhattan.

So far, the best (and only viable) result has been with an android phone, specifically the Galaxy Nexus on Verizon's 4G LTE network, connecting to uStream.