#e-power

Here at MO we’ve become fans of the new kid in the action camera room – Insta360. As the brand name implies, its specialty is 360-degree cameras which allow the user to capture all the action surrounding the camera, and decide after the fact which elements of the action they’d like to feature in their video. The beauty of this is that you never miss the action because the camera was mounted or pointed in the wrong direction. We’ve previously tested Insta’s One X, One R Modular 360 camera, and the tiny GO 2 pocket action camera.

We’ve previously reviewed the Insta360 One X action camera. The One X was launched in October 2018 and is capable of shooting 5.7K 30fps 360 video, with features such as Flow-State Stabilization, slow motion at lower frame rates, Bullet-Time video, and more. The camera comes with an easy-to-use and elegantly-designed phone app and desktop app which gives the user absolute control of what portion of a 360 view around the camera they would like to highlight.

“Smart” technology: it’s a buzzword that tells you a device is enhanced in some way, usually by connectivity to other devices. Odds are your helmet is dumb: it’s just a helmet. But in an era of smartphones, houses, appliances, cars and even eyeglasses, odds are you want your helmet to do more than just protect your melon from wind, weather, or bouncing off the ground. 

Okay, raise your hand if you’ve ever whiled away an evening watching those ubiquitous Russian dash-cam videos. They can be, quite literally, a train wreck from which we simply can’t avert our eyes. Well, technology is making it possible to take people’s selective (and biased) memories out of the blame assessment process for motorcycle accidents, too. Or, maybe, you just want to post your hero videos from your latest ride or track day for your friends to view online. (Just make sure it doesn’t become fodder for your entry into the Darwin Awards.) Either way, the Innovv K1 Motorcycle Camera offers a reasonably priced, permanently mounted camera/DVR system available for motorcyclists.

Sena has been on a tear, lately. The Bluetooth communication company threw down the gauntlet with the release of the Sena 20S Motorcycle Bluetooth Communication System, bringing class-leading features and ease-of-use to the helmet communicator market. Then, back in December, Sena jumped into the action-camera fray with its Prism Bluetooth Action Camera featuring a unique Bluetooth audio recording capability. It might seem logical to sit back and let these two products gather market share. Instead, Sena has released a product that combines many of the key features of the 20S and Prism into one package that checks in at $349 – significantly less than the 20S/Prism combo, even with the recently lowered Prism price.

Action cameras have moved beyond their infancy, and much like the shift in language from calling all paper copies Xeroxes, they are no longer referred to by the brand name that made them ubiquitous. Regardless, GoPro remains the 800-lb. gorilla in the action-camera world, making the challenge for every new entry into the market to find a way to differentiate themselves. Sena entered this market late last year with its Prism camera adding to an already impressive line of Bluetooth communication devices. We’ve tested several Sena products and have been impressed with their quality in this quickly developing market.

What’s a scrambler? In decades past, a scrambler was a street motorcycle stripped down and optimized for off-road use by way of swapping-in high-pipes, wider handlebars, semi-knobby tires, and differently styled fenders, seat and tank. Sometimes, it was an unmodified street model given a scrambler or street scrambler designation. In essence, it’s a cool name meant to convey agile sportability regardless of the bike’s dirt or street intentions.