GoPro Hero3+: Shock And Waterproof HD Cameras Keep Shrinking

GoPro has announced the HERO3+, two new additions to the lineup of extreme action cameras capable of being submerged under a few feet of snow or even facing a wall of water. The HERO3+ Black Edition is 20 percent smaller and even lighter than the HERO3 released last year.

GoPro says the HERO3+ models increase sharpness 33 percent over the previous generation, while cutting the number of digital artifacts in half. The GoPro HERO3+ cameras also have four times faster WiFi and the Black Edition (priced at $399.99) offers 30 percent longer battery life than the HERO3.

The new GoPro HERO3+ models allow for wireless video transfers to users’ smartphones, and the less expensive Silver Edition (priced at $299.99) is 15 percent smaller than last year’s model.

The company says three GoPro videos are uploaded to YouTube on average every minute. Television producer Mark Burnett, of “Survivor” and “The Bible” fame, said in a press release that the GoPro “has allowed us to capture and share fascinating new perspectives that previously weren’t possible.”

GoPro was founded by Nicholas Woodman. Woodman, at age 26, decided to travel around the world surfing after a failed startup of a marketing company. While trying to capture footage of himself catching waves with a 35mm camera attached to a rubber band, Woodman realized that he was in a similar quandary as other amateur photographers looking for ways to capture footage of extreme sports.

There were few solutions that were capable of capturing quality footage without breaking the bank, or breaking on impact. GoPro eventually became the go-to camera for sports from surfing to snowboarding and parachuting. Woodman remains CEO of GoPro, which was recently valued at $2.25 billion, making the 36-year-old a billionaire.

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