Coinciding with the increasing popularity of dashboard cameras, Rand McNally recently launched a new dash cam and companion app that delivers high-quality video and still photos, making it easier to save, organize and share images.
The new DashCam 500 offers a complementary companion app, which is available for iOS and Android smart phones.
The DashCam 500 is Rand McNally’s third stand-alone dashboard camera, having launched the first set of devices two years ago. Leveraging its connected vehicle technology, which features a variety of third-party and proprietary applications, Rand McNally developers engineered a dash cam that seamlessly transmits video and photos via Wi-Fi to a proprietary DashCam 500 app.
“We’ve seen strong demand for dash cameras the past few years,” said Stephen Fletcher, CEO of Rand McNally.
“This new device includes a host of proprietary features such as VideoKeeper and MapShots, which give existing dash cam users something new and better to use, as well as provides those who haven’t used such a product with a user-friendly model to begin.”
DashCam 500 features include:
- A Flashback button, which not only starts saving video but provides up to several minutes of preceding video; with this feature, drivers won’t have to worry that they’ve missed something;
- “G” sensor accident protection that automatically senses and then saves video footage when there’s an impact to the vehicle; the footage is saved with a time and date stamp – even when parked;
- A Smart phone app for both iOS and Android phones; with the app, users can view live videos from the camera, manage a gallery of still photos and video, change the camera settings, and – with the tap of a button – download and share captures to email, social media platforms, and texts;
- The Gallery on both the camera and app displays all of the videos and photos that have been recorded and saved. On these screens, users may view thumbnails of videos and photos, play back the videos, and delete them;
- Active VideoKeeper, which ensures that saved videos are never overwritten and are easily saved to the Gallery and/or downloaded to the app;
- MapShots, which uses the built-in GPS to show where a video was captured on a map when viewed on the app;
- Four dynamic touch-sensitive buttons along the bottom of the screen that allow you to navigate and control the functionality on the dash cam.
The DashCam 500 mounts to the windshield with a clip-in suction cup mount and records in 1080p on a continuous loop using an included, replaceable 16 GB SD card.