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Comment by jonknee | Hacker News Reader

You mean cameras from the crowd? They have no effect other than to look cool (opening ceremonies at the Olympics come to mind). It's mostly people not knowing how to operate their camera or a general lack of photography knowledge.

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Here's an idea: An app that links all the wireless phone/cameras in an arena and syncs the flashes. Phone buzzes, you hold it up (with everyone else), they all flash. You could even spell out words or do the wave. Or play Conway's Life.

Unless it's already patented.

Coldplay uses something similar:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=_...

Not phone based though, which is a good thing if my experience in using phones in high capacity crowds is typical.

This is neat, thanks. They're called Xylobands, flash in sync with the music and are radio controlled via a transmitter and laptop that the company rents you for your event. http://xylobands.com/glowbands-product_info.php

That would be cool! (although probably banned from games if it got too popular...) Or you could synchronize loads of phones so they take photos at the same time and reconstruct a Matrix style 360 photo-model of a point in the game :oP

In most arenas, professional photographers have access to the built in strobe lights. You can notice (if you pay attention) to the flashing of the lights when professional is snapping pictures. They typically have little antennas on the top of the camera, so the flash is automated with the shutter. This is most noticeable at hockey or basketball games, where the arena is much smaller and the lights are closer.

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