Press Release
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EarthCam Announces Industry Leader Releases 7th Annual Selection of World's Best Internet Cameras FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE New York, December 22, 2005 -- EarthCam, the world's favorite webcam network and recognized authority on the Internet camera industry, has released its seventh annual list of the world's best webcams. This year's 25 Most Interesting Webcams (www.earthcam.com/top25) includes a global cornucopia of live cameras from countries that include Africa, Austria, Egypt, England, France, French Polynesian Islands, Japan, Spain, Sweden and the United States. These unique live Internet cameras offer viewers access to the Great Pyramids, koala and panda bears, swimming piranhas and African elephants. Other webcams invite you to tour Valencia, Spain via 50 scenic network cameras, witness being booked into jail or even tour Elvis' Graceland mansion. "Since we began our Top 25 list in 1999, the Internet has literally exploded with live webcam images from the global community," said Brian Cury, founder and CEO of EarthCam. "Internet cameras have become a viable and pervasive communication medium for education, entertainment and tourism marketing. We applaud the producers of this compelling content, and this year's list of the 25 Most Interesting Webcams is our most diverse and international to date." The 25 Most Interesting Webcams were chosen by a panel of EarthCam producers who selected the best out of hundreds of popular webcam nominees. Generated by submissions from individual webcam owners, fans and EarthCam researchers throughout the year, many of the nominees were featured in EarthCam's weekly Top 10 List. The criteria used for judging included quality of the image, uniqueness of the content and overall technical achievements in webcam technology. Top 25 Most Interesting Webcams (in alphabetical order): Africa Webcams - This website features a collection of stunning live wildlife images from around the world with time-lapse replays, fast refresh, message boards, animal guides and image highlights. It is one of the most comprehensive educational wildlife websites available. Alaska DMV - For the first time a webcam perfectly captures the ennui, boredom and tedium we’ve all experienced waiting in line at a local department of motor vehicles. Now you can experience it all over again as a vicarious spectator. Boston University - The Boston University website is an excellent example of how educational institutions can utilize high quality real time streaming video webcams to show the public their on campus experience. British Antarctic Research Vessel Cam - This webcam takes us to a place where few have ventured, bringing us stunning desolate polar icecap images from the bottom of the world in Antarctica with its ever shifting cloud patterns and skies. ClickItOn Interactive Live Webcam Lights – This site offers a fun twist on an ordinary home webcam located in Mesa, Arizona. The ClickItOn webcam allows users to turn on and off a variety of living room lights. Eiffel Tower Cam - This site features the most gorgeous, unobstructed and unmatched streaming video portrait views of the historic Eiffel Tower, a man-made marvel of 19th century engineering. Graceland Cam - In one of the most comprehensive tour sites of its kind, two live webcams and twelve 360 degree virtual tours capture the majesty, opulence and questionable taste of Graceland mansion. Located in Memphis, Tennessee, Graceland is the home of the late Elvis Presley, one of the world’s most famous and beloved performers. Hawaii Transportation Services Webcams - An excellent department of transportation state website with unique and entertaining live streaming video of Waikiki beach in front of the Duke Kahanamoku Statue and Kuhio Beach. Enjoy the music and observe the constant stream of tourists. Inside the Bullring Webcam - Live from Birmingham, England is a very unique wide angle bird’s-eye view of the bustling multi-level Bullring, the city’s newest 21st century shopping destination boasting more than 140 shops and kiosks. JailCam - If you ever wondered what it’s like to be booked into jail, here’s a very unique opportunity to see live webcam images from inside Tennessee’s Anderson County Sheriff’s Department jail. But be warned: instances of violence or inappropriate behavior by detainees may occur on camera. Koala Cam - This webcam shows a live view of the Koala exhibit at the Riverbank Zoo in South Carolina. It is one of the sharpest, most color accurate, highest quality streaming video examples available on the Internet today. L.A. County Beaches - This site has the one of the most comprehensive, informative and picturesque collections of live beach images from the Los Angeles County, from Catalina Island in the south to Malibu and Zuma Beach up north. Le Meridien Grand Pacific Tokyo Webcam - This elegant hotel website allows you to remote control a robotic camera to capture impressive panoramic views of Tokyo. You can zoom in on the Tokyo Tower, Rainbow Bridge and the airport from this unique webcam. Live Piranha Webcam - One of the most atmospheric, murky and menacing live streaming video views inside a fish tank of hungry piranhas. Meersburg Cams - Two webcams images combine to produce a unique extra-large portrait view of beautiful downtown historical Meersburg, Germany. A photo gallery of seasonal cultural highlights and local German architecture round out this excellent tourism site. PandaCam - From perhaps the most heartwarming webcams on the Internet, meet giant mother panda Mei Xiang and her cub Tai Shan as they play, eat and sleep via a live streaming webcam from the Smithsonian National Zoological Park in Washington, D.C. Pyramid Cam - This website features the most breathtaking images of the timeless Great Pyramids of Egypt, one of the seven wonders of the world. Dramatic time-lapse movies are combined with stunning images showing the interplay of clouds, sky and sunlight during all hours of the day and night. Raleigh Convention Center Construction Cams - This one of a kind website allows you to witness the construction of the new Raleigh Convention Center through multiple views from a live robotic webcam and a high-definition megapixel camera. Salzburg Cam - This website features the most unique and comprehensive collection of beautiful live robotic camera images of the city of Salzburg, Austria taken from the Hotel Kobenzl nestled in the hills above the city. An archive of wide-screen panoramas gives a breathtaking view of the city with the mountains in the distance. San Francisco - This webcam is outstanding for its unique and expansive view of San Francisco bay, the Golden Gate Bridge, historic Alcatraz Island and the Pier from the heart of the San Francisco Maritime National Historical Park. Skelleftea, Sweden - An excellent example of gorgeous live real time streaming video from the picturesque Swedish city of Skelleftea. St. Thomas - This webcam has one of the best bird’s-eye views on the Internet of the beach, luxury cruise ships and yachts docked in the harbor of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Tahiti Nui Travel Webcams - These dazzling webcams offer the ultimate escape to the exotic and beautiful tropical French Polynesian islands of Tahiti, Moorea, Bora Bora, Manihi and Tahaa. Along with video highlights and photo galleries of the beaches, ports and tourist attractions, these webcams give us a glimpse of paradise. Tropical Isle & The Funky Pirate Live Webcam - In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, we chose this live view of Bourbon Street in the historic French Quarter of New Orleans to chronicle the revitalization of an American treasure. Valencia, Spain - In one of the most ambitious and far reaching tourism webcam projects to date, fifty cameras capture the beauty, diversity and breathtaking scope of the land and seacoast of Valencia in Spain. Translated into seven languages, this site makes a compelling argument to visit this region of the world. EarthCam’s next featured event is the December 31st live webcast from Times Square of the 2006 New Year’s celebration (http://newyears.earthcam.com) sponsored by Panasonic. EarthCam.com is the leading network of live webcams and offers the most comprehensive search engine of webcams from around the world. EarthCam provides complete infrastructure services to manage, host and maintain live streaming video camera systems for its consumers and corporate clients. Clients include MSN, Yahoo!, Sprint, Sony Ericsson, Coca Cola, Panasonic, Ford, NASA, Samsung, Pfizer, JetBlue, This Old House and Discovery.com. As the foremost provider of live images on the Internet, EarthCam webcasts events such international concerts, Miss Hawaiian Tropic pageants, Mardi Gras, New Year's Eve in Times Square and the Super Bowl for the NFL. Visit EarthCam at www.earthcam.com. ### |
