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    Occupy Wall Street livestream uses consumer electronics for worldwide impact

    Occupy Wall Street livestream uses consumer electronics for worldwide impact

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    Using off-the-shelf consumer electronics, The Other 99 has attracted the attention of the world's media.

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    The next time you see an innocuous-looking dude taking pictures with his mobile phone, take note: he might actually be part of a fledgling media empire. Earlier this week, Fast Company ran a profile of The Other 99, a company founded by two Occupy Wall Street veterans who are using off-the-shelf electronics, including Samsung Galaxy S II phones and a $150 Energizer XPAL battery, to broadcast live video of the occupation via UStream. And the world has taken note: during one of the busier days at Zuccotti Park this month, the stream "drew more than 20,000 simultaneous viewers and 250,000 unique visitors," according to the article, and was rebroadcast by various news outlets, including Al Jazeera English. During the protests of November 17, the stream drew 737,000 unique viewers. Like all start-ups, the company is having money issues, trying to pay staff (currently consisting of four full-time volunteers) and raise funds for a documentary about the various Occupy protests around the country. In the mean time, the company has shown us what a few gadgets — and a lot of hard work — can do.