It's May 2, and in London, the Duchess of Cambridge has entered St. Mary's hospital to give birth to her second child. CNN Royal Correspondent Max Foster is waiting just outside in a crowded press area. He can't do much on TV until the baby is born. Instead, he turns to his phone -- clamped to a mini-tripod perched atop a trash bin -- and chats with thousands of royal fans via livestreaming app Periscope.
One million users joined Periscope in its first 10 days on the iPhone app store. Today, the Twitter-owned platform is two months old and has just launched a version for Android. And, like any new social media platform, it's at the center of multiple legal and ethical controversies. Here's how Periscope is shaking things up:
Access
The whole concept of Periscope is to virtually pick you up and plop you somewhere you would never be if it weren't for the app. Via Periscope, you could get a front-row seat to Wills and Kate leaving St. Mary's with newborn Princess Charlotte. During his live stream from the hospital, Foster even used the app to tip off viewers when something important was about to happen so they could get to their TVs and watch in high-def.
"There was a point where I was getting an update; I was basically told that Prince William was going to come out of the hospital," said Foster. "I said, OK, I've got an update coming up in a moment, I can't tell you what it is, but turn on CNN and you'll be able to see it. And I think people did, because then they came back to me saying: 'Thanks for the tipoff.' "
The Freddie Gray protests against police in Baltimore also showed how valuable Periscope can be for watching news as it unfolds. Guardian journalist Paul Lewis spoke to people in the streets via Periscope, giving them an unfiltered platform to share directly with his audience what they thought of the situation. Unencumbered by large TV cameras, Lewis was able to livestream as he moved around the city, bringing viewers powerful images like a community housing project going up in flames.
On a lighter note, you can also use Periscope to accompany a celebrity to Friday night drinks or go behind the scenes on a TV show. Ellen DeGeneres, Mariah Carey, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Hardwick and Tyra Banks are among celebs who use Periscope to connect with their fans. Other celebs like Madonna use Meerkat, a similar live-streaming app. So if you've ever wanted to see what it's like to walk out from backstage onto the set of a late night talk show, you can on Periscope.
One thing about Periscope: It's not a passive medium. Viewers aren't just watching; they're totally involved in the broadcast.
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