While most live streaming service providers offer software encoders that integrate tightly with their service, Livestream is the first to offer a standalone H.264 hardware encoder that operates without a computer connection and can transmit via 3G/4G

Jan Ozer passes on several key tips on framing panels and applying the rule of thirds (and when to break it) gleaned from his recent gig webcasting the national J Street conference on Israeli-Palestinian relations.

Blackmagic Design's H.264 Pro Recorder ($499) performs a small set of functions reasonably well, including archiving footage to H.264 format at its native resolution and producing H.264 files for Apple TV, the iPad/iPhone 4, and uploading to YouTube