'Selfie Sticks' give New Perspective at Tech Show

Las Vegas, Jan 8 (AFP) "Selfie sticks"- the lightweight monopods which hold smartphones to get a better angle for self portraits are making the tech community look at things from a new perspective.

These devices became a hot item at this week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, where dozens of manufacturers and distributors were fielding orders to meet consumer demand. Priced as low as USD 5, the selfie sticks took some of the limelight in a show that features USD 10,000 television sets and other pricey hardware.

"They're flying off the shelves, they are one of our hottest items," said Katie Kunsman with the New Jersey-based manufacturer and wholesaler Motion Systems, at her booth at the Las Vegas tech gathering. Kunsman said the trend has taken off in the past few months, led by enthusiasts of extreme sports like rock climbing.

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"If you go rock climbing you can get a picture from a good angle hanging off a cliff," she said. The origins of the selfie stick are unclear. Some say the trend began in Asia, others point to the extreme sports community and similar devices made for the GoPro camera.

"When I go to a music event, everyone has one," said Aaron Sanchez at the stand for Mybat, a wholesaler of wireless accessories. "You can take pictures from different angles that you wouldn't be able to get otherwise, you can take group selfies. You can get everyone in the picture and you don't have to ask someone to take it." The selfie sticks extend the smartphone camera away from the user by up to about 1.5 meters (60 inches), providing a better angle than is possible by simply extending the device at arm's length.

Source: PTI