New Citizen-Journalist Tool

Kodak has announced the release of the world's first computer-less, wireless digital camera. In cooperation with T-Mobile, users can take pics and directly upload them to the Internet via any wi-fi hotspot available. It's got middlin' features and a high price ($500), but it's small and can send pictures to the 'Net anywhere.

It means folks who have these cameras can get their pictures of breaking news to the public with unbelievable speed. Combine this with a laptop and you have the beginnings of the citizen-militia of journalism.

The ability to get raw, unfiltered, complete information to the public directly, rather than through the biased and time-delayed professional media is here. The next step is to get a network of high-profile Internet sites widely known to the general public, so they know where to look when they want the direct view, or the full record, of events in their community.

It's all so close I can almost taste it.