I came across a review done by Kate Greene, of Technology Review, regarding a startup microblogging site that just launched at the end of July. 12 Seconds takes a different approach to microblogging in that they allow you to post a 12 second video about what you are doing instead of using text……..

“Using a Web camera or a cell-phone video camera, people record themselves doing anything–watching a football game at a bar, telling jokes, buying new shoes, playing with their child–and can upload it immediately to the Web, where others who subscribe to their videos get the update.”

Evidently, this free, easy, fun way of staying in touch with others is borrowing from the concepts of other microblogging sites such as Twitter and Plurk to tap into the successful microblogging niche. 12 Seconds founder Sol Lipman says;

“I think video as a medium is significantly more engaging than text,” Lipman notes. “If I’m at the bar with my friends, I want to show us having fun at the bar, not just text it.”

12 Seconds launched their “alpha” version of video microblogging on July 24th and invitations were accepted fast and furiously with over 7000 video uploads in a few days. Their plans for the future include more invitations and eventually offering software that will allow outside programmers to build applications using its technology. Sound familiar?

I like the idea of video microblogging, I really do, but my question is this, are people really going to watch video after video of those they are following?  I follow a lot of people on Twitter and Plurk and for the life of me, I can’t imagine having the time to watch their 12 second videos.

So, I requested an invite and have set up my account over at 12 Seconds. I tested it out and recorded a couple of videos. Unfortunately, my recordings left a little to be desired. Besides the fact that the sound was not a match to my mouth, it also sounded like I had a bad lisp. According to Hot Hardware, improvements are still taking place, which is a good thing because 12 Seconds has some work to do before any sign of viral activity takes place.

The site does have all the right ingredients to be a winner, however it will take a trip to Glamour Shots for me to really make the most of it and consider posting it to my blog. What do you think? Is 12 Seconds the next Twitter?