GoPro has released of the HD HERO 960, a $179 wearable digital HD video camera designed for sports and active use:

Designed for attaching to your body, head, helmet, and favorite gear, the HD HERO line of sports cameras makes it easy to capture professional quality HD video of you and your friends in action. A wide array of mounting accessories ranging from chest harnesses to head straps, pole mounts to surfboard mounts make it easy to capture incredible footage normally only seen in professional productions.

The GoPro is an interesting line of cameras – inspiring a subculture of extreme sports videoblogging. If you do a search on YouTube or other video sites for “gopro“, there now are hundreds of examples of first-person action footage shot with GoPro cameras.

The cameras feature tough housings, designed for the abuse of extreme sports, and extreme environments, including snow and water. The 960 also comes with a couple of specialized mounts:

• Head Strap – Allows you to wear the camera like a headlamp. You can also pull this strap over helmets.
• Flat and Curved Surface Adhesive Baseplates – Baseplate adheres onto a flat or curved surface for a click on and quick release mounting.

The HD HERO 960 is an entry level version of the company’s 1080p HD HERO, sharing the same video and audio capture technology but with resolutions on the 960 limited to 960p (1280 x 960) and 720p (1280 x 720) at 30 frames per second, and WVGA (848 x 480) at 60 frames per second. The HD HERO 960 also is less expandable than its big brother.