Wow, a gadget that I actually want.

[swag]

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/20/technology/personaltech/20pogue.html





It’s the Flip: a tiny, stripped-down video recorder the size of a digital camera (but you hold it vertically). And in the year since its invention, it has taken 13 percent of the camcorder market, according to its maker, Pure Digital. The latest model, called the Flip Ultra, had its debut six months ago with slightly improved video quality, greater capacity, a tripod mount and better looks (available in white, black, orange, pink and green). It’s been the best-selling camcorder on Amazon.com since the day of its debut.

Now, understanding the appeal of this machine will require you not just to open your mind, but to practically empty it. Because on paper, the Flip looks like a cheesy toy that no self-respecting geek would fool with, let alone a technology columnist.

The screen is tiny (1.5 inches) and doesn’t swing out for self-portraits. You can’t snap still photos. There are no tapes or discs, so you must offload the videos to a computer when the memory is full (30 or 60 minutes of footage, depending on whether you buy the $150 or $180 model). There are no menus, no settings, no video light, no optical viewfinder, no special effects, no headphone jack, no high definition, no lens cap, no memory card. And there’s no optical zoom — only a 2X digital zoom that blows up and degrades the picture. Ouch.

Instead, the Flip has been reduced to the purest essence of video capture. You turn it on, and it’s ready to start filming in two seconds. You press the red button once to record (press hard — it’s a little balky) and once to stop. You press Play to review the video, and the Trash button to delete a clip.

There it is: the entire user’s manual.

[suninvited]

1. Thanks for the heads up !

I think I want one, too. In fact, I might order one for my son, so I can get footage of my granddaugher since they are so far away.

[seemunkee]

2. It's predecesor was the one use camers they sold at CVS

I liked it for backpacking. Not the greatest quality but light and small enough to always have on hand.

[speedoo]

3. Pretty neat.

But I bet if you can wait a year or so, maybe even sooner, it will be available for well under $100. Either it or a copycat, because it appears to be very simple and easily copied.

I think it's basically a webcam with a memory card, a small screen, and a battery.