Our resident in-house gadget geek and software beta tester, Ian Darby, will be writing about a new hot product every Tuesday! Ian is a hot-shot sales aficionado at a big-name electronics store that shall remain nameless. You can look forward to reading his reviews and recommendations about new must-have guilty techno-pleasures.
He will take the helm next Tuesday, so let me pave the way by telling you all about MY latest tech craving:
The Flip MinoHD Camcorder. (about $230)
You’ve probably seen the commercials, or the banner ads around the internet: this thing is everywhere. Believe me though, it SHOULD be! It’s pretty darn amazing. It’s only slightly bigger than most USB thumb drives, it weighs 3.3 ounces, takes stunning 30fps 1280×720 HD video, 16:9 widescreen aspect ratio, starts recording in less than 3 seconds from boot up, has a rechargeable battery, and more.
As you can see, you can customize the look of your MinoHD with custom pictures, preset designs, a pattern generator, or simply go with the sleek all black model.
The MinoHD is super easy to work with. Remarkably simple to use and compact in design, but deceptively powerful. The picture quality is absolutely amazing, and even the built in microphone is top-notch and records with impressive results.
MinoHD Overview [from the manufacturer]:
- Weighing only 3.3 ounces, MinoHD is the world’s smallest HD camcorder
- Features a super-slim, super-sleek design that fits into any pocket or purse
- Simple interface features one-touch recording and digital zoom, making HD video easier and more fun than ever
- Holds 60 minutes of HD-quality video on 4 GB of built-in memory; no tapes or additional memory cards required
- Convenient flip-out USB arm plugs directly into your computer to launch built-in FlipShare software
- Works with iMove and Final Cut Pro on MacOS X
- Internal Li-ion battery recharges through built-in USB arm while you’re plugged into your computer
- Produces incredible HD 720p (1280 x 720 resolution at 30 frames per second; 16:9 widescreen) video
- Records high-quality MP4 files that can be easily dragged and dropped into iTunes, iMovie, and iPhoto
- Watch videos instantly on TV with included connector cable
- Instant playback, pause, fast forward, rewind, zoom , and delete functions