GadgetReview

For some reason I’m always interested in companies that come out of nowhere to become hugely successful.  From Vizio to Under Armour, their paths to success can be an inspiring story.  If you have been in the market for a compact, yet affordable camcorder in the past two years than it’s likely you’ve noticed Flip Video’s camcorder line.  Pure Digital, the  San Francisco company behind Flip Video, has stepped into an already crowded camcorder arena, and have somehow risen above the competition.  They took the cell phone camera approach and streamlined it to the “Plug n’ Play” generation.  Embracing a “Run & Gun” type of philosophy, Flip Video camcorders are aimed at those who don’t care about learning a bunch of tech jargon, features, and modes, but for those who just want to shoot and share video.  Flip Video has 4 camcorders in their family and a host of accessories to accompany them.  I suggest taking a look at the Flip Video website for specs and features on all of their models.  This review will document my experiences with the Mino and the 720p Mino HD.

The Mino and the Mino HD are the newest and best selling camcorders in the line.  Whereas other models are powered via batteries, the Mino’s use a rechargeable internal lithium ion battery.  In most cases the only way to charge a Mino is through your computer’s USB connection, but if you have an iPhone USB wall charger, that will work as well.  Both Minos are cosmetically identical and have the option to add custom faceplates upon purchase through the Flip website.  They have “Touch Sensitive” buttons that are more like anti-buttons as they are indented.  They react OK most of the time and occasionally need multiple presses to activate, or they press too easily when you don’t want them too.  The viewfinder screen is small but fine given the size of the actual camera.  The Minos have switchblade style USB inputs that work well with laptops but not so much for my iMac.  It would be nice if there was a USB extension cord included to make it easier to attach to desktop computers. They both include onboard software that requires no additional installation or drivers beyond the initial time that you plug the Mino into you computer.  What I want to stress the most is that you need to know the specs of your computer before you buy a Mino, to make sure it is compatible with your set up. I am running a G5 iMac Power PC on 1.8 Ghz with 1.5 Gb of RAM.  The Standard Definition Mino worked on my rig, but the HD Mino did not.  Pitfalls of technology I guess.

Bringing the Mino out with you can be a great time.  It’s small enough not to weigh down your pockets, and reacts well to being thrown around.  It fits well in your hands and has a simple interface that allows it to be turned on and shooting in seconds.  There are no modes to choose from, so what you shoot is what you get.  What I found to be weak was that there was no light on the Mino, so it was tough to shoot indoors at night were light could be sparse.  I went dancing at a local 80’s night spot, and the video was unwatchable.  It was still cool, but the only reason I kept the video was because I was saying funny things.

Each Mino shoots 60 minutes of film and the battery lasts a while, but I would forego battery life in exchange for a powered light.  The designers must have thought of this and decided against it for some reason.  Maybe future iterations will include a spotlight, or at least a peripheral attachment.  The microphone on the Mino was very sensitive and picked up everything.  The volume controls could be a little smoother and less drastic, as they only offer 5 levels of volume.  The Mino also offers 5 levels of digital zoom while shooting which is actually the only control you have while recording.  Most of the time this is fine and the majority of people using a Mino won’t want anything more, but it would be nice if there were some other exposure type settings, or the ability to shoot in B&W.

We already know the target market of the Mino, so asking for more is like asking for a different product.  The video looked great on both versions of the Mino with obvious favor going towards the HD version.  The only other thing I thought was missing was an earphone jack so you could listen to your movies amidst other noise, or for more private viewings.  There is a small 2.5mm jack to facilitate TV viewing, so that’s cool.  In the end the Mino performs beyond initial expectations, and is so small you’ll forget that you’re carrying a camcorder.  It’s just a fun device to have that you can quick draw and start shooting before any cell phone camera.

On to the software.  Called FlipShare, it is fairly intuitive and easy to figure out what to do.  It offers a myriad of ways to catalog and share your footage.  From making DVD’s from their service or the option to burn your own, you can also:

• Back up to your computer
• Email
• Make a video greeting card
• Share Online via FaceBook, YouTube, etc.
• Take snapshots from the videos
• Play Full Screen on your computer

Flipshare also offers very basic editing in terms of cutting from one side of the video to the other, or better put, adjusting the start and stop times.  It’s another potential gripe, but again, the software is aimed at those who don’t really care about editing.  However, I just reviewed One True Media, which is an online service specializing in easy video editing, that was far better than Flipshare, leagues ahead actually.  I would recommend just exporting your files through the FlipShare DVD option to your desktop, and bring them into One True Media for a far better and expansive experience.

My other main problem with the software was that even though my iMac met the minimum requirements, the videos just didn’t run that well.  Clipping and crashing was a constant that became so annoying that I gave up using it after a bit.  FlipShare also has some crappy proprietary issues as well.  The video would not run unless you converted it from Flipshare first.  This meaning that you could not just take the files from the Mino and run them in QuickTime, they had to go through Flipshare first.  Emailing a video over three minutes in length took way too long.  As I mentioned before, the HD Mino did not work on my Mac.  I used a buddy’s more powerful MacBook and Flipshare did run better, although the video I used to test it wasn’t very long.

Overall, I enjoyed my experiences with the Minos and if I had to choose one, I would go with the standard definition Mino.  For one it works with my computer, is cheaper, and the variety of applications I’d be using it for such as email or Youtube, the viewer isn’t going to care about whether or not it’s in HD or SD.  Plus I am about the only one I know with an HDTV.  The software leaves something to be desired, but that can always be fixed in the future.  Flip Video hits its target with the SD and HD Mino and is worth a look if you are in the market and you are that market.

Pros:

• Great fun, easy to use
• Compact design, unobtrusive weight, functions, and modes
• Plug & Play
• Quality video & audio

Cons:

• Software could be much better
• No light!  Not so great for nightlife
• Volume changing is too incremented
• Regular buttons may be better

Buy the HD Mino for $209 here

Buy the SD Mino for $159 here

Customize Your Mino here

Ahh, when the mailbox is just too far to walk these days.  And mine’s attached to my house!  Only in America.  With a 45% 4th quarter revenue increase amidst poor economic conditions, Netflix is beginning to cultivate buying power with the all major movie studios that will have a direct impact on “Streaming” titles.

As the Netflix “Watch Instantly’ service rapidly gains ground on the “Mailed” DVD portion of service, it’s likely that we will soon see first run movies in HD across all streaming platforms.  And with the inclusion of the new TIVO service, the LG Broadband TV, Xbox 360, Roku, Boxee, and everything else, soon enough there may not be a need to receive mailed DVD’s at all.  But hey, I’m happy with the way it is now, otherwise I would have never watched “Shrooms”!

[Dvice]

What is it: The Kodak Zx1 HD is their newest mini HD camcorder to be showcased at CES 2009

Features: Captures 720p video at 60 fps, on-board editing, direct uploading to web video sharing sites, up to 32GB storage with SDHC card, 2 inch display, weather-resistant

Availability: TBA

Price: Around $150

[Slashgear]

Does this dock really transform iPod movies into HD video? Its price tag of $399 seems high enough for it to deliver as promised, but the question is, will it?

By plugging your iPod into this DLO Home Dock HD Pro, your video is instantly upscaled to 720p/1080i quality. The HDMI and optical digital audio ports on the machine’s back render a digital connection between the music player and home theater AV system. This custom Home Theater even has an RS-232 control port for those high-end home theater buffs.

This dock may deliver it promise of making HD video out of your iPod movies, but then again, it may not. It seems likely, however, if the user has some good quality video that’s not too compressed, this DLO Home Dock HD PRO will do an effective job. Installers of the DLO Home Dock PRO can easily, via a simple graphical interface, add the functionality of the popular iPod into any home integration network.  Available exclusively through the Professional Home Installation Market, whatever the Home Dock HD PRO turns out to be, it does represent a seamless integration of their iPod into their custom home entertainment system and the Home Dock PRO is the world’s first iPod dock that lets customers view and select their iPod content directly on their big-screen TV.

[DLO]

Volvo will be the first automaker to offer HD radio as standard equipment.  The technology will be available on all 2009 models except for one.  This means more channels, CD quality sound for FM listeners and FM quality sound for AM listeners. Additionally, on screen info will include track and artist name, emergency warnings, closures and more.  I’ll be at the LA Auto Show next week to check out what else the auto industry has in store for 2009.

San Francisco based Pure Digital, the makers of the wildly popular Flip Video Mino Camcorders announced today that they are releasing the smallest HD camcorder known to earth, the HD Mino. Boasting a weight of only 3 ounces, the HD Mino will have a storage capacity of 4 Gigs, roughly equating to an hours worth of video at 720p. Other notable features include a 1.5″ anti-glare display, touch sensitive buttons, an internal lithium ion battery that charges via USB, and the option to design a custom faceplate. Also of note is a new and improved version of the camcorders internal transfer software called FlipShare. This new software promises a more streamlined interface allowing users to “Drag and Drop” videos files with ease and send them to a variety of locations such as email, Myspace, and YouTube. The suggested retail price is at $229.99 and will be available all up in your area very soon.

Update: Amazon has it for $230 shipped!

[Flip]

Well, blow those trumpets and ring those bells! ViewSonic has announced its latest widescreen monitor, the VX2260wm. It delivers the 22-inch LCD as its name suggests, but the question is at what a cost? Read on for details.

ViewSonic’s Wide-Screen Monitor does deliver its promise of a wide screen, but it also has a 16:9 aspect ratio, which is more commonly found in “proper” TVs than on computer monitors. The ViewSonic Wide-Screen Monitor can display full 1080p content without scaling via its HDMI or DVI-D inputs. Some other features include: a 20,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio and a low 2ms response time, which cuts down on motion blur, and an integrated SRS WOW HD stereo speakers, which for those not in the know translates into a new audio enhancement technology targeted towards televisions and other consumer electronic products.

The SRS WOW HD sound factor powerfully complements your games, movies and other multimedia applications. Viewsonic’s Wide-Screen Monitor offers the perfect balance of style and performance and the unit will fit beautifully into almost any space. There’s only one little problem; the price. The cost is 190£, which translates into about $400 US dollars.

Is the ViewSonic Wide-Screen Monitor for you?

I don’t know. Did you pay your mortgage yet this month?

[Techdigest]

This light weight (.8 lbs) bad boy can achieve up to 6 hours of full HD recordings on its 16GB internal flash memory. Unfortunately, the battery life maxes out at 3 hours and I’m not sure if that takes into account use of the flip out 2.7″LCD. If 16GB isn’t enough it also sports a SD/SDHC memory card slot for increased capacity. Other features include 12x optical zoom, HDMI out, built-in electronic lens cover, built-in video light, 3.1 megapixel photo shot, and more.

Available here in May for $1099.

Tubestick Hybrid, by Equinux, enables you to receive and record terrestrial HDTV and NTSC television programing on your Apple computer. Even cooler you can view the recorded material on your iPhone or iPod touch (part of the TubeToGo feature which costs extra). Believe me I’m skeptical about the iPod Touch and iPhone capability. Included in the package is an antenna to receive the signals and Equinux’s proprietary software. Plug the antenna into your computer and launch the software and you’re in business. I should note that the antenna’s USB plug is designed such that it won’t intrude on the Macbook’s other inputs. Using the software you can record, watch and view upcoming shows. Through their web based application you can also set your computer to record shows. If you’re so inclined, you can also chat with other watching the same shows. In order to watch shows on your iPod Touch or iPhone you’ll need to publish your recordings to an FTP or .Mac account and access them through the web based application (aka TubeToGo) – be interesting to see how the quality is. Available at Amazon and other major retailers come February for $129.95 with a one month trial of TubeToGo.

Additional info here and here.

Late last week I noticed what I perceived to be a Firmware update to my Time Warner HD box. The indication came in the form of a font change in the Moxi enabled box’s windows. Then I realized that the navigation windows weren’t appearing, but were in fact ‘popping up’ ala Apple style. Even niftier was the doubling, if not tripling in speed I experienced while navigating from menu to menu, or deleting a show. Prior to the update the Timewarner Moxi boxes stalled when entering the guide and often experienced a bottle neck effect when scrolling through the channels. They’ve also updated the menus and one of the more notable features is to view all upcoming shows in a vertical (sports, kids, etc) by a particular time. In the past you had to scroll through each channel’s time slots which is was a mind numbing and annoying task. Dare I say they’re more on par with Tivo then ever before…at least from a speed stand point? I might just snap photos of the new updates – that is assuming I can’t find any online.