Gillian Shaw
Sun
Flip UltraHD
Flip MiniHD
FLIP ULTRA
Pure Digital Technologies (now part of Cisco Consumer Business Group) from $180 for SD, $250 for Flip UltraHD
Cisco has locked onto a winner with its recent acquisition of Pure Digital Technologies, the San Francisco company that rewrote the screenplay for the camcorder business. From the launch of its first pocket-size, simple-to-use and low-cost camcorder less than two years ago, the company has gone from zero to two million units sold. It recently launched its next-generation lineup in the United States, and Canadian consumers have been waiting for the new devices — some versions boasting high-definition — to make it across the border. The second-generation Flip Ultra and the Ultra HD have a recording time of two hours, a two-inch transreflective screen, and an AA rechargeable battery pack that can be recharged from your computer through the Ultra’s built-in USB connector. No power? No problem. You can also use regular AA batteries, a handy feature that means you don’t have to miss those memorable moments because you can’t plug in for a recharge. They are just arriving on store shelves. Walmart has some of the new lineup already, Amazon.ca is carrying them, and they are expected soon at Future Shop and Best Buy. http://ca.theflip.com.
FLIP MINO
$220 for SD version, $280 for Flip MiniHD
A camcorder is of no use if it’s always at home or back in the hotel room when you want to shoot video. But with this tiny Mino, there are no excuses for not slipping it into a pocket. And once you’ve shot the video, a Flip makes it a no-brainer to edit and post them online and create your own movies. I once shot a Flip video on a chairlift, went inside at the bottom of the mountain, plugged it into my netbook and after 10 minutes had a completed video ready to post with a story. Maybe not ready for Hollywood, but for what it does, it does it well. The application installs directly from the camera when you plug it into a Mac or PC, and the cameras come with a TV connection to view your video on the big screen. The Minos sacrifice an hour of recording time with their size, getting one hour compared to the Ultra’s two. Unlike the Ultra, this has a rechargeable lithium-ion battery. The Flip models come in a range of colours and you can also customize them with their own design. http://ca.theflip.com.
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