|
|
|
Written by asap
|
|
Friday, 15 December 2006 |
|
|
|
|
|
 Picture this: A palm-sized video camera that you don't have to be a genius to operate. Or, a gizmo that slings your TV signal to any computer, anywhere.
As digital technology makes moving images ever more portable, devices that let us record, watch and save video are proliferating in an array of new forms and at all price points. The result: A host of cool gift ideas for the holiday season and beyond.
asap perused the Consumer Electronics Show preview in New York last month expecting to be bored by tech-talk but instead became captivated by how commonplace video is becoming in our lives. Among the wares on offer:
___
VIDEO FOR DUMMIES
The RCA Small Wonder Camcorder -- $129
This idiot-proof video camera is high-tech for the masses. Just 4 1/2 by 2 1/2 inches, the RCA Small Wonder is the same size as a still camera and provides 60 minutes of video recording. A screen on the back displays what you're recording -- just point and shoot. When you're done, it plugs into your computer with a built-in jack so you can save or upload with ease. It doesn't come with editing tools, so it's not designed for professional use. But for digital dummies ready to join the video-podcasting revolution, pronto, it offers bare-bones video for a reasonable price.
___
ADRENALINE JUNKIES
Oregon Scientific's ATC2000 -- $129.99
The ATC2000 is a hands-free, fully waterproof action camera -- a small canister-shaped contraption that you can attach to your bike, bag, helmet, whatever and record images on the go. It shoots 30 frames a second and contains 32 megabytes of internal memory, which can be supplemented with a memory card. It also comes with editing software. That said, it's already on backorder on Amazon, so it's not quite for last-minute shoppers.
___
TV FOR TRAVELLERS
Sling Media's Slingbox -- $179 to $249
The Slingbox redirects your TV signal to any computer with a high-speed Internet connection, letting you watch your TV wherever you are -- whether you're traveling or even living abroad. Or maybe you just want to create a second TV set in your house. It connects to your cable box, satellite receiver or digital video recorder, so your TV doesn't have to be on.
___
LOOKING AHEAD
RCA MPC4000 Laptop Receiver, $199
After the holidays, maybe you'll want to buy a little something for yourself. In 2007, RCA will offer a clip-on antenna to turn any laptop or desktop computer into a television. Receive and record HDTV or analog signals broadcast over the air and watch TV on the go. In the future, computers will eventually supplant today's televisions, and it's kinda neat to witness the slow merging of the two over time.
___
Stephanie Hoo is asap's business writer.
| Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
|
|
