According to the UK tech site Pocket-Lint, Cisco has confirmed that the 2010 version of the Flip camcorder will have built-in Wi-Fi. The model will be able to upload videos from the Flip to the Internet from public and private hotspots and will feature "a large screen that slides to reveal the record and menu buttons underneath," according to a Cisco spokesperson quoted by Pocket-Lint.

I'm not sure how useful Wi-Fi will really be for a product like the Flip, which has staked out its claim on being easy to use. But as a way of off-loading video when the internal memory fills up, it could be useful. We'll have to wait and see.

(Photo courtesy Pure Digital)

One of the few upsides to losing your computer is the prospect of buying a new computer, and the extra boost in processing power that brings. Digital video can grind down a computer. HD video can positively gum up the works.

A company called Quartics announced today that it is offering notebook manufacturers a chip technology that will improve the presentation of HD video on their machines. They dub it "Beyond HD." Now, this is a back-end technology that Quartics is shopping around to computer manufacturers (the first to commercialize it is Acer). It's not something you're likely to read much about. Nor do we have any idea whether it really works as advertised. But still, it's a sign that HD video has hit the mainstream and has computer manufacturers racing to keep up.

(Photo courtesy Gateway)

You know the old saying, the shoemaker's children go barefoot? Well, for a long time now I've been a vocal proponent of being scrupulous, compulsive even, about backing up your digital memories - particularly your digital videos and photos. You never know when disaster will strike.

Well yesterday, disaster struck. My trusty PC died. Croaked. Shuffled off this mortal coil. Keeled over. Inside her liveless innards are a pair of hard drive with gigabytes worth of videos and photos. Now, I have been practicing what I preach - most of my digital memories are safely stored on an external hard drive and on DVDs. But three weeks ago that external hard drive hit capacity and I have yet to buy a new one. As you might imagine, I take a fair amount of photos and videos and can accumulated a decent collection in a short time span. And did I back those up? No.

So let this be a lesson to you - always back up your camcorder video!

Zach Honig has a nice piece on some less-than-above-board marketing practices by camcorder manufacturers when it comes to hocking HD camcorders. To wit, the use of the term "Full HD" when a camcorder does not technically deliver "Full HD" resolution.

To qualify as "Full HD" a camcorder needs to record at 1080p (or 1080 lines of progressive scan resolution). Many, indeed most, high definition camcorders on the market record at 1080i (or 1080 lines of interlaced resolution) yet they will sometimes masquerade as "Full HD."  The practical effect of this is that you might be hoodwinked into buying a camcorder that you think can deliver 1080p resolution when it, in fact, can't.

The upside is that most consumers will find it very difficult to discern the difference between 1080p and 1080i video, particularly from a higher-end HD camcorder. (There are, of course, hard-core videophiles who would strenously object to that assertion.) And, as mentioned, almost all HD camcorders are 1080i models.

The surest way to unpack any "Full HD" marketing claim is to go into the specifications and see whether it delivers 1080p (then it is Full HD) or 1080i, in which case it does not. And, as always, caveat emptor.

Somewhere in Asia a giant factory is belching out pocket camcorders like Mordor disgorged Orcs. The latest discharge is the Pink Dottie Take-It Video Camera. Details are pretty sparse at this point: you're looking at a 1.3-megapixel CMOS display, a 2-inch LCD, a flip-out USB cable and a $99 price point. There's 32MB of internal memory and an SD card slot.

What's happening to pocket camcorders is similar to the on-rush of MP3 players once digital music began taking off. There are few stand-out products and a legion of followers looking to capitalize on the latest craze. Still, this model looks good (if pink is your thing, and I hasten to add that it's not mine).

[Hat tip: Chick Chip]

(Image courtesy PB Teen)

Ad Age has a good report on Pure Digital's multi-million dollar ad campaign to promote its popular pocket camcorder. Pure Digital has a solid model in the UltraHD and according to Ad Age, they want to make some traction before the pocket camcorder category cools down.

That said, I believe the piece included an inaccuracy.  They write:

According to the Consumer Electronics Association, Flip is competing in a category that should grow 46% from a year ago -- but next year growth will slow to about 11% and it's scheduled to flatten in 2011. And although it dominates the affordable, ease-of-use category with a 75% market share, Flip is also trying to fend off entrants like Kodak and Panasonic while warding off the potential commodization of cheaply priced camcorders.

As loyal readers of this blog know, there have been no shortage of pocket camcorders angling to compete with the Flip - but none that I'm aware of from Panasonic.

Another quibble. The piece includes this quote:

"Convergence may be the greatest challenge for this category," said Chris Ely, senior analyst at the Consumer Electronics Association. "There's a lot of interest in incorporating various features into a cellphone like camcorder options. It's fair to say convergence could replace the single-function device."

As I've said before, and will likely say again, convergence is one of the most over-hyped phenomena in consumer electronics. Just as cameras inside cellular phones have not killed off digital cameras, it's not likely that cellphones with video recording pose any real threat to the pocket camcorder market.

(Photo courtesy Pure Digital)

A rather hilarious - if embarrassing - snafu by Sony repair staff in Wales. It seems that workers at an electronics repair plant inadvertently recorded their lurid conversation while repairing a customer's camcorder. The customer got their camcorder back in good working order only to discover the X-rated conversation saved to memory.  Wales Online, which got the scoop, quoted the customer saying: "I was amazed to hear the conversation - you don't expect to find that in your camcorder."

Indeed.

There's no question that the MiniDV camcorder format is joining VHS-C and other tape-based formats in the proverbial dust bin of history. But according to Time Magazine, some people are still using it to film feature-length movies.

Some technologies that get passed over by the latest and greatest still manage to retain a following - mostly artistic types dedicated to keeping some old fashion techniques alive.  In the Time piece, it seems the film-makers went to MiniDV for budget reasons, not aesthetic ones. If you're in the market for your own budget camcorder, check out our list of the best.

(Photo via Wiki Commons under a GNUFD License.)

Everyone likes saving money, particularly during the worst recession since the Great Depression (perhaps you've heard of that?). Well, even in lean times, you still have memories to capture. And remember: every dollar you spend helps resuscitate our moribund economy. That's why we're pleased to present our list of the Best Budget Camcorders.

Bear in mind that this list, like the one for Pocket Camcorders, HD Camcorders and Flash Camcorders, are updated on a rolling basis to reflect model changes and new reviews.

Happy shopping!

(The JVC GZ-MS120. Image courtesy JVC)

Sony's HDR-TG5V is a high definition camcorder with a built-in GPS receiver and 16GB of flash memory. Encased in a sturdy titanium housing, it's pitched toward frequent travelers and the tech savvy, but with a price point of $1,000 does it deliver enough features to justify the cost? Read the review and find out, lest the suspense kill you.