A Camcorder Made for Online Video Stars

I'm all for recording every special moment in life, but lugging around heavy gadgets is just too impractical. I wish a cell phone with a great MP3 player, digital camera, and video camera was available, but it isn't. Most phones with these capabilities have song limitations, and video quality is just terrible. Electronics are getting smaller, but who wants to carry around three or four different gadgets?

A year ago, CVS drugstores introduced Pure Digital's Point & Shoot disposable camcorders. These cameras retailed for about $30, storing up to 20 minutes of video in MPEG-4 format. Video novices loved the ease with which they were able to share video online thanks to software included with the camera. Once the video was processed in-store, users got a DVD of all their vacation footage ready to share via email. A nondisposable version soon followed, giving these cameras the ability to easily upload footage to Google Video, more storage, and plug-and-play capabilities.

Gearlog's mention of the new RCA's Small Wonder EZ105 reminds me of that camera. The EZ105 is also an MPEG-4 digital camcorder that can store up to 60 minutes of video. This format makes it easy for anyone to upload video to their computer so they can share it online. It features a 1.5-inch LCD to easily preview what you've recorded, but it also has AV outputs if you'd rather watch your video on a television set. It's a nice idea, since it looks small enough to carry in a purse, but I really doubt video quality is superb. It's a nice gift idea for teenagers or college students on a budget since they don't have to worry about buying DV tapes.

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