Camcorders

OK, so it's a really cute, fully functional digital camera. But would you use it? And at what point is a camera too small?

The camera in question, from novelty retailer Hammacher Schlemmer, is slightly larger than a cubic inch (1.125 inches by 1 inch by 1.063 inches) and weighs half an ounce. The company claims it's the world's smallest digital camera.

Being so very small it's probably easy to lose, despite the included wrist lanyard. It's small enough to be a choking hazard for toddlers and pets. Another cause for hesitation is its $99.95 price tag.

It's a real camera though. It takes 1,600x1,200 JPEG stills and 640x480 30-frames-per-second AVI video, which it stores on a microSD card. It comes with a 2GB card. It also includes a USB cable so you can view images and video on a Windows computer. The camera's battery lasts 30 minutes and charges in an hour via the USB cable.… Read more

I really wanted to like the new generation of compact, high-end cameras. Honest.

The hybrid designs promised the best of both worlds: the high image quality and interchangeable lenses of SLRs but the portability of a compact point-and-shoot. Their interchangeable lenses mean versatility, their larger sensors mean higher image quality, and their lack of an SLR's reflex mirror means they're much smaller.

My enthusiasm waned, though, as I saw models from Olympus, Panasonic, Sony, Samsung, and Pentax arrive. And I'm sorry to report that Nikon's new J1 and V1 compact, mirrorless, interchangeable-lens camera (ILC) models left … Read more

It doesn't seem all that long ago that Adobe trotted out its first consumer image-editing application, but Photoshop Elements seems to have aged fairly well over the past 10 years. It hasn't changed that much--it still has a task-based interface and modular architecture--though it's gotten a bit glitzier looking and, as it continually absorbs new technology and features from its big sister Photoshop, has gotten a lot more powerful as well.

Along the way, Adobe paired it up with a consumer version of its Premiere video-editing software. Though not 10 years old, it carries the same version … Read more

Updated 9/19/11: Clarification of Sony's comments on clicking per Engadget.

For those of you with a long history in tech, chances are that every time you hear the word "click" used negatively it's mentally chased by "of death." Whether the mystery noise recorded by the Sony Alpha NEX-5N turns out to be a click of death for the product remains to be seen, but Engadget got confirmation from Sony that it's real, though the company has no clue what's causing it or how widespread the issue might be--it could just … Read more

Hyundai i30 The previous generation i30 made its way to the U.S. market as an Elantra hatchback variant, so there's a chance that the newly announced i30 could also wear the Elantra Touring badge.

Jaguar C-X16 concept Easily one of the best looking concepts at the show, this small grand tourer features a powerful gasoline engine that is supplemented with an electric motor that supplies an instant power boost at the touch of a button.

Volkswagen Nils concept The VW Nils has a tailpipe emission of nil, as it's powered by a small electric engine. There's … Read more

This is kind of hard to believe, but three years ago, when the Flip Video MinoHD pocket camcorder made its debut, it had a price tag of $229.99.

Flip is gone, of course, having been acquired by Cisco and then shuttered earlier this year. But the products live on, at least for a while, and there are deals to be had. Oh, yes.

TigerDirect, for example, has the Flip MinoHD pocket digital camcorder (silver) for $39.99, plus a very reasonable $2.29 for shipping. That's after redeeming a $20 mail-in rebate (PDF), which comes in the form … Read more

We've often praised Contour's line of sports cameras for their ease of use, but with the announcement of the ContourRoam, it's about to get even easier.

The Roam fits into the entry-level position in Contour's camera lineup, just below the Contour GPS and replacing the ContourHD 1080p, which should be phased out shortly. At first glance, the Roam doesn't appear much different than the ContourHD (or any other Contour camera for that matter) but closer inspection reveals a few new features.

For starters, there is no power button. Where previous models needed to be powered … Read more

BERLIN--Panasonic has offered high-end 3D videocameras as part of its effort to advance the premium technology, but now it's begun showing off a prototype for a 3D model from its Lumix line of still cameras.

"We are also developing a 3D compact camera for this winter," Takuya Sugita, vice president of Panasonic's AVC Networks Company, said here this week at a press conference at the IFA electronics show, which officially starts today. The company showed two prototypes under glass at the show.

The company has offered a couple tidbits about the coming 3D Lumix camera: it … Read more

Sony and Panasonic, with their high stakes in 3D TV, are also two of the most active companies trying to generate 3D content at all levels. Panasonic now brings 3D into the entry-level professional price realm with the HDC-Z10000. (Though Panasonic won't announce the price until 30 days before it ships--also an unknown--given its size and features I'm assuming it will be comparable to the Sony HXR-NX3D1U, which was announced this past spring at the NAB Show and which has just started shipping.) Announced at the IFA show in Germany, Panasonic has also taken the opportunity to show … Read more