Flip Video
How many times have you been out and about and missed a special moment that should have been captured on video? Or are you a blogger that needs to capture video to compliment your posts? Either way you should take a look at the FLIPvideo. This little handy digital video camera is perfect for those “wish I had my video camera” moments. The Flip video camera runs on 2 AA batteries, this is absolutely one of my favorite features. No more looking around for outlets or running out of battery life just when I’m shooting the most important content. It’s easy to handle, incredibly simple to use and inexpensive starting at $129 for 60 mins of video capture. The Flip video has no tapes to change, convert of lose. The video is shot direct to its internal flash memory. And downloading to your computer is easy, it has a built-in usb connector that flips out of the side of the unit (no more worrying about losing cables) and connects right to your usb port. I’m very impressed with this device! Take it from someone in the traditional and new media biz this camera is awesome for video bloggers and web video in general. The microphone quality is incredible and the picture quality (while it is a low resolution 640×480) it shoots phenomenally well in low-light conditions. It’s about the size of a pack of cigarettes making it so easy to carry anywhere! It’s amazing how many life moments end up being great video moments. Beyond videobloggers this is great for families, students, journalists, teachers and general consumers. I’d love to see more teachers using this in the classroom and allowing students to create, edit and publish their own stories – great for a media class. There are several models and colors to choose from, the two gigabyte version gives ya 60 minutes of recording time.
My bottom line: I’m flipping out on the Flip. An absolute must-have in my book! I have had one minor problem with the unit but after performing a hard-reset it was all good. Oh and just hold it very still as you shoot, it’s easy to fall into “shakey-cam” because it is so small and easy to move around while shooting, it feels like an extension of your hand.
PROS: Lightweight, fits in pocket, no cables, runs on 2 AA batteries (YES! no complaining about a dead battery or the frustrated “I need a freakin outlet!”)
NEGS: 640 x 480 resolution (bye-bye HD), no flash (but somehow still does remarkably well in low-light environments), photos have to be extracted from the video
COST: Starts at $129 to $179 at www.theflip.com
Category: Gadgets, Want it, web 2.0 | Tags: compact video camera, FLIPvideo, portable video camera, The Flip, video blogging, vlogging
About the Author Angela Benton is the Founder and Publisher of BlackWeb20.com. Her experience spans a variety of industries including consultative relationships with companies such as UPS, Bizjournals.com, Realestate.com, and Lendingtree.com.
See all posts by Angela.
It’s about the size of a pack of cigarettes making it so easy to carry anywhere….amazing!!!
The same thing is happening to me, it will connect to the computer, but the camera gets stuck on the load menu.
The same thing is happening to me, it will connect to the computer, but the camera gets stuck on the load menu.
I can't imagine how fast paced tech is moving. I wouldn't think twice to but this if it was sold in my country
Computer ergonomics
Computer Ergonomy – I reccomend people to get computer ergonomic equipment
I am the assistant of a financial analyst for a big technological company, so you can imagine how much I have to type. I type all sorts of documents, reports, and many haves I type hand written stuff he has, and needs it I the computer. So I really needed a good computer ergonomy. Because I work for this big company, they don’t have economic problems as to give employees the right equipment for them to work as comfortably as possible. Such was the case when I solicited a Computer Ergonomic Workstation.
It is a computer ergonomy environment because it has a special keyboard, which allows me to have my hands straight and not have to bend my wrists. It is also a little bigger so I don’t have to bend my fingers as much. Also, a characteristic of having a computer ergonomy in the monitor is easy to adjust so it is eye level. This way, I don’t have to bend or tilt my head to be able to see the computer, and this helps me keep a good posture.
My computer ergonomy also has a mouse that it is the same height as the keyboard. The way I hold the mouse also is important because the repetitive motion of moving the mouse and clicking it can be bad for my health. This is why I have to hold it loosely, with all my fingers and move it with my shoulders and arms not just with the wrist.
The computer ergonomy concepts I follow also means I have the monitor light set so that it is not too bright on my eyes. Monitor lights can cause many eye problems is you have to stare at one for so many hours a day, which is why I recommend people to keep the monitor glare as low as possible.
It is also important, to have an effective computer ergonomy, that you have the appropriate workspace. The desk and chair influence in this also. You should have a chair that allows you the correct posture and a desk that is spacious enough to move the mouse around. Also, when using a computer ergonomic I learned that I should put the papers I have to type into the computer at the same level as the computer so that I don’t have to bend my head every time I am going to type in it. Computer ergonomy allowed me to do my job better and to be healthier. I recommend everyone should use one.
You can find more info at: http://www.computer-posture.com/
I love the fact that you can just plug it right into your car's cigarette lighter. Very handy on road trips!
I also would like to know how you did a hard reset on your Flip. Ours went out after about 10 months of use. The software appears to work, but the camera doesn’t.
How did you do a hard-reset on your flip video? After I downloaded three videos my screen went blank and I haven’t been able to get it back up. I took it apart to see if I could find a reset button but could not. Please let me know how you fixed your!
I have seen a lot people use the flip. The quality is okay just for real quick stuff. But as long as a person is putting quality content out the picture quality doesn’t have to be the greatest to get people to watch.
I used this camera as part of a citizen journalism project at the Democratic National Convention. Love that is is lightweight. does well with volume. the only drawback is that you can’t control the light exposure so if you have lights around the person you are shooting it come out blurry. but I think that is the cse with any fixed lense cameras y
@ty yeah this is worth it especially at the low cost, tell us how you plan to use it & like @fredric says a tripod is a must-have accessory.
Good post.
One word: tripod
Thanks for this post. I’ve been looking at one of these for awhile now. You have convinced me to definitely add this to my gadget collection.