The handy camcorders which started appearing in the mid-1990s gave many families a tool to store their memories on VHS tapes. But that was before YouTube became the final destination of all home videos. Now,we have a camcorder a pocket camcorder to be precise which will let you shoot a big fat Indian wedding and still fit easily in your shirt pocket.
The Flip MinoHD from Cisco has in the few months since its launch become the preferred tool for video junkies who record everything from baby antics to cats fighting their reflections in the mirror. You dont need to be a professional to handle it,for simplicity seems to be the best feature of the MinoHD.
For one,there are no confusing buttons below the 2-inch transflective TFT (thin-film transistor) display which lets you view images even in direct sunlight. There is one big red button,which is clearly the record button. There are plus and minus buttons above and below it for zooming in. The left right arrow buttons help you browse through recorded videos. There is a play button to playback old clips and a delete button to trash unwanted files.
The videos are pretty good when the light is fine,and even better when it is dark. The zoom is very smooth,though its not that easy to zoom out. The pictures are true 720p HD,though they can get a bit grainy at times despite the image stabilisation. The 1/4.5 inch,1.6 megapixel CMOS sensor has ultra low-light sensitivity and produces 50 frames per second.
But the real beauty of Flip cameras is the FlipShare software which lets users save their videos and edit them significantly. It also lets you post the videos online to YouTube,Facebook or Twitter with a couple of clicks. However,you will need to change the setting of your computer to let the HD video play smoothly.
The MinoHD comes with no wires and its only connection to the outside world is a pop-out USB stick tucked away at its top. This is good for laptops,but very tricky if you want to connect to a PC.
The MinoHD comes in 4GB and 8GB versions,which can record an hour and two hours of video respectively. The Lithium-Ion battery lets you shoot for about 90 minutes on a full charge. In India,the MinoHD is available on zoomin.com for Rs 11,499.
Hard worker
Acers new TravelMate 8472T is a rugged machine built for a lot of hard work. The slim look might be deceiving,as this one packs a punch when it comes to processing power.
The 8472T is a full-size laptop and there are no half measures here. The power switch,for instance,is a swipe- out button in steel that wouldnt have looked out of place in a car. The 14 inch HD LED screen is good for any kind of work. For entertainment purposes,the speakers complement it wonderfully.
The customisable P key allows you to access software that you use regularly. For everything else,there is the keyboard which is well-laid out with lots of space. Thankfully,the keys are not click-clack and have a very soft,responsive feel. The touchpad is large too,but is not multi-touch. Between its left and right buttons there is a small metal fingerprint sensor. Once you enrol your fingerprints into the system,a small touch on the sensor is all you will need to log in. This will also keep away other unwanted users.
Try getting some heavy work done on the 8472T and you will realise the power of the Intel-Core i5430M processor and the added advantage of the 4GB RAM. The unit comes with Windows 7 Professional,a host of handy software and security features. There is 500GB HDD storage and three USB drives if you want to rig it up for more storage.
However,unlike the USP of the earlier ACER laptops,this one has a maximum power run of three hours,two if you do not switch on power management. Still it is a good buy if you are looking for a heavy-duty laptop (for Rs 44,999 plus taxes).