Flip Video

I got turned on to Flip Video products while attending a class on producing and publishing screencasts. The instructor was nice enough to let me take a look at his and I was definetely impressed. Once in hand it was very easy to quickly shoot some video and then watch it on the screen. Indeed that is what the Flip video is best at: a quick and easy way to get videos (with sound) captured and ready for sharing. On top of that its small and seems pretty durable. Toss it in a bag or your pocket so you can quickly whip it out to capture moments that otherwise you couldnt.

Now that I have had some time to take a look at the website it seems it has another trick up its sleeve. They have also made it very easy to share your videos. They have made the USB connector part of the device, so you don’t have to carry (and inevitably loose) a cable. They also have embedded in the device a simple interface for emailing/uploading/editing your videos quickly. You can upload to YouTube, send via email, or just save right on your computer. Pretty nice!

Now for the negatives. Dont expect too much from the video quality. If you are trying to capture video while walking around you will probably see some jumpiness in the video. The lower priced versions run on AA batteries. If you have a decent digital camera you could also carry that. Although you may not feel as bad loosing or breaking the $149 device instead of that $350 camera.

Competitors: RCA Small Wonder, Creative Vado