You'll flip for the Flip

December 12, 2007

By MIKE WENDLAND

Free Press Technology Columnist

My favorite video camera for this holiday season is the Flip. It fits in a shirt pocket and does an hour's worth of of video and audio that can be edited and easily uploaded to services like You Tube or sent by e-mail.

I've written about previous versions and the latest Ultra model is the best yet. I shot the entire video below on the Flip. (I used a second, older model to get pickup shots of the new Ultra model).

You can see one of the limitations of this inexpensive little camcorder in close-up shots, where it doesn't focus well.

But for the price and absolute ease of use, it's one of the best gifts you can give. Here's a video on how it works.

The price is $149 for a 30-minute model and $179 for the 60-minute version.

Since it records on a flash chip inside the Flip, all you have to do is delete a clip to make more room. You can store as many clips as the memory allows or just make one long movie. And the built-in software, which installs on your Mac or PC, lets you tie different clips together into a single movie.

Carry it in your computer bag. Pack it in your pocket. The Flip is a great memory recorder and one of the most useful tech gifts you can give or get.