Contrary to popular belief, plenty of high-quality camcorders -- even HD ones -- are available for less than $500. We test drove a bunch of them, and discovered that we liked some better than others. You can check out our top picks in the video above, and our list of favorites includes a range of recording formats including Mini-DV, flash memory, DVD and hard drive-based.

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From Digg Via Mental_Floss

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It's crisp. It's colorful. It's widescreen and it swivels. Plus, the Samsung Syncmaster 245T has HDMI inputs in addition to standard DVI and analog inputs. A 24", better-than-1080p TV, computer monitor and swivel head all for $800? Looks sweet to us.

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Finally, a gift for the child who wants a puppy, a stereo and a robot for Christmas: The iDog Amp'd, quite possibly the strangest iPod accessory we've seen since the iCan't-keep-making-i-jokes-anymore.

Check this out: A new prototype dress may one day help dense men or women clue in on their partner's emotional condition. The Daily Mail reports that the Bubelle Dress, designed by scientists at the Dutch electronics company Philips, changes colors depending on the wearer's mood. The dress's development was prompted by a research venture dubbed the SKIN Probe Project, which imagines daily living in the year 2020.

The garment has two connected layers, an inner layer equipped with biometric sensors that pick up physical information correlating to certain emotions, and an outer layer that casts different colors and patterns according to the information gathered. Sweat and temperature levels, the makers say, are key determinants in identifying a person's emotional condition.

The garb is the latest "practical" application in the burgeoning biometric field. While it certainly is the most fashionable development to date, biometrics has been around for a while now, but has traditionally been used on security apparatus like locks and safes. Unfortunately, consumers intrigued by the prospect of such an outfit in their wardrobe will be disappointed to learn that the Bubelle Dress is not currently being produced for the public. On the plus side, this means that Cro Magnon males won't be able to masquerade as Dr. Phil anytime soon.

From The Daily Mail





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A company that sells glow-in-the-dark-paint has invented another way to combat the forces of darkness. MPK Company, while not in league with Harry Potter or Luke Skywalker, has conjured up a new light source called Litroenergy. These self-luminous, tiny particles, called Litrospheres, have a remarkable half-life of about 12 years and are encased in a microsphere container.

In addition, they are non-toxic and do not require a source of electricity to operate, which means the technology is extremely cheap! Litrospheres are also said to be unaffected by temperature and up to 5,000 pounds crush resistant. The Litrospheres, which can be injection molded or used in paint, release no ultraviolet rays.

Litroenergy works by emitting electrons from a radioactive gas that is contained by the durable microsphere capsules. Able to transmit continuous light in virtually any color, the Litrosphere light seems to have one major drawback: It is not nearly as bright as light powered by electricity. The Litrosphere glow translates to about 20 watts in an electric light source.

The makers at MPK envision Litroenergy being used for safety purposes, such as lining life rafts or safety markings. In the future, the company sees uses extending to bicycles, sporting/camping equipment, toys and other novelty items.

Consumers should rejoice at this cheap, safe, durable and long-lasting font of illumination. Imagine putting Litrospheres in the creepy dark parts of the house, like the attic, or in alleyways that give you the willies. Which gets us thinking about its Halloween applications...

From PESWiki Via TreeHugger

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Verizon Wireless recently released the FlipShot by Samsung, a snazzy new 3-megapixel (MP) camera phone with swivel 'technology.' The crisp 240x320 pixel phone display swivels 180 degrees to allow for different viewing angles and easy sharing of multimedia with friends. To activate the camera, you just open the clamshell halfway and swivel the display 90-degrees towards you and begin shooting (similar to the Nokia N93 camera phone). The pictures can be resized from the high-end of 2048x1536 to the low end of 160x120 for ease of sharing videos through text messages and MMS (multi-media messaging), or you can even print them wirelessly using PictBridge. Most phones coming out from Verizon these days support the EV-DO high speed data networkm, and the FlipShot is no exception. You can stream music and video from Verizon's V Cast Music and Video service or even quickly download songs that catch your fancy. You can then store your downloaded songs and video on up to 4 -gigabytes (GB) of memory via the MicroSD slot provided (card sold separately of course).

The FlipShot is also quite reasonably priced at $199 with a 2-year contract with Verizon Wireless, and is sure to be appreciated by creative types and amateur shutterbugs everywhere.

From BetaNews.com

Hype Check: Gibson Robot Guitar

On December 7, guitar enthusiasts around the nation will be able to get their callused hands on the Gibson Robot Guitar, a first-of-its-kind, self-tuning instrument packed with a computer and motorized tuners. This special edition Les Paul will initially only be available in limited quantities -- 10 guitars for each of 400 retailers across the nation.

What it does: The Robot Guitar has a built-in tuner, a CPU, and motorized tuners that turn to increase or decrease the pitch of each string individually until the whole guitar is in tune. The on board computer is also used to switch from standard tuning (EADGBe) to a host of alternate tunings and even set intonation.

What we like: The preset alternate tunings such as DADGAD and Open D (DADF#AD) are great for the forgetful and impatient. The Robot Guitar switches to alternate tunings much quicker than a person could, and the user can even change the presets for custom tunings, in case your playing style is less Son House and more Sonic Youth. And the intonation mode is a real cash saver. The computer guides you through adjusting the string saddles until you have perfect intonation, which guarantees pitch-perfect playing along the entire neck of the guitar. (With standard guitars, this adjustment is performed by a professional in a repair shop, which means parting ways with your instrument for a period of time and coughing up about $50 for the service.)

Then there is the paint job, a gorgeous coat of super glossy "silver burst" that goes from a subtle silver in the center to a beautiful, bright blue around the edges. This particular color was designed specifically for the Robot Guitar and is sadly not available on any other instrument from Gibson, but we hope thischanges soon. Most importantly, this ax maintains that classic Les Paul tone -- thick, buttery, and smooth. In fact, it sounds so good, it almost feels like cheating. Even a novice can sound like Jimmy Page with a Les Paul strapped on.

What we don't: There isn't much to dislike about this thing. The tuner occasionally had trouble picking out the last string or two when tuning, which slowed down the process, and if the guitar is just slightly out of tune, it's actually faster to adjust by hand in most cases. Our biggest worry with the device is the construction. The guitar feels solid enough, but pulling out and pushing back the tuning knobs for manual adjustment made us a little nervous. Repairing the guitar is also bound to be an expensive proposition should the tuner, computer, or motors fail. You won't be able to take this to your local music shop for repairs.

Does it live up to the hype: Surprisingly enough, yes. When we first heard about this thing we were skeptical -- a guitar that tunes itself comes off as a bit of an unnecessary novelty, but Gibson's newest innovation proved its usefulness to us. Not to mention that playing 'War Pigs' on any Les Paul is a wonderfully satisfying experience.

Price and where to get it: $2,499 at select Gibson retailers across the nation. You can find the nearest one here.

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For those who need screen real-estate for High-Definition graphics manipulation (or maybe just some home video- or picture-editing), the new $1,700 Gateway XHD3000 LCD 30-inch monitor is perfect -- it's not only huge for a computer monitor, but it also up-converts video to 1600p, a startling four times higher than standard 720p high-definition video. With state-of-the-art connections, including HDMI, VGA, DVI, composite, S-Video and six USB ports this monitor can handle any kind of source you might want to plug into it. The HD Picture-in-Picture technology lets, say, shutterbugs be productive on Adobe Photoshop while they catch up on their woefully long classic movie list. Although this baby hooks up to surround sound systems quite easily, it's not really required, since it since comes with an eight-speaker soundbar at the bottom that emits a 3-D-like sound. Ideal for creative multi-taskers.

From Gateway Computer

Now that Skype and Logitech have unveiled upgrades to their video calling software, it's time to start videocalling over the Internet in High-Definition. With the QuickCam Pro 9000 and its snazzy Carl Zeiss lens, travelers can finally make those 30--frames-per--second calls to their buddies (or significant others) and do lightning-fast karate moves with no frozen frames! It's small and compact, which makes it ideal for the traveler's laptop. And even though it shoots and displays in state-of-the-art HD, the QuickCamPro 9000 is virtually dummy-proof, since it has built-in face-tracking technoloogy to keep you focused in the center of the frame. It's a steal at $99.

From Logitech

Let's face it: The iPhone is amazing but it does have some limitations -- for one thing, its camera is lacking (no flash, no zoom) and you can't shoot or send video. By contrast, the $699 Nokia N95 boasts a Carl Zeiss lens with a 5-Megapixel (MP) camera (with flash), a built-in camcorder, up to 2-gigabytes (GB) of external memory, quad-band GSM, GPS location technology, and Wi-Fi connectivity. The latest U.S.-optimized iteration of the N95 is optimized for the high-speed 3G HSDPA networks of AT&T, so you don't have to depend on Wi-Fi hotposts to get fast Web surfing and uplodoading/downloading.

With the N95 you are given the opportunity of creating excellent images and videos and sharing them almost instantaneously with friends or fans. For example, the built-in Lifeblog application allows for instant uploading of text, images, and videos via your high-speed data connection to a personalized blog or to Flickr.com or almost any other blogging entity out there. For those with a keen eye and artistic bent, the N95 could be the perfect multimedia device for getting their creative voices seen and heard. And, of course, the N95 lets its owners listen to music, including FM radio, or watch videos, if they still want iPod-like features.

From Nokia

Got a DJ in your life? Here's the perfect gift: The recently-upgraded Numark's iDJ2 improves upon the original by bringing some of its more advanced functions from CD DJ units to this iPod docking DJ station. With some fancy technical maneuvering, Numark has been able to allow DJs to play and mix two songs simultaneously from a single iPod via the central color LCD display. With a complete line of inputs including USB, RCA, S-video, and phono, the iDJ2 can handle almost any stereo/digital input as well as output. The unit lists for $900, but can be had for considerably less online. Either for the professional DJ or the home stereo iPod fan, the iDJ2 provides the connectivity and portability they both need.

From Numark

Essentially a highly modifiable Roomba for the programming set, the iRobot Create (starts at $130) is a fully programmable (small, circular) robot. The Create's 10 built-in demos and 32 built-in sensors allow for experimentation with robotics; an open cargo bay and 25-pin expansion port allows you to add your own sensors, grippers, wireless connections, computers, or other hardware to fully trick it out. You'll need Windows XP to communicate with it (robots don't speak English, duh), but otherwise this is the perfect gift for budding robot developers, tech students, and really nerds of any variety. Plus it can clean your floor! Bonus.


From iRobot

For the burgeoning digital photographer who needs serious control, it's tough to beat Nikon's D80. With access to the wide world of SLR lenses, the D40 is perfect for serious hobby photographers. It sports a 10.2 megapixel sensor along with what's called "3D Color Matric Metering II." In other words, the shutterbug in your life will not be disappointed. Street prices are around $700, which leaves you some cash for a lens.

From Nikon

Just when the photographer in your life is about to say they had everything they need, you can show up with the Gorillapod tripod, as we are pretty sure they have never seen this little thing. This cool spider-like gadget attaches to the tripod port on any camera on one end and can attach to virtually anything else on the other. Wrap it around a tree for an impromptu timer shot or affix it to a light pole to get the perfect angle. Either way, the Gorillapod will fit in any purse or backpack so the shooter will always have a tripod at hand.

From Joby