Tech & Gadget Stream

I'm a huge fan of the Flip Mino camera, which is tiny and easy and to use, but while the video quality is great for web video and casual use, it's not really what you'd want to capture, say, a wedding or any really important event. Of course, this is not really my concern. For me, I use my Flip cameras to record my dogs doing goofy things and occasionally I find them so cute, I wish the quality was just a bit higher for when I force friends and family to watch their antics on my widescreen television. My prayers have been answered! Now there's the Flip Mino HD , which records in high-def, at 720p. There's 4 GB of built-in storage, for 60 minutes of high-def video recording. The rechargeable battery is good for two hours of recording before it needs a recharge. The Mino HD is more light sensitive than any other previous model for recording in low-light situations, and there's a more advanced compression engine for better overall sound and image quality. There...

iRobot introduces its ConnectR robot, a "virtual communication and interaction" device designed for use for the whole family. ConnectR has a zooming and tilting video camera, a microphone, speaker and headlight. The robot uses your home WiFi connection to allow you to place video VoIP calls to other members of your family. iRobot is launching a limited pilot program which will make the device available for $199 before its initial release. At the time of consumer release, the price is expected to be somewhere under $500.

Video iPods are all well and good, until you actually try to watch a video on them, I find. Then, you dice with losing your eye site, headaches and other fun things, as you try to squint. As much as I bemoan the lack of feature films on the UK version of iTunes, I really couldn't sit through a whole one. Unless you've got some way of making them bigger... such as the inMotion speaker screen from Altec Lansing. Essentially, it's some top quality speakers combined with a screen on the front, which will play which ever video you've got on your iPod (I'd recommend the Take That music video 'Shine'). This system comes with a remote, and unlike several similar systems, you can navigate your way around the entire iPod menu with it, which means you can change from a song to a video, rather than just skip forward and backwards between songs. Very useful. The speakers are also top notch, with some proper bass (you really feel it if you put it on the floor!) and the fa...

Have you been hankering for a really tiny DVR with a wired, hidden camera attachment? Have you had trouble finding one for less than three large? Well fret no more, because Mini Gadgets Inc. has got you covered -- and by covered, we mean they make what you're looking for, buddy. The Black Box DVR is a personal video recorder which features a tethered camera, and can utilize a miniSD card up to 4GB. The company's website claims it's the world's smallest DVR under $3000, and we're inclined to agree -- at 2.28 square inches, it doesn't get much smaller. The device can record 640 x 480 video at 30fps, and includes a "long lasting" Li-Ion battery, for when you're on the go... shooting secret videos. Available right now for the shockingly low price of $499.95.