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It doesn't seem that long ago when we would have to lug around a VHS camera to capture video of family events, vacations, and other memories we could relive later by inserting the VHS tape and hitting the play button on our VCRs. While it was a workable solution for capturing memories in motion, lugging around a video camera everywhere we went wasn't exactly practical.

Fortunately these days, there is no longer the need for fresh VHS tapes or making sure to pack the digital video camera because we have the ability to shoot reasonably good video right on our smartphones. With the iPhone 4's front- and rear-facing cameras, we have even more options for shooting videos, and with hundreds of cool video apps in the App Store, we have tons of interesting (and sometimes strange) options.

This week's collection of apps gives you some options for shooting good-looking videos. The first app lets you film the action from before you hit the record button, the second makes retro-looking videos using effects you control, and the last app gives you some professional options for shooting more-serious movies.… Read more

The hardware and HD capabilities behind the iPhone's video camera are impressive, but its built-in controls for shooting video are frustratingly primitive for more-experienced filmmakers, and the iPhone isn't always smart about handling factors like exposure and white balance. Filmic Pro gives your camera a new front-end for shooting higher-quality video, with professional tools for controlling exposure, focal point, and more.

Filmic Pro offers an interface that is clean and simple, and all of its controls run along the bottom of screen, making it perfect for keeping a steady thumb grip on your camera. On the left, you … Read more

Bowmaster HD is the iPad adaptation of Bowmaster for the iPhone and iPod Touch, in which you fire arrows from a virtual bow at moving targets while competing against Robin Hood's "Merry Men."

Bowmaster's 3D, first-person arrow-firing interface works fairly well: you control the position of your bow with your left thumb, pull back on the string with your right thumb (lifting to release an arrow), and adjust your view up, down, left, and right by tilting your device. The game's premise is that you're trying to win a series of archery competitions against … Read more

Aspiring game designers and robot aficionados unite!

One of the most prominent independent game developers in the Boston area, Demiurge Studios, is getting ready to launch its newest downloadable game, Shoot Many Robots, but not without seeing a few of your ideas first.

Announced to implore budding concept artists to show off their skills, the contest "Design Many Robots" asks creative minds to sketch their own vision of the ultimate battle robot by April 4.

The most creative and all-around awesome entries will earn a free trip to Demiurge Studios to see their creations come to life--not literally, of course.

But the victorious robots do get to appear in an expansion pack of the game, which is set to launch later this year. Assemble the full details and rules at ShootManyRobots.com. … Read more

In my experience, digital cameras generally give you 2 to 4 years of service before something breaks--and trust me, they're not worth fixing. (Usually the repairs cost nearly as much as a new camera.)

So if you're looking to replace a busted point-and-shoot or maybe just upgrade your clunky old 4-megapixel model, you've come to the right deal.

An outfit called eCrater has the Canon SD1400 IS (silver) for $159.99 shipped. It sells for $199 most other places, and I've also seen it as high as $229. And if you're into pink, Amazon has the SD1400 IS for $149.99 shipped.… Read more

A common problem with slim point-and-shoots is that users with larger hands may find it difficult to hold and operate the camera. A recent Sony patent (PDF) for a foldable grip may just resolve this issue, and I have to say it is quite clever.

According to the diagrams, it's possible to increase the grip's surface area by pulling the front plate out sideways so it folds and becomes a grip. Presumably, this will also expose the lens and turn on the snapper, much like the Cyber-shot T-series shooters.

But as with all patents, this apparatus will remain … Read more

Clay Shooter Mania is a clay-pigeon shooting game that uses the iPhone 4 accelerometer and gyroscope features to make for a unique gaming experience, but you're going to need room to move around to play it.

One of the more-amazing features of the iPhone 4 when it came out was the gyroscope, which enabled users to move the device and view an object as though the iPhone screen were a window into a different world. There have only been a few apps so far at the iTunes App Store that take advantage of this feature (Eliminate: GunRange, for example).… Read more

According to a recent study by IDC, the iPad has definitively dominated the tablet market, accounting for almost 90 percent of tablets shipped worldwide in the third quarter of 2010. It stands to reason that fourth-quarter results will probably be even higher after the big holiday season. Now that many of the early naysayers have come around to the larger iOS device, I have to think the launch of the iPad 2 in April will be leaps and bounds more successful right out of the gate.

I got the first-generation iPad when it came out for obvious reasons, and probably won't be buying the new iPad personally at launch time (though we will certainly have them here at CNET for testing). But what about you? Are you one of those who decided to wait for the second-generation iPad?

As usual, Apple is not telling us much about its shiny new device, but there have been plenty of rumors regarding a higher-resolution screen, front- and rear-facing cameras, and much more at the various rumor sites.

I'm interested to see who is planning to pull the trigger on the new iPad in April. Let us know your plans in the comments.

This week's apps include a strange interactive storytelling app and a shooting game that cleverly uses the iPhone 4's gyroscope technology.… Read more

Earlier this week, an Illinois man managed to leave his cell phone in his back pocket, a choice that ended up, thanks to his rolling bottom, with his wife calling the police, who sent a SWAT team to the man's place of work.

John Garber, a valet from an Atlanta nightclub might now be dead if he'd kept his cell phone in the same place.

According to the Associated Press, Garber was working at Club Halo when two men were thrown out of the club. Police say that the men allegedly ventured over to a car, grabbed some weapons and began to shoot indiscriminately in the direction of the club.

One of the bullets went through Garber's coat and was about to do him severe damage. Suddenly, it was intercepted by his HTC phone (yes, it was a Droid Incredible), which he had put into the chest pocket of his jacket.

Garber's coat is now adorned with a bullet hole. The top left corner of his red cell phone battery now enjoys a dent that signifies it wouldn't let the bullet through.… Read more