Crave

For those waiting to see what Flip Video will have for the holiday season, the company is about to ship an upgraded, "premium" version of its MinoHD pocket camcorder for $229.99.

In a nod to Apple, the new model is called the MinoHD, second-generation, and features a brushed metal body, double the internal memory (8GB vs. 4GB), a larger, 2-inch LCD, and an HDMI connection, though no cable is included.

Flip's designers have also rounded off the corners of the unit (it does look sleeker) and tweaked the FlipShare software package to include direct uploads to Facebook (MySpace and YouTube links were already available) and a new Movie Magic mode that takes your clips and automatically arranges them into a "movie."

Other than that, nothing else has changed. Like its older sibling, this model offers 720p video capture and two hours of battery life from its integrated lithium-ion battery. Flip Video has yet to add the electronic image stabilization or macro mode found on Kodak's Zi8, which also features 1080p capture.

The new MinoHD is available in silver or you can get a custom finish at no extra charge if you order the unit from the Flip website. Meanwhile, the original MinoHD ($199.99) remains on sale along with the standard-def Mino ($149.99).

We've been playing around with the new model for a couple of days and it's definitely nicer, though we can't say it's a huge upgrade. If the difference in price was really only $30, we'd say go for this guy, but we're seeing the original MinoHD discounted to around $170 online, which may create a buying dilemma.

Read the CNET review of the Flip MinoHD (second generation).

Comments?

Yep. Mimo makes it.

(Credit: Eric Franklin/CNET)

We recently got the Mimo UM-720S in. If you remember, we reviewed the UM-740 a few months back.

This new model is smaller and less expensive, but it's missing a couple of features included in the 740, like the Webcam. Look for a full review of the UM-720S soon. Until then, check out these shots.

Shots: Mimo UM-720S

Samsung HMX-U10: Should the Flip be worried?

(Credit: Samsung)

Samsung announced several new digital imaging products today, including a minicamcorder aimed at challenging the Cisco's Flip line.

Samsung invokes HD to sell SD camcorders
Samsung hits the budget camcorder trifecta: faux HD HDMI output, a ridiculously long zoom lens and an unncessarily expensive SSD drive.
(Posted in Crave by Lori Grunin)
July 14, 2009 6:00 AM PDT

Can Samsung's minicamcorder flip the Flip?
With 1920x1080 video, a high-resolution sensor and a sleek design, will Samsung be displacing Flip at the top of the minicamcorder heap?
(Posted in Crave by Lori Grunin)
July 14, 2009 6:00 AM PDT

Samsung fills holes in its pocket camera lineup
Two 12-megapixel cameras with 5x optical zooms join the company's SL series of point-and-shoots.
(Posted in Crave by Joshua Goldman)
July 14, 2009 6:00 AM PDT

Additional reading:
Blockbuster OnDemand coming to online-enabled Samsung TVs and Blu-ray home theater products

(Credit: Flip Video)

For this week's Crave giveaway, we have a Flip Video Mino. Alas, this is not the Flip Video Mino HD, but it's still a nice little pocket camcorder and we had pretty good things to say about it in our full review.

Normally, the Flip Video Mino costs about $160, but you have a chance to get one gratis.

So, how do you try to win yourself a free Flip Video Mino? Let me enumerate the basic rules. Please read them carefully; there will be a test.

• Register as a CNET user. Go to the top of this page and hit the "Join CNET" link to start the registration process. If you're already registered, no need to register again.
• Leave a comment below. You can leave whatever comment you want. If it's funny or insightful it won't help you win, but we're trying to have fun here, so anything entertaining is appreciated.
• Leave only one comment. You may enter this specific giveaway only once. If you enter more than one comment, you will be automatically disqualified.
• The winner will be chosen randomly. The winner will receive one (1) Flip Video Mino. Approximate retail value is $160.
• If you are chosen, you will be notified via e-mail. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
• Entries can be submitted until Monday, June 22, at 12 p.m. EDT.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. MUST BE LEGAL RESIDENT OF ONE OF THE 50 UNITED STATES OR D.C., 18 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER AT DATE OF ENTRY INTO SWEEPSTAKES. VOID IN PUERTO RICO, ALL U.S. TERRITORIES AND POSSESSIONS AND WHERE PROHIBITED BY LAW. Sweepstakes ends at 12 PM EDT on June 22, 2009. See official rules for details.

Good luck.

The iPhone's new video capture and sharing may be a double-edged sword for YouTube.

(Credit: Apple)

With the introduction of the the new iPhone 3G S, one of the features iPhone aficionados are most excited about is the addition of video recording. Never mind that this feature has been available in a lot of other cell phones for a while; the point is, it's finally here, and that's a good thing, especially when Apple has taken the pocket camcorder concept to a whole new level with the integration of some basic onboard editing tools, geotagging, and, most importantly, a wireless distribution system that allows you to easily share your iPhone clips via e-mail, MMS, or by uploading them directly to YouTube (and MobileMe) with a touch of a button (see Apple's demo).

On the surface, this would appear to be excellent news for YouTube and should rather frighten Flip Video, which has seen its YouTube-friendly pocket camcorders take a nice chunk of the camcorder market (recent sales figures indicate that digital pocket models like the Flip, the Creative Vado HD, and the Kodak Zx1, have captured over 25 percent of the camcorder market in the U.S.). ... Read more

(Credit: VHoldR)

Yes, you could, in theory, strap the Flip MinoHD to your ski helmet, hit record, and see what happens. But a couple of companies are making extreme YouTube-friendly camcorders, and VHoldR's second-generation model is billed as "the first HD wearable camcorder."

VHoldR says it maintained the simplicity from its earlier standard-definition camcorder, but "seriously improved" the video quality, field of view, memory capacity, and the audio experience in the ContourHD. The camcorder is powered by a removable, rechargeable, lithium ion battery. It has a slot for a microSD card (it accepts cards up to 16GB for 8 hours of recording time), a wide-angle lens (135 degrees), and a laser-guided alignment system.

The ContourHD will be available in May for $300. To view video samples, visit VholdR.com.

Also worth checking out: the GoPro Hero, a competing extreme video recorder.

(Credit: Kodak)

Last year, Kodak was first out the gate with an HD minicamcorder, the Zi6. That model was pretty good and won some fans for its decent video quality and relatively large LCD display. This year, Kodak's sticking with much the same as far as the guts of the camcorder, but it's evolved to a more rugged design that's geared toward consumers with "action and adventure in mind."

The $149.99 Zx1 incorporates the same 1/4.5-inch 1.6-megapixel sensor as the Zi6. However, according to Kodak, it has upgraded the processor in this model, which appears to make the camcorder zippier than its predecessor. It's also shrunk the LCD from 2.4 inches to 2 inches. But the Zx1 is still bigger than most of its competitors, particularly the Flip Video MinoHD. Even so, it's pretty compact and fits in most pockets.

Does it all add up to a Flip killer?

Read the full review to find out.

See also: Pocket HD camcorders compared

(Credit: Creative)

Several people have e-mailed me wondering when we'd have our review up of the Creative Vado HD mini camcorder. Well, now it's up, and the big question everyone is asking is whether it's better than the Flip Video Mino HD. The short answer is yes--and no.

Basically, the Vado HD's video quality isn't quite as good the Mino HD's. But its feature set is superior. So, it's a tough call.

Read the full review of the Creative Vado HD.