The EZ210
(Credit: RCA)The latest iteration of RCA's Small Wonder video cameras is now available. Along with Creative's just-released $99 Vado, the new trio of Small Wonders is competing with Flip Video's popular budget cams, which--by some estimates--have snagged up to one-eighth of the overall camcorder market.
We liked how previous Small Wonder models had a flip-out LCD, and we're happy to report that two of the new models sport this feature. It's also worth noting that all the models have some form of removable memory, which means you can always carry around an extra card with you to store more videos. Alas, RCA hasn't gone with a rechargeable battery--but the new models are pretty affordable. Two come in at less than $100, while the splash-resistant Traveler model comes in at $149.99.
There was some talk at CES about the EZ300HD, a Small Wonder that would allegedly shoot at "HD" resolution (1,280 x 720). However, that model hasn't materialized yet.
Here's the lineup:
... Read moreOn Sale Now: $89.99
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On Sale Now: $136.63
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I've really enjoyed seeing the lifecasting movement take off. I can't say I feel the need to visit these sites on a regular basis, but like a roller coaster built for children, they provide enjoyable moments mixed in with some less-than-incredible build-up. One of the newest entrants to the space is Mod My Life, which shares a lot in common with its other lifecasting brethren by mixing up live Webcam footage with user chat. The twist is that the person with the Webcam is an actor or comedian, and the audience gets to control what he or she is doing.
All the user-created actions are created and voted on by users, and they show up in an upcoming section that lets the group weed out the good ideas from the bad. The four most popular get dropped into a voting pool where users can vote on the item as many times as they like until the time runs out. The "Modstars," which are the people with the cameras strapped to their heads, then has to go do what people have told them to do.
To view old events, there's an archive section to watch short clips.
(Credit: CNET Networks)While watching last night I was treated to several awkward moments of Modstar Jason Wilder Evans bothering people around the greater New York area before managing to somehow walk into what looked like an attempted robbery with a baseball bat. The robbery had just been broken up by the convenience store's security guard. We never really found out what happened, but the damage had been done, and I sat quietly in awe along with the rest of the viewers as Jason called the police and recounted what had happened with other witnesses.
The rest of the show wasn't nearly as gripping as that bit, but like the creators have told me, a lot of it depends on the Modstar, and other variables like location, time of day, and what ideas the community has got cooking. In many ways it's a lot like Justin.TV when they first started out. Far from what Justin Kan and company have expanded to now with their platform and live channel selection, Mod My Life is treading a slightly different path and trying to pack as much as they can into just an hour or less instead of going for daylong marathons. For that, I think viewers who are willing to base their watching around the "time slot" will be getting more bang for their buck (note: the site is free).
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