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The third-generation Vado HD comes in black or white.

(Credit: Creative)

With Kodak and Flip Video releasing new pocket camcorders this fall, Creative will launch the next version of its Vado HD in December. Simply dubbed "third-generation" Vado HD, the new model comes in black or white and will retail for $179.99. It has 4GB of built-in memory, captures 720p HD video, and offers several improvements over previous versions.

They include:

• Improved quality of video in low light or brightly lit conditions with manual exposure adjustments
• External stereo microphone support for better audio recording
• Headphone output for private listening
• Motion Detection mode will enable users to program the camera to begin recording as soon as motion is detected
• Out-of-the box Mac and PC compatibility
• Still Photo Capture Mode
• New Vado Central 3.0 software with more instant Web-uploading capabilities (Facebook, YouTube, Kinkast) and integrated editing options

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You may not have heard of Astak, but it's one of several non-name-brand companies that are jumping into the e-book reader space with a range of new models, including the 5-inch EZ Reader Pocket Pro.

While this model is smaller than the Amazon Kindle, which has a 6-inch screen, we actually like the size of the Pocket Pro and other 5-inch nontouch-screen e-readers, such as the Sony Reader Pocket Edition (PRS-300). This model, like the Sony, has a list price of $199, so it makes sense to compare the two units, especially since both models have Adobe Digital Editions compatibility, which allows you to read downloadable e-books in the secure ePub format that's increasingly becoming the standard--outside of Amazon's Kindle--for online e-booksellers.

So, is it any good?

Read the full review of the Astak EZ Reader Pocket Pro to find out.

You think your job is hard? I had to narrow down three potential deals for today. Three!

Woot.com's refurbished 10.1-inch Acer netbook for $229.99 (plus $5 shipping) was a strong contender, but I know lots of you visit Woot already--and many more of you are sick of Netbooks. (Awesome, awesome deal, though.)

Then I considered the refurbished 2GB Sansa Clip MP3 player: $19.99 shipped at Buy.com. Mighty sweet.

Ultimately, I settled on the Creative Labs Vado pocket camcorder, which Dell has for $39.99 shipped.

Although this isn't the newer HD model, it's perfectly good for shooting YouTube-ready, VGA-quality video. And it can hold up to 60 minutes of it at the high-quality setting or 2 hours at "SP."

I love these little camcorders, which are easy to toss in a pocket, glove box, or wherever for capturing life's little moments.

CNET had mostly good things to say about the Vado, which is noteworthy for its built-in USB connector, onboard software, and one-touch uploading to YouTube.

This is a new unit, not a refurb, so it comes with a full one-year warranty. It regularly sells for at least $85, so $40 shipped is hard to beat. Great gift item!

Dell deals often expire or sell out without warning, so if this sounds good to you, act fast. (And if it does sell out, well, you've got the aforementioned runners-up. See? I'm always thinking ahead. Well, starting now, I am.)

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).

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It's great that the Nano now has a video camera, but it really should've been able to do HD.

In the course of testing standard-definition camcorders, more often than not, I stumble upon a user review where the person complains that their cell phone takes better video than--insert model name here. Sadly, that appraisal is probably not far from the truth.

For example, the recently reviewed Sony Handycam DCR-SX41 and Samsung SMX-F34 flash-based camcorders are no great shakes in the video department. I have used smaller, cheaper devices that take as good or better video than these camcorders. The only things they really offer are megazoom lenses, compact, lightweight bodies, and better controls and shooting options--all at sub-$300 prices. However, does any of that matter if the video isn't nice looking, is all soft and fuzzy, and loaded with blocky compression artifacts and noise?

Granted, there are a few advantages to SD digital video, though. The files are smaller than HD files, for one. They're also less taxing on computer resources, so editing and viewing them on even a basic laptop or desktop is possible. Plus, the quality is generally so mediocre that the movies are perfect for sharing online at small sizes where imperfections are less visible or cared about.

All of these things can be addressed by changing settings on any HD camcorder that's available, though, and buying an HD model gives you the headroom to take advantage of the higher-resolution capabilities should you eventually want to use them.

At this point, it's feeling like the only reason manufacturers still make SD camcorders are for up-selling consumers to HD models. This goes for YouTube-type minicamcorders, too. Case in point, the Flip family of pocket camcorders currently has four models: two HD, two SD. The price difference between SD and HD: $50.

The fifth-generation Nano with its built-in 640x480-pixel resolution video camera seems like an eventual up-sell opportunity, too. Apple's giving consumers VGA video now, letting them see how crappy it looks, and then next year it can get them to buy a Touch with an HD camera in it.

So yes, it's time for standard-definition camcorders--in all of their various form factors--to just die. The industry-standard minimum should be 720p at this point and just give consumers an easy, fast, one-button-press way to drop the resolution to VGA if need be. If companies such as Pure Digital, Kodak, and Creative can do it inexpensively, why can't the other companies?

(Credit: Sony)

When it comes to e-book readers, the jury is still out on what screen size is ideal. Until recently, consumers were pretty much limited to choosing between 6-inch models from Sony, Amazon, and a few lesser-known manufacturers. But now new e-readers are cropping up in both larger and smaller sizes, and Sony's 5-inch Reader Pocket Edition (PRS-300) is making a bid to capture a chunk of the nascent e-reader market.

As the entry-level model in Sony's 2009 e-book lineup, the comparatively diminutive PRS-300 has neither the touch screen that's found on the $300 PRS-600 Reader Touch Edition nor the built-in 3G cellular wireless connection of the $400 Reader Daily Edition and its archrival, the $300 Amazon Kindle.

This model also lacks expansion slots for more memory, annotation, and note-taking capabilities; a built-in dictionary; and the MP3 audio of its step-up siblings. But while the PRS-300 Reader Pocket Edition sticks to the basics, it has the most attractive price tag to date for a mainstream e-reader: $200. And unlike the Kindle, its use of the Epub file format opens the door to a variety of free content, including public domain Google Books downloads and titles that can be electronically checked out from many local libraries.

Read the full review of the Sony Reader Pocket Edition PRS-300.

I can't imagine this deal will last long, so I'm going to make it quick: the Dell Wasabi PZ310 pocket printer is on sale for $29 shipped (plus sales tax in most states).

This is a Dell-branded version of one of those zero-ink (aka ZINK) printers that made headlines last year. That means it uses, duh, zero ink; instead heating the crystals embedded in special photo paper.

Consequently, the printer itself is tiny, measuring just 0.9 inch thick by 4.8 inches long by 2.9 inches wide and weighing a mere eight ounces (with its rechargeable battery installed).

So the Wasabi can literally ride around in a pocket and churn out prints on-demand. Prints from where? Any PictBridge-compatible camera or, better yet, most Bluetooth-equipped camera phones. (See Dell's PZ310 product page for information on Bluetooth printing.)

Alas, the iPhone doesn't seem to be supported, at least according to the FAQ page, but I'm hoping there's a workaround. Why? Because I just ordered the PZ310. Had to: it was selling for $149 just a few months ago!

Also, I've seen the Polaroid version of this printer in action, and while the 2x3-inch prints aren't spectacular, it's just crazy-cool.

Again, I have a feeling this deal won't last the morning, so if you want in on the pocket-printing action, act fast! (By the way, the PZ130 is also available in blue and pink.)

It's rare enough to find a standard-definition pocket camcorder like the Creative Vado or Flip Video for under $100, but a high-def model? Schwing!

Geeks.com has a refurbished Kodak Zi6 HD camcorder for $69.99. Shipping will run you about $8.

Before I go any further, here's the catch: It's pink. Now, I'm secure enough in my manhood to bring a pink camcorder to my kid's soccer game, but you might--aw, who am I kidding, no I'm not!

The Zi6 is widely regarded as one of the top models in its pocket-cam class. CNET gave it a generally positive review, griping mostly about the paltry onboard storage. You have to BYO SD card(s).

I consider that a plus: the competing models from Creative and Flip don't have SD slots, so you're stuck with whatever storage is built in. And here's an 8GB SDHC card for all of $17.99 shipped. That'll net you well over 2 hours of high-def shooting.

Speaking of which, the Zi6 captures 720p video at up to 60 frames per second using a 16:9 aspect ratio. It sports a 2.4-inch LCD (way bigger than the Flip's) and the obligatory built-in USB connector for quick uploading to your PC, YouTube, etc.

It comes with a pair of AA rechargeables and a charger, but you can always swap in a couple Duracells in a pinch.

Given that the Zi6 still sells new for upward of $125 (and higher), $70 is almost too good to pass up--especially considering that you get a full one-year warranty, just like new units! Take that, refurb haters! :)

My track record this week suggests these will sell out in about six minutes, so if you want a dirt-cheap, pocket-friendly camcorder and don't mind the color pink, get clicking.

OK. So we promised you on last week's episode that we would do a single-purpose gadgets episode this week. Turns out, promising that type of thing in advance isn't such a good idea as we actually had to work to find gadgets that fit the theme. So we made it, but admittedly by the skin of our collective teeth. It's all worth it for the segments, though. Patience, young grasshopper!

Listen now: Download today's podcast

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