Ultra Cool Gadgets

Canon FS-series are the next-generation Flash Memory format camcorders for shooting great video and photos. Flash memory format delivers delivering optimal image quality, quick response time, flexible media exchange, and extended recording times all in a compact and lightweight body. The FS100 provides outstanding features such as 48x Advanced Zoom an SDHC card slot for your once-in-a-lifetime memories.
1/6-inch, 1.07-megapixel CCD image sensor – Whether you’re shooting video or photos, you will benefit from the camcorder’s razor-sharp CCD image sensor.
Genuine Canon 48x Advanced Zoom – Capture the action from even farther away when using Canon’s exclusive Advanced Zoom. By utilizing Genuine Canon Optics and the DIGIC DV II Image Processor, Canon has developed a new way to extend beyond the optical zoom, both wide and telephoto, while continuing to maintain optimal image quality. With Canon’s Advanced Zoom, you can now enjoy stunning video from any distance.

Technical Details

* Capture video to SDHC cards
* 37x Optical Zoom; image stabilizer
* Widescreen HR recording
* 2.7-inch widescreen LCD
* USB 2.0 compatible for fast file transfer

Customer feedback:

1. I had my eye on this thing before it was out, and saw reviews from some lucky people who got their hands on it before its release. Once I was able to order, Amazon shipped it in a not very well packaged box, but everything worked. It comes with a little remote, by the way, which came in handy when I connected the camcorder to our TV. So, the FS100 is compact. I knew it would be small, but I had no idea that the whole thing could sit in my hand. It also fits in my purse (and my purse isn’t a huge “hobo” bag that many girls carry around these days). Because there are no “moving parts” and everything is recorded to a little memory card (SD), the camcorder is also very light and quiet. If it’s still not quiet enough for you because you’re in an extremely quiet surrounding, use an external mic.

2. I’ve been looking to update my old Sony Digital8 camcorder and have been looking primarily at Mini-DV. But, this flash camcorder caught my eye since the price of SD cards has become amazingly inexpensive. To transfer video from a DV recorder takes a lot of patience, gigabytes of storage, and hours of work. By contrast, a 4gig SDHC card in this camera can store an hour and 20 minutes at 6 mb/s. The camera will do 9 mb/s, but I don’t recommend it if your final format is DVD since some players will have problems keeping up.
My suggestion is to ignore most of the instructions which Canon provides and keep the software CD’s in the box. There’s a cute warning attached to the USB cable which warns NOT to connect it without first installing the drivers. I connected it to my MAC running OS-X 10.4 and a warning came on the screen to plug in the AC adapter. Once I did that the camera came right up as a disk drive. The manual warns not to access the folders directly. I did that, too and simply copied them to the local hard drive (more on that in a minute). Then, the camera warned NOT to change modes, or disconnect the USB cable, or disconnect the power. Ok… then, after I dismount the USB drive, how do I unplug the camera The manual gives a clue to disconnect the USB first, then power off.

From Canon’s long history of optical excellence, advanced image processing, superb performance and technological innovation in photographic and broadcast television cameras comes the latest in high definition camcorders. Now, with the light, compact Canon VIXIA HF10, you can have stunning AVCHD (Advanced Video Codec High Definition) format recording with the ease and numerous benefits of Flash Memory. It’s used in some of the world’s most innovative electronic products such as laptop computers, MP3 players, PDAs and cell phones. Canon offers the best in Flash Memory with Dual Flash Memory- record to both the camcorder’s 16 GB internal memory and a removable SDHC card, extending your available recording space and offering added flexibility in file transfer and playback.
Add to that the VIXIA HF10′s Canon Exclusive features such as our own 3.3 Megapixel Full HD CMOS sensor and advanced DIGIC DV II Image Processor, SuperRange Optical Image Stabilization, Instant Auto Focus, our 2.7-inch Wide screen Multi-Angle Vivid LCD and the Genuine Canon 12x HD video zoom lens and you have a Flash Memory camcorder that’s hard to beat and unmistakably Canon.

Technical Details

* Capture high-defintion video to 16 GB internal flash drive or SDHC cards
* 12x optical zoom; SuperRange Optical Image Stabilizer
* 24p Cinema Mode; 30p Progressive Mode
* 2.7-inch widescreen Multi-Angle Vivid LCD
* Simultaneous photo capture

Customer feedback:

1. I had the award-winning HDV (tape-based) HV20 prior to this, and the HF10 is almost indistinguishable in terms of image quality. Given the dramatic difference in image data between an HDV image and an AVC image, that means this is one heck of a camcorder. I have tried out other AVC camcorders and have been really disappointed. Not so here, and I purchased this one. It has 24p and 30p recording, in addition to 60i. (Don’t be confused by Canon’s nomenclature, it is true 24p, just recorded in interlaced 60i.) The cinema mode has a bit of a wash-out effect on colors. The camcorder is surprisingly small. Power save mode is great, and is virtually instantaneously on when the LCD screen is opened. One warning about AVC in general, if you don’t have a fast computer, it will grind it to a halt. I have a quad-core with 4 gig RAM and editing is fine, but I wouldn’t want to use an old computer. Sony Vegas works great with the files. Wish the camcorder automatically saved to the SDHC card when the internal storage was full. Otherwise, this is the best thought out camcorder since my DVX-100.

2. The Canon HF100 is the same as the Canon HF10, except it has no internal memory (the HF10 has 16GB) and the HF100 is $200 cheaper. For $75 I can buy a 16GB SDHC card which works great with the camera;… you do the math.. ~ three 16GB cards for the same price has the HF10 which only has 16GB of memory (but can take external cards also)
Records video at Standard Definition (SD), 720p and 1080p (also takes still shots) This is a must for those that have upgraded to an HD TV and want to watch their home movies in HD.

With most point and shoot digital cameras quickly climbing the megapixel ladder, 6,8, and even 10 megapixel ratings are beginning to be commonplace. With Transcend SDHC cards, you can keep up with the larger files these high resolution cameras produce. With 4 GB, 8 GB, and 16 GB capacities, you can store more photos without having to delete old photos on the card before you have the chance to save them to a PC or print them out.
Basic SD cards transfer data up to six times (6x) the data rate of the standard CD-ROM speed (900 kB/s). Transcend SDHC class 6 cards offer a minimum of 6 MB/s write speeds under the most demanding storage conditions. Some cameras require a high speed card to be able to record video smoothly or capture multiple still photographs in rapid succession. Check your device for maximum compatibility for your intended usage patterns.

Technical Details

* Protected with a Lifetime Warranty
* Ultra Performance “Class 6″ speed
* Capture images faster than a standard SD card
* Includes convenient storage/carry case1
* Write protect switch to prevent accidental image erasure

Customer feedback:

1. I purchased the 16GB version (Transcend 16GB SDHC CARD with Compact Card Reader) of this package a few months ago. The card was meant to be used in my Canon S5 camera. But I soon discovered that it works extremely well with the included card reader as an USB flash drive (much larger and faster than my SanDisk 4GB Cruzer Micro). So I ended up using it mainly for data backup and transfer between my laptop and desktop computers. The card has proven to be fast and reliable in the past 2-3 months of daily usage.
As first I was skeptical about Transcend’s speed rating of ‘class 6′, which means minimum 6MB/S when writing. But my own benchmark results (see Customer Images) showed that this card is capable of writing typical photo files at 10.5MB/S – nearly twice its specified minimum data transfer rate. Just for reference, the Sandisk 8GB EXTREME III claims a faster speed of 20MB/S, but it costs about twice as much.

2. I’ve been recording video with a Panasonic HDC-SD9 camcorder at the highest resolution 1920×1080 @ 60i, thats 60 interlaced frames per second, I really expected this flash card to give me problems because of the low price, but to its credit I’ve been able to record approx. 2 hours of nonstop video with no hicups. Very solid product, I currently own two of them.

The Xbox 360 Universal Media Remote was engineered to serve as your integrated control center for the entire Xbox 360 experience. Enter a new world of digital entertainment with the touch of a single button. Play DVD movies and music, plus control your TV and your Media Center PC with one controller. The centralized, glowing Xbox Guide Button gives you quick access to your digital movies, music, and games library, and backlit buttons make the keypad easy to see in a darkened home theater. So kick back, relax, and enjoy the ride. Windows XP Media Center Edition Button and Media Center Edition functionality are featured A, B, X, and Y buttons are included for basic control of your Xbox 360 system, even without a controller Numbered and backlight keypad gives you full functionality, even in the dark.

Product Features

* Power your Xbox 360 system on or off without leaving the couch
* The Xbox Guide Button allows for easy navigation of the Xbox Gamer Guide
* Includes control buttons for your music, pictures, and more
* The Xbox 360 supports progressive-scan for DVD playback functionality, including a control for opening and closing the tray
* The remote supports universal TV and console functionality, including volume and mute buttons and up-and-down channel changing

Customer feedback:

A) This remote is PERFECT if…

1. You would like one, easy-to-use remote to control both basic TV and an Xbox 360 that doubles as your DVD player.
2. The only buttons you would need for the TV are: Channels, Volume (TV speaker/output control only), Numerical channel input, Muting, *INTPUT SELECTION* (yes, it CAN switch between your TV’s inputs), Return (to toggle between 2 TV channels), and Power.
3. You do not need specialized/advanced buttons found on a OEM remote or advanced learning remote for the TV.
4. You do not need to control a A/V receiver, DVD player (other than XBOX 360), or a digital cable box (Tivo, DVR, etc.)
5. You are on a budget but would still like a quality remote.

If you can say yes to all or most, then don’t hesitate to grab one of these remotes. You will be completely satisfied. Especially with immediate access to the tactile DVD buttons versus the 360′s annoying on-screen DVD navigation.

B) If you use your XBox 360 to watch DVDs, I definitely recommend taking look at this remote. It makes moving through your DVD easy and “normal”. Yes, you can use the standard controller to access the DVD menu items – but it’s a royal pain to move through the various menus and sub-menus to get to some of the items. Also, it’s not very intuitive for non gamers to page through to the items.
In comparison, this controller is incredible easy. it looks like and acts like any other TV remove. You have the standard buttons that everybody knows how to use – play, pause, fast forward, rewind. If someone walks into the room, you don’t have to page through a menu quickly – you just hit the pause button. The controller is a nice size, too – large, easy to use buttons.