Target gift card for the holidays multitasks as adorable digital camera

Okay, we don't know who came up with this idea, but we have to give them some credit for innovation, not to mention (in our opinion) some pretty attractive design sense. Yes, Target's new gift card gimmick this holiday season is that it doubles as a cute, disposable digital camera. The little device runs on two AAA batteries, has a self-timer, and is packaged with a USB cord, driver disc, instruction manual and a voucher for 40 free prints from Target. The camera itself is a 1.2-megapixel affair with 8MB of memory on-board, which means it can store about 50 images. Now, we know this just a ploy to get us to buy Target gift cards, but we're kind of smitten with this little thing. Oh, and: Bah! Humbug!

[Via Coolest Gadgets]

[lowdef @ Nov 10th 2008 10:02PM]

so this doesn't cost more than a regular gift card?

[hmmm.... @ Nov 10th 2008 10:04PM]

And does the person have to give it up when the balance is empty? :O Security!!!!

[Flashpoint @ Nov 10th 2008 10:20PM]

WOW...those chinese sweatshops must be working quadruple shifts.

[Valicore @ Nov 10th 2008 10:31PM]

Dude, I have a friend from China who worked like, 24/7 and slept between assignments (translator). Crazy.

[who? @ Nov 11th 2008 12:27AM]

It shouldn't (answering original question), when they were selling the MP3 player gift cards it was $50, and it was a $50 gift card. Makes you wonder who would be stupid enough NOT to buy a bunch and use them for their holiday shopping, right? I mean, where's the downside?

[Ray @ Nov 11th 2008 10:55AM]

"I mean, where's the downside?"

Uh, the tremendous amounts of eco waste? Its not like they are giving you a camera thats worth anything ($50 + $camera = $50... $camera =$0). I guess consumers will be happy with their shytty .5 mp cameras.

[THizzle7XU @ Nov 11th 2008 12:15PM]

Umm, it's 1.2 MP dude. Learn to read. It makes all the difference. But yay, what a waste. I though we were getting away from disposable crap.

[lowdef @ Nov 11th 2008 5:43PM]

@ Ray

It's still a fucking camera. You expect a DSLR-gift card or something? Holy hell...

[mercurysunblast @ Nov 10th 2008 10:03PM]

Er, no.

[dandaman @ Nov 10th 2008 10:26PM]

agreed.

for one thing, 1.8 megapixels? that's a curse, not a gift.
and another thing, THANKS-F***ING-GIVING! That's when the holidays start. No bah-humbugs till then.

[jack1701 @ Nov 10th 2008 11:29PM]

yes if it can be used as a webcam!

[Jenny @ Nov 11th 2008 1:05AM]

Perhaps for a little kid, since it wouldn't matter if it were broken, stolen, or taken up at school.

[Joest @ Nov 10th 2008 10:08PM]

I'm not impressed. For about the same you can get a used Flip Video. Which, is of a higher quality, takes video and doesn't look horribly ugly.

[James @ Nov 11th 2008 4:55AM]

Your are aware that this is a gift card?

[Herman @ Nov 10th 2008 10:11PM]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/f/f4/The_Scream.jpg

So cute!

[th1rt33nth_w4rr10r @ Nov 10th 2008 10:12PM]

anyone else sees a 'scream face' in that thing?? looks like this one: http://www.jwelford.demon.co.uk/brainwaremap/pictures/stress.jpg

[phail @ Nov 10th 2008 10:58PM]

woah

[Chris Aubeck @ Nov 11th 2008 8:40AM]

I immediately saw the Scream face too. From both the painting and the movie.

Maybe I need testing.

[Mobius_1 @ Nov 10th 2008 10:14PM]

That is rather useless, most normal mobile phones have more megapixels than that. And that is definitely NOT cute.

CrapGadget, I say.

[noyp @ Nov 10th 2008 10:17PM]

Let's not forget this is also a gift card. It has some sort of money value. And money is not crap.

[Eric @ Nov 10th 2008 10:17PM]

You're not actually paying for it, so it costs nothing. You just have to buy a $50 gift card, which is essentially the same thing as cash if you shop at Target.

[Gabe @ Nov 10th 2008 10:19PM]

What's next? A vibrator that's USB compaitble?

[Valicore @ Nov 10th 2008 10:29PM]

Too late.

[Nick J @ Nov 10th 2008 10:30PM]

http://www.thedeets.com/2007/12/31/usb-powered-vibrators/

[Haxxy @ Nov 10th 2008 10:31PM]

http://www.thedeets.com/wp-content/uploads/2007/12/usb_vibrator.jpg

[Gabe @ Nov 10th 2008 10:33PM]

What has this world come to?

[scott @ Nov 10th 2008 10:33PM]

upload your pictures from it! =D

[Valicore @ Nov 10th 2008 10:34PM]

When will those fucking companies stop making disposable nonsense like this? People buying $50-$1000 dollar gift cards probably don't even know anyone who can't afford a regular low-quality digicam. Have some environmental balls Target!

[Nick J @ Nov 10th 2008 10:40PM]

I want one. Camera, not teh vibrator.

10 bucks says it would be hella easy to disable the timer and nab yourself a damn-portable digital camera.

Am I right?

[Gabe @ Nov 10th 2008 10:43PM]

That's $10 more than the effort is worth.

[James @ Nov 11th 2008 4:59AM]

The camera is definitely a better gift idea...but the vibrator may give some more pleasure in the long run.

[chuck @ Nov 10th 2008 10:22PM]

I think the most important thing is that you get 40 free prints. I'm assuming you can choose to use these prints on photos from a quality digital camera, and if so, it's a decent incentive to buy a $50 target gift card. (The camera itself, though, is another story. What a wasteful piece of trash.)

[James @ Nov 11th 2008 5:00AM]

I think the idea is geared more towards kids.

[blarvh @ Nov 11th 2008 11:55AM]

Everyone has forgot that article on e-waste!

More E-Waste to pollute China, yay!

[Nick J @ Nov 10th 2008 10:46PM]

But the weekend project worthiness combined with the hamilton makes it pretty tempting.

[Nick J @ Nov 10th 2008 10:52PM]

shit son. meant to be a reply to Gabe.

/depressed

[Joshua Walters @ Nov 10th 2008 10:59PM]

If your buying the gift card anyways....

[Ryan @ Nov 10th 2008 11:04PM]

Its crap gadgets like these that end up in those Chinese towns.

How sad...

[gonintendo @ Nov 10th 2008 11:06PM]

http://flickr.com/photos/31940165@N03/3021385354/

Fixed.

[Valicore @ Nov 10th 2008 11:08PM]

lolol for using paint.

[gonintendo @ Nov 10th 2008 11:10PM]

Hey, don't dis paint. It's teh bomb.

[ethana2 @ Nov 10th 2008 11:16PM]

emacs is better than paint
That said, I prefer to use an image editor..

[gonintendo @ Nov 10th 2008 11:19PM]

off topic:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jacyk6sz_za
Who is going to buy chinese democracy? I can't wait. G N R FTW!!!!

[gonintendo @ Nov 10th 2008 11:20PM]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JAcyk6Sz_ZA
forgot caps at the end of the url.

[Sola @ Nov 10th 2008 11:20PM]

Boy, you guys are crabby today. I, for one, think it's absolutely freakin adorable and would carry it everywhere, because it actually is better than my shoddy cameraphone. It seems ideal for quick snaps for shopping trips, interesting things on the ground on the way home, etc.

I am also your Young Non-Boneable Female Gift Recipient.

[john @ Nov 10th 2008 11:25PM]

This is perfect!
Assuming it is cheap, one could fig a 555 to the shutter, and its small size would make it ideal to attach to any variety of airborne objects; kites come to mind.

[zerosozha @ Nov 10th 2008 11:56PM]

Why all the hate? I think it's kinda cute, and it makes a perfect gift for kids. Kinda like a "My First Digital Camera", ya know?

[Jamie @ Nov 11th 2008 12:00AM]

This reminds me of the problem we have with consumer electronics in China that were highlighted in a recent article here today. I think crap-gadgets like this are part of the problem. Everyone commenting earlier was like, "Yeah! That's horrible, we gotta stop that crap!" But now everyone is enamored with this piece of useless disposable gadetry.

[charles willis @ Nov 11th 2008 12:13AM]

This is such a cool gift card. Great way to motivate someone to purchase a gift card.


www.ROCKandREVIEW.com

[adam.plante @ Nov 11th 2008 12:53AM]

disposible? I dont get it. Why would you throw it away. Its not like its gonna run out of film.