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Cisco's axing of Flip had an additional casualty: the unannounced FlipLive streaming camera
So Flip Video's last offering wasn't terribly amazing, but we had faith that the USB pocket camcorder would get back to its simplistic roots -- you know, until Cisco axed the whole division, along with 550 souls. Well, the truth is that the company was indeed working on something rather cool, and though we'd only heard whispers until now, the New York Times' David Pogue says the day after Cisco brought down the guillotine is when the FlipLive was due to hit shelves. It would have been a livestreaming camera, connected with WiFi to the cloud, allowing users to share johnny-on-the-spot videos with the entire world in real time. Instead, the camera and its little red button are off to that great big server in the sky.
Samsung HMX-S16 WiFi SSD camcorder shipping in Korea, due stateside any minute
While it's not surprising that a Korean electronics firm would let Korean natives get the first crack at their latest line of wares, it's not without some small jealousy that we tell you the Samsung HMX-S16 camcorder is shipping in South Korea today. After all, it's not every day we see a sexy black number like this sporting solid state storage and streaming video over WiFi. Still, we'll only have time to be envious for a couple more sunrises. Amazon is already taking preorders for the flagship 64GB model, which it says will ship May 28th for $1,200, and you can get the very same 10 megapixel CMOS chip, 1080/60i recording and 3.5-inch touchscreen LCD in a cheaper $1,000, 32GB package -- the HMX-S15 -- if you can manage to hold off until June 4th.
Samsung's camcorders and one big dummy camera at CES
Right after seeing the ultra-slim TVs we went to the other end of Samsung's CES booth for its camcorder lineup. As expected, we saw the previously-announced S series SSD models, the F series with 52x optical zoom and the stylish C series, but we also spotted what appears to be a refresh of the HMX-U10 camcorder brick. Admittedly, we were more interested in this dummy gigantic TL225 camera, and it wasn't even new. %Gallery-82132%
Samsung overhauls camcorder line, has something for everyone
Keeping up the torrent of digital imaging announcements, Samsung has now updated pretty much every cam in its range, and we've picked out the highlights for you: The C20, C24 and M20 are a trio of ultra-stylish handhelds, carrying on the C-series lineage, which regrettably means a scant 720 x 480 resolution to go with your Touch of Color. The less fashion-conscious M20 gets a CMOS sensor that stretches all the way up to 1920 x 1280/60p, while all three share Samsung's famed Active Angle Lens. The F40, F43 and F44 bring a super duper 52x optical zoom, but again record at a disappointing 720 x 480. Really Samsung? The H200, H203, H204, and H205 offer 1080/60i credentials and HDMI output, augmented by SSD choices (up to 32GB) on the higher models and 20x optical zoom. Optical image stabilization and a 2.7-inch touchscreen LCD make these appealing, particularly if you expand the internal storage with a few jumbo-sized SDHC cards. The S10, S15 and S16 collectively occupy Samsung's top tier, sporting a backside illuminated 10 megapixel CMOS sensor outputting 1080/60i video. Built-in SSD storage stretches up to 64GB, and there's also a 15x optical zoom, WiFi connectivity, and a 3.5-inch touchscreen running a 3D GUI. Most of these new shooters will be landing in February and March, with the S-series joining them later in the spring. Slide past the break for galleries of all the models and more info. %Gallery-81729%
