So how about a miniature recorder?

Gadgets, gadgets everywhere …..  So technology changes and new toys enter our world almost everyday, whether it’s in the form of a new communication device or a new surveillance tool.  Technology changes so quickly that it almost seems like a struggle for most of us to keep up.  But as complex as it may seem, to try to find out what’s out there to use, it actually isn’t.  A majority of our world today follow a few basic rules, for example, the square on your remote control is Stop and the right triangle is Play.  So applying  those few simple things we have learned over the years from Beta max tapes to Blu-Ray, operating a new toy is relatively simple.  Let’s talk about a miniature cam-corder, palm sized and portable and now SD card based.  Remember VHS-C? Now look what we can do.  It’s amazing isn’t it, how they can put so much in such a small device.

We get asked all the time – Whats out there that I can use to record someone that is harassing me? or – I’m going on vacation and really don’t want to lug around my full sized cam-corder, what do you have?  Well we have  a miniature palm-sized recorder with the capacity to hold video from an evening on the town or if you really needed it to, a full day’s work.  But, of course there’s that pesky problem of battery life.  Unfortunately you’d have to charge it about every hour for nearly an hour to get all that recorded, so you’ll have to stick to small things like a morning meeting or that encounter with the person who didn’t make more coffee after taking the last of it, and then denies it.

So other than size, what else makes this thing so attractive?  Well its recording resolution of 720×480 at 30fps, time date stamp, it can be used as a webcam and it records audio as well.  Now it does come with some accessories, such as a usb cable, 2 types of mounts pocket and magnetic and of course the webcam software.  Its easy operation with the one button on the top, stop and record and then a power button on the side.  There is a tiny light on the top to show its mode of course, whether in record or no SD card present.  Playback through the PC is simple, just plug it up and play it back in VLC player or in Windows Media player or you can take out the micro SD card and put that in the computer instead.

So how about a more descreet type of recorder, hu? Well, there are pens, sunglasses, keychains, cell phones and lots of others.  So when deciding on what would be best for you, always think of  the situation, ease of operation for when you need it and make sure you will be able to practice with it before taking it out in the field.