| Tiny gadgets bringing filmmaking to masses
Until recently, Paulino Brener used an 8-mm camcorder to shoot videos and sometimes edited them on his PC with software from Microsoft Corp. But the Minneapolis-based Spanish teacher found the video-making process cumbersome, since the camcorder downloaded video slowly. And he used the Windows Movie Maker software to make only simple changes. So four months ago, Brener bought a small $130 device that stores video on built-in memory and plugs right into his computer. He said his new Flip video camera from Pure Digital Technologies Inc. is easy to use to film short clips, and he rarely needs any software to edit his footage. Today, the 33-year-old posts videos on video-sharing sites such as YouTube and his own blog more regularly than in the past. Brener is part of a new generation of consumers taking a different approach to making home videos.
Oprah gives away $2M in favorite things
Oprah Winfrey took her Chicago talk show on the road and gave away more than $2.1 million worth of her "favorite things" to a studio audience in Georgia.
Each of the 300 members of the Macon studio audience went home with a set of Winfrey's favorite things, valued at about $7,000, The New York Post said.
Members of the audience -- who thought the topic of the show was going to be American hometowns -- seemed shocked to receive the lavish gifts, the newspaper said.
Among the items Winfrey prefers not to live without are Ciao Bella Blood Orange Sorbetto, which retails for $4.99 a pint, as well as an HDTV-refrigerator that features a weather and information center and goes for about $4,000, The Chicago Sun-Times reported Wednesday.
Other items to make Winfrey's "favorite things" list were: the Breville Ikon Panini Press from Williams-Sonoma ($99.95); The Discovery Channel's "Planet Earth" DVD set ($79.95); Josh Groban's "Noel" CD ($18.98); the SAMSUNG progressive HD Camcorder ($799.99); UGG Australia Classic Crochet tall boot ($120); the Artisan Stand Mixer from KitchenAid ($349.99); Rachel Pally Swing Turtleneck ($141) and Sailor Pants ($194); Scrabble Premier Edition from Hasbro ($299); and the United Artists 90th Anniversary Prestige Collection ($869.98).
Canon XH G1 HD Video Camcorder Supports HDTV Test in Outer Space
A Canon XH G1 HD video camcorder traveled into space for use in testing involving the capture of digital high-definition television (HDTV) images on the latest space shuttle mission. The XH GI was carried on the space shuttle Discovery, which was launched on October 23 from NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida, at 11:38 am EDT, and used in HDTV testing jointly carried out on the International Space Station by the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The XH G1 HD camcorder, introduced in November 2006, is equipped with a Genuine Canon 20x HD zoom lens incorporating a fluorite lens element to ensure outstanding resolution, contrast and color reproduction. The compact, lightweight XH G1 combines exceptional mobility with stunning high-resolution 1080i HD video and delivers the same high-performance capabilities as the XL H1, which has garnered high acclaim in the broadcast and video-production industries since its release in November 2005.
Yahoo, Sony BMG Partner Over Video-On-Demand
Destination Handycam seemed like a marketing ploy as much as the result an important partnership, but the site, which was worked on by both Sony and Yahoo, may have led to the current development: a deal relating to music and video content. Travel and a specific camcorder compared to the ability to upload some extremely popular entertainment clips? Well, maybe. In any event, users have indeed gained that ability to upload, and onlookers have taken note. With artists like Johnny Cash, Bruce Springsteen, and System of a Down (among dozens, if not hundreds, of others) involved, the arrangement seems highly significant. There’s one nagging question, though, since Yahoo Video is pretty much shunned by all; Stan Schroeder notes, "This is the first time Yahoo has signed a deal with a major record company for licensing video content; could it mean that they’re preparing something extra in the video/music arena soon?" We may just have to wait and see on that front. Still, for Yahoo’s sake, there hopefully won’t be too much of a delay before we find out - Google signed a similar deal with Sony BMG over a year ago, and YouTube isn’t growing any less popular as the days pass by.
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