Hasta La Gadget!

The Looxcie wearable camcorder
is the first in what may be a new category of gadget: the combination
Bluetooth headset and camcorder. Soon to be available through Amazon,
this 1-ounce video headset is a sleek- and shiny-looking unit that will
both turn heads and record their reactions.

As a Bluetooth headset, the device is a monster, weighing nearly
three times as much as the
svelte BlueAnt Q2, and costing quite a bit more. Unlike the average
Bluetooth, however, this device records everything you see at 480×320
pixels and 15 frames per second.

The makers of the Looxcie (pronounced “Look See”) claim it can record
continuously for up to 4 hours, provided you don’t use the headset for
taking a call. Using the Looxcie app on your Android smartphone, you can
save and edit your video, or “instant share” bite-sized 30-second clips
straight to YouTube.

While other wearable cameras on the market are sold to the extreme
sports crowd, the Looxcie doesn’t appear to offer the rugged durability
that snowboarders and mountain bikers need. With its sleek lines and
shiny white exterior, it looks more like a delicate prop from the latest
Star Trek film.

Ultimately, the Looxcie doesn’t offer much beyond a low quality
novelty camera, paired with a middle of the road Bluetooth headset.
Whether this unique gadget fills an untapped niche remains to be seen,
but for most headset users, this is an opportunity to hold on to your
money.

I’ve seen a lot of technological advances in my lifetime, but I never thought I’d live to see the day that a company managed to bring film–you know, that stuff they make Hollywood blockbusters on–to an affordable point-and-shoot camera. $10? Are you kidding me? Film is the stuff they shot the first three Star Wars movies on, for god’s sake.

This amazing new innovation is brought to you by the good people at Vivitar. For the low price of $10 (plus $6.99 shipping and handling), you can cut the cables forever. Never again will you have to deal with confusing computers in order to extract your images from that magic box. And that tiny LCD screen? No more squinting at that thing.

What? We haven’t sold you yet? Wait, there’s more: Vivitar will throw in a free roll of film and, if you pay an extra $6.99 processing and handling fee, the company will toss in another camera and roll of film.

I realize that all of this sounds crazy, but remember, people do things differently in the future.

For an auto-playing video of old people looking really confused and angry around digital cameras (and lots of “As Seen on TV” logos), check out Vivitar’s site.

Oh, I’ve been waiting for this little camera for a long time: A pro-worthy Nikon point-and-shoot. After the bizarre melange of features in Nikon’s last flagship camera—uh, ethernet jack?—the P7000 is nakedly all about performance. More »

If you have a lot of photo gear, not just a little, check out the Lowepro Pro Runner x450 AW (photo above) and Pro Runner X300 AW. They’re combination rolling bag-backpacks with integrated weather shields. For serious amateurs and many pros, one of these bags will hold every camera, lens, and accessory you own. They’re even deeper than the similar, older Lowepro Rolling CompuTrekker bags and they’re even less likely to fit into an overhead bin on the airplane.

Ricoh outs rather rugged, water-resistant G700 point and shoot originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 27 Aug 2010 21:23:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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