Flip Camera Embodies Year of YouTube

Dec. 17, 2007 — -- This was the year that YouTube left the world of the collegiate and the nerdy and hit the mainstream in an unavoidable way. A Google search of the term YouTube yields 102 million results. Need further proof? Consider the recent presidential debates, where citizens were encouraged to submit questions via YouTube videos.

The short, snappy video clip as a way to further the conversation, whatever the topic, is most definitely here. With each passing week of the Hollywood writers strike, the medium may be gaining even more momentum.

Still, until recently, planning, constructing and distributing a video has been a challenge for many. While business plans and video-related venture investments are multiplying faster than mold species in my refrigerator, most are likely premature.

Recall that for most of us, reliance on the Internet didn't become a daily reality until Netscape Navigator made browsing completely intuitive. What video has lacked, until now, is the equivalent enabling technology, or to go with the overused analogy, the pick and shovel of this medium's gold rush.

Enter The Flip video camera from Pure Digital Technologies, based in San Francisco. Forget about this as a technology that passes the "my mother can do it" test. This pocket-size $120 camcorder (the bottom-end model with memory to hold 30 minutes of recording time) could probably sail through the "my dog can make it work" challenge.

The one-touch recorder allows instant playback of video on the TV or PC, with no required software installation, customization or need to call the kids for tech support.

Even better, it's easy to pick and turn the video frames into stills to produce action shots that formerly required agility, timing and the technique of a professional photographer — or just a lot of luck.

I am writing about The Flip not as a reviewer of consumer products, but because this camera could fundamentally change the way we view and interact with people and places around us. While Instamatic and disposable cameras led to changes in how we frame what we see, inexpensive pocket video cams, and the ease with which mere technology mortals can now share simply made video, could revolutionize fields ranging from entertainment to education, reporting to communication.