Wednesday, April 13, 2011

The Flip Camcorder Is Dead!

Yup. Dead. As in not going to be made anymore. Won't be any new models. No development. Dirt nap.
Of course this comes just six months after I purchased my Ultra and started really having some fun with it as mentioned at the end of the previous post. And it will continue to be fun until it breaks or gets stolen as I refuse to be a slave to technology by freaking out and replacing it, I mean when other drivers see that thing mounted to my windshield out of confusion and self preservation they assume it is some sort of law enforcement device and immediately start behaving in a civilized fashion and if you read the previous post then you know where I am coming from with this! I wouldn't give that feeling up for anything! Mind you in the olden days we simply put a boot on the vehicles dash but that was when vinyl records were pre-retro.
It's all the fault of those smart phones apparently. On account of all the wonderful things that they do we are seeing the extinction of everything from alarm clocks, watches, MP3 players and our beloved stand alone camcorders. But I don't buy into that view because I'm old enough to know better. Don't believe me? Remember when "they" were marketing a TV set with the VCR built into the same cabinet? When your VCR went tits up and had to be serviced you lost the teevee as well proving the old adage "Don't put all your eggs in one basket!" And I have I think five or six old cell phones kicking around on two continents so I've been a rube long enough! Plus I've already done the lens hack on my Flip which is not possible with a cell phone, smart or otherwise.



And who really wants to risk their expensive smart phone taking risky videos that may see your camcorder damaged/destroyed by drunk celebrities or confiscated by face control or law enforcement in general. Do you know how much personal information is on that phone? Do you really want some chimp taking it away from you and downloading all that? I thought not.
Chasing technology has become a common exercise, a shared experience, but it's a mirage. Leaving the hospital some time ago a fellow elevator traveller felt compelled to ask my opinion on damage done to his furniture by the exterminator (bed bugs, you hate them right?) which necessitated his showing me photos on his popular top end smart phone. The furniture was particle board stuff you wouldn't even find at Ikea but his gap toothed grin was all about the phone in his hand. Why the hell else would you accost a total stranger, admit to having a crib full of bad furniture and insects except to show off your smart phone which no doubt locks you into a three year unbreakable contract which will outlive that fragile piece of technology in your hand and bring nothing but tears the first time you drop it.
Nope. I'm glad I have my Flip Ultra and may even keep my eyes peeled for a fire sale in order to pick up a second one. I'll put that puppy in the vehicles rear window just above my Elect Cthulhu bumper sticker.