The camera shoots very good 1080P high-resolution images, and the twin microphones produce fine stereo sound. Be careful not to overload them, though. While shooting at a rock concert, I stood too near the speakers, and the music was saturated with an unwelcome rumble. In less raucous settings, the LS-20M’s sound recordings were crisp and clear.
The LS-20M is by no means a full-fledged tool for professionals. But it’s amazing how much video quality you can slip into a shirt pocket these days.
Disney AppClix digital camera for children by Sakar Inc.
$79.99 at Amazon.com
Do your children need another reason to sneak off with your iPad? Well, here’s one more - a cute little camera that is tailor-made for everybody’s favorite tablet computer.
The AppClix is a 7.1 megapixel digital camera decorated with Disney favorites like Minnie or Mickey Mouse. Image quality is unspectacular, but decent. The AppClix I tested came with a measly 32 megabytes of memory on a removable Micro SD card, but you can buy more.
Even before the memory runs out, the kids will copy the pictures onto the nearest iPad. The camera plugs directly into the tablet’s USB slot. A free app from Apple Inc.’s online store will save the stored images and give the children a host of entertaining ways to edit them. They can add ornate frames to the photos, add images of Kermit the Frog or the Little Mermaid, or attach a personal message. Then they can e-mail the results to their friends, or maybe even to you.
At least you’ll know that your long-lost iPad is in good hands.
Looxcie 2 Bluetooth cellular headset and video camera $149.99 to $179.99 at Looxcie.com
How about an even smaller camera, one you can attach to your ear? Here’s a flawed but impressive gadget that combines a Bluetooth cellphone headset and a compact camera capable of recording five to 10 hours of video.
