A year ago, we first showed you the Flip Video camcorder, a small device that positioned itself as the "instamatic" camera for a new generation. In the ensuing months, the brand has grown to be a major force in the consumer camera market, claiming 13 percent of video camera sales since its introduction.

Now there's a new model to check out: the Flip Mino (pronounced "minnow," like the fish, in case you were wondering).

It's slimmer and trimmer — under 2 by 4 inches and about 0.6 inch thick — and that makes it a lot more pocketable. But it maintains the ease of use that is the hallmark of of the original Flip.

"I think what we've been trying to do, Walt, is make video fun again," said Jonathan Kaplan, CEO of Flip's parent company, Pure Digital Technologies. "We know there's another market out there — the MySpace, YouTube generation — and we wanted to create a product that was super-thin and super-cool and super-light and super-easy."

The "flip" name comes from the design. When you're done taking picutres, push a button and a hidden USB connector flips out from the camera body. Plug it in to your computer to continue your video adventure.

Because there's basic editing software built-in to the camera, it loads up when you plug it in to Windows PC or a Mac. That gives you a chance to view your clips, to send them as e-mail, and even to publish them online.

However, you'll need separate software to create a DVD (or you can use an option to use an external service to burn a disc).

The Flip Mino does come with a video cable that you can use to connect your camera to a TV set to view your clips on a big screen. If you're old school, use the cable to transfer your recordings to a VCR.

"We believe that the quality of the video that we create is exactly what the consumer wants," Kaplan told me. "It works great on their plasma screen; it looks great on YouTube."

Kaplan conceded that Flip doesn't quite offer high definition quality. "It's not the best video in the world, just like a point-and-shoot camera doesn't take the best pictures in the world," he said.

But I found the video on the original Flip model to be quite good enough to broadcast on TV, and I was pleasantly surprised to see that a standard tripod mount has been added to the Mino for shake-free shooting.

The real attraction of the Mino (aside from its tidy form factor) is how rapidly you can aim and shoot. Because it's ready to go within two seconds of pressing the "on" button, Mino is unparalleled for spur-of-the-moment moviemaking at parties or even around the watercooler. While my cell phone has a similar moviemaking capability, it takes at least 10 seconds to start recording.

Before I get too carried away, there have to be some shortcomings with any product that can do so much.

• There is no auto-focus. There is no manual focus. You're good to go from about three feet and up (although I've skirted this limitation by holding a simple magnifying glass in front of the lens for reasonably sharp close-ups).

• There is a zoom, but it's a 2X digital zoom. Not recommended. At all. This is not the camera for you if you're thinking of using it to record sporting events or other action at a distance. You physically have to be close to the action for good results.

• It has a built-in rechargable (but not user-replaceable, a la iPod) battery. That means you must plug it in to a computer (or purchase an accessory power supply) to replenish the internal cell. I prefer the AA battery supply of the original Flip.

• While the button to start and stop recording is an actual button, other keys on the back panel of the unit are touch-sensitive, and I apparently don't have the right "touch." The touch keys are backlit (nice), but I still prefer tactile buttons for operational controls.

• Like the other Flip models, Mino has no removable memory card; all the storage is internal and non-expandable. That's a bummer if you were thinking of taking the Flip on an extended vacation away from a handy computer. Other cameras let you pop in an inexpensive memory card to extend the shooting time.

• The Mino's $179 price point is at the high end of the point-and-shoot scale.

• And also like its earlier cousins, the Mino doesn't have a place to plug in an external microphone. You'll need to be close to the camera (and in a quiet environment) for clear speech to be recorded.

In the end, it's best to think of Mino as a "snapshot" camcorder. After all, that's what it was designed to be.

"The experience is one where, you know, you have fun again with video," Kaplan said.

I couldn't agree more.

Yes, there's a new iPhone.

Apple

The iPhone 3G looks a lot like its predecessor.

No, you can't buy it until one month from today.

But if you want one, you'll be able to get it for under $200.

The iPhone 3G with eight gigabytes of storage (that's enough to salt away about 2,000 songs) will cost $199 — incredibly, that's the same price as an iPod nano with the same storage capacity (but, of course, without the king-size touchscreen and telephonic capabilities).

To get that price, however, you'll have to sign a two-year contract with AT&T, the iPhone's exclusive service provider.

So what's new?

It links up to the Internet on a faster, third-generation (3G) wireless network. That makes surfing the Internet on its built-in Web browser much more enjoyable when you're away from a fast Wi-Fi connection.

The iPhone 3G also has a real built-in global positioning system. While the original model did manage to roughly synthesize a user's location by triangulating cell phone towers and Wi-Fi hotspots, the new model will seek out satellite signals for more accurate results.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs says the iPhone 3G also has better battery life than the 2007 edition (although neither one will let you pop open the case and replace an exhausted cell, a feature most competing cell phones have).

I do feel for the gizmo pioneers who lined up for the original model just one year ago, some of whom paid up to $600 for a new iPhone (and others who paid even more on the black market).

I'll be eligible for an upgrade on my cell phone from AT&T later this year (I currently have a Samsung Blackjack on my belt), so the question is: Will I be tempted by the iPhone?

Fortunately, I have a few months to learn more about how the iPhone 3G works in the real world before I make that decision, but I have to say that it has almost everything I want in a mobile companion (at least on paper).

Watch Computer Corner every week on News 8 Midday at noon Wednesdays, or online any time.

E-mail askwalt@wfaa.com