Of course that’s already a lie. The rare unclicked spots of virtual space out there will be ridiculously difficult to find, and even if I did, writing about it sure will change that... Anyway, like Cougar Town’s response to haters of its name, I too shall offer you a new tagline each week. The show’s last one was “Do We Really Have to Make This Joke Every Week?” So lets see how long this lasts.
On with it then. Fishnet is no more, and taking its space is this, a column about all things internet-related, from what we look at online, to What That In Itself May Mean About Us, plus the things that are Directly Beyond...
What I’m talking about, really, because even I rolled my eyes at that, is all the stuff that exists without the internet, but kind of needs it to maximise its awesomeness. You could record your mates doing something stupid and it would be funny and silly on its own, but upload to YouTube and bam! Insta-web celeb.
This week’s Directly Beyond item is the Kodak Play Video Recorder. A gadget that succeeds where others fail. See, most gadgets sound awesome, but over time you realise they really aren’t that great. And the ones that are, usually break the first time you drop them.
Not the Kodak Play. It has been tailor-made for those who like things a bit rough, or... the athletic and the clumsy among us. But it doesn’t stop there. It’s also waterproof (at least if you don’t go diving deeper than three metres) and here’s the best part: it’s high- definition ( a full 1080p).
Now, unless you’re watching stuff on a big screen, 40 inches and above, you won’t really care about the resolution, but once you do care, there is no going back.
Which makes the Kodak Play that much more interesting. With USB and HDMI cables (and built-in software), you can transfer files quickly and easily to your PC, or watch the HD material on your TV set.
I had the Kodak Play in my hands for a month, and every day I would find ridiculous reasons to film something.
Yes, I might have secretly recorded some of my friends, but it was all in the name of art. It was fairly easy to do; the built-in electronic image stabilisation doesn’t get in your way, and is actually quite useful.
There is also an anti-glare feature so that you can see the screen even in sunlight.
You can record about 20 minutes per 1GB at 720p HD at 30 fps (a 32GB card will get you close to 10 hours), and because it has only four buttons, you figure things out quickly.
The buttons may be harder than you are used to and the battery might need charging more often than a Disney star needs rehab, but, hey, it’s a small price to pay.
Speaking of which, the Play retails for R1 699, which is relatively cheap for an HD recorder. If you’re still thinking “yeah but that’s still beyond my price range” then how’s this? To kick of this column with a bang, the guys at Kodak have offered one of their HD recorders to give you. All you need to do is let me know why you deserve it. Add your name, contact details and e-mail: [email protected] by noon on Tuesday. Best reason wins. Good luck. -Sunday Tribune