What's unfortunate is that these kinds of odd mistakes persist today—where's the natural second analog stick for the PSP, why are all of the Wii's peripherals terrible?—showing that in some ways, they never really learn.

Though for the record, I kind of didn't mind the ginormous Xbox controllers, which were clearly user-tested with gorillas. [Technologizer]

While it's still surely a mediocre HD camcorder (I mean, it's $120), the EZ209HD is smaller than its predecessors, ditching the SD slot to save space with up to 16GB of MicroSD, while still fitting a larger, 2-inch LCD screen.

Recording up to two hours of video on a single charge, the EZ209HD supports HD, SD and 60fps shooting. Plus it takes 8MP stills and includes HDMI out for direct-to-TV viewing of your footage. All-in-all, the new Small Wonder appears to be much nicer than older models—though you'll have to wait until spring to buy one.

Also, if you are at the show, the RCA/Audiovox booth will be giving away 4,000 30 of these camcorders. Boy did I mishear that one. They're giving away 10,000 keychains though.

During the initial setup, a female voice walks you through the typical configuration of your home theater. And once you're all set up, you can actually give the remote verbal commands like "Turn on DVD"—a command that's customizable in itself, as it can be programmed to activate just the DVD player or every component associated with the DVD player.

The Talking Remote is definitely at least 50% novelty, but I could see it as a nice compromise to handing a technaphobe a full-blown Logitech Harmony. The Talking Remote will be available late this year for an undisclosed price.

RCA FLAT ANTENNA LINE EXPANDS TO REACH MORE VIEWERS WITH AMPLIFIED AND SMART ANTENNA OPTIONS

High End Model Responds to Electronic Commands from Converter Boxes Equipped with Smart Antenna CEA-909 Interface

Indianapolis, September 17, 2008 – With antenna sales booming because of the nation's transition to all-digital full-power TV broadcasting, Audiovox Accessories Corporation is expanding its assortment of patented RCA Flat Multi-Directional Digital TV Antenna products to include models featuring removable amplifiers, new discrete sizes and the Smart Antenna control interface for improved reception. Created in the company's radio-frequency design laboratories near Indianapolis, four new flat antenna designs are now reaching retail stores to complement an initial RCA Flat Multi-Directional Digital TV Antenna model shipped in early summer. [Click here to download photo]

The new RCA Flat antenna line is designed to solve the two biggest reception problems consumers will face with existing antennas in the market: "multipath" problems created by receiving signals bouncing from multiple locations and effective management of over-saturated signals from typical antenna amplifiers.

"Our new line is the result of an 18-month development effort to improve antenna reception of notoriously finicky digital TV signals, which are either perfectly received and tuned by a TV or converter box, or the signals break up and make TV unwatchable," said Lou Lenzi, Senior Vice President of Product Development for Audiovox Accessories Corporation. "Viewers need to make sure their home over-the-air Digital TV setup includes an antenna designed to best receive the new signals that broadcasters are now sending. Our Flat Antenna lineup has an antenna for every situation."

In addition to the highly acclaimed 10"x 11" RCA ANT1500 Flat Multi-Directional Digital TV Antenna, which is now widely available at mass merchant and electronics stores nationwide, Audiovox has started retail shipments of the RCA ANT1400, a smaller 8"x 9" flat model. The ANT1400 incorporates the same patented technology that makes it possible to reshape the traditional VHF dipole "rabbit ears" into a compact, wide frequency range VHF/UHF rectangular design. The ANT1400 has a suggested retail price of $29.99.

Smart Antenna Shipping Now

Urban areas pose some of the most difficult areas for Digital TV reception, with signals bouncing off buildings and other obstacles between the transmitter and receiver. To address these "multipath" problems and issues with weak signals, Audiovox is introducing the RCA Smart Indoor Antenna (Model ANT2000) designed to meet Smart Antenna specification CEA-909. The Smart Indoor Antenna relies on a special set-top converter box interface for precise reception. The viewer simply tunes to the desired channel and the specially-equipped converter box electronically commands the ANT2000 to activate the appropriate elements inside the antenna best for ideal reception of that particular channel. Converter boxes with the Smart Antenna interface are now widely available throughout the U.S. and the ANT2000 is the perfect complement for precise reception. The ANT2000 has a suggested retail price of $99.99.

Amplified Options

Amplified signals may help with reception of distant broadcasts, or in areas where terrain makes it difficult to receive TV. Additionally, a frequent problem with poor reception is too much signal, overloading the tuner in the Digital TV set or converter box. However, with removable amplifiers, viewers can test to see which components are best for their invididual home. [Click here to download photo]

Both the amplified RCA ANT1450 (8"x9") and the larger amplified RCA ANT1550 (10" x 11") antennas offer viewers the flexibility of a removable low-noise signal amplifier to boost weak signals and improve reception in most situations. The RCA ANT1450 has a suggested retail price of $44.99, while the RCA ANT1550 has a suggested retail price of $79.99.

Designed to blend in with any room décor, the new RCA Flat Multi-Directional Antenna products can be placed flat next to a TV and most can be hung on a wall. The Smart Indoor Antenna is designed to work horizontally.

In addition to receiving pristine uncompressed digital TV signals, over-the-air reception offers consumers local broadcasting multicast channels not available via cable or satellite. In some markets, an over-the-air antenna and digital TV receiver will be the viewer's only option for receiving vital weather, traffic, and news information.

And with the Digital TV transition now entering its final months, millions of viewers are now making important decisions about how to stay tuned to their favorite channels once analog TV broadcasting comes to an end in February. In addition to buying a new digital TV or converter box, viewers may also need to think about updating their over-the-air antenna as well.

A new RCA Antenna website – www.StayTuned2tv.com – now gives consumers an easy reference for selecting the proper antenna during the digital TV transition. The site includes easy-to-understand answers to common questions and links to popular digital TV destinations such as AntennaWeb.org and other industry and government websites.

"No motors, no noise and no moving parts to wear out," just computer-designed "electronic memories"... fabulous, especially since I remember hunkering down before our old TV to swirl the dial. My Dad used to get me to change the channels, as a kind of intelligent remote control. Nowadays my cat brushes past the touch-controls on my flat-screen LCD TV and does that job for me. [Paleofuture via Boing Boing Gadgets]

Ever since the world caught wind of the Pure Digital Flip cam's success, super-cheap digital pocket camcorders have sprouted up everywhere. With everyone and their mother trying to become the next Lil Show Stoppa or Soulja Girl, people need a cheap and easy way to capture those magic moments. I tested six of these cams—from Creative, RCA/Audiovox, DXG and Pure Digital—all $180 or less. Here are samples of all of their videos in various conditions, and an overall look at how they stack up:

Video samples: I tested the camcorders in the three most common situations you'll use them for: indoors with full light, indoors with low light, and outdoors. In the videos, I stood in the same place with each camera. As you can see, different cameras capture different areas. Watch as these two goofballs get their line dance on and destroy the Great American Songbook, and you will easily spot the difference in quality between the recordings.

Indoor, full light:

Indoor, low light:

Outdoors:

The Runners-Up (in no particular order):

DXG 569-V HD: The best thing about this cam is that it looks very fancy. The worst thing is that it isn't. The DXG took the worst overall video of the bunch even though it claims to record in HD. Also, the 3 AAAs ran out after about 25 minutes of recording—I should've realized this would be a problem when I saw the unit came bundled with rechargeable batteries and a charger. Still, it's nice that it has a still camera option, and you could probably trick your friends into thinking you have a pricier Xacti for a minute.

Creative Vado: The Vado is the most non-descript camera of the bunch. Boring UI, crappy video quality and a plain outer shell make it a snoozer. However, it's about as thin as the Mino, very cheap and has no frills at all, making it a decent option for total luddites or technophobes.

RCA Small Wonder EZ210: I naturally gravitated to the EZ210 because of it's giant screen, big buttons, and retro look. Seriously, for all the tech inside, the camcorder looks like it was made in 1982. Even though the EZ210 is the most welcoming cam of the bunch, in the end it's about video quality and this one wasn't cutting it. It's a fair price, and I love the expandable memory, so it's a close 2nd place option.

RCA Small Wonder EZ200: The EZ200 is all over the map. After seeing the nice quality of the EZ210's daylight video, I was shocked to see how grainy and slow the EZ200's daylight footage was—it looked like an old-fashioned home film camera. Also, the flip out screen is hokey to me, but it's great for people who like to look at themselves while lipsynching to Mr. Roboto. Complaints aside, I was pleasantly surprised that the EZ200 took halfway decent low-light video. That plus the cheap price and expandable memory make this one a reasonable bet for a starter cam.

Flip Mino: The Mino is thin, has a great look and feel, and captures excellent video, but it's not the winner for a few reasons. Most importantly, it has a narrower-angled lens than just about every other camera in the test—I couldn't get my whole couch into the shot no matter how I tried. Also, the sound wasn't very good. Finally, this week I'm on the other side of the neverending rechargeable vs. AA debate, and between the Li-ion battery and non-upgradeable memory, the Mino is a little too closed for my tastes. However, if you're looking purely for video quality, Mino is a no brainer.

And the winner is...

Flip Ultra: Yes, the first is still the best, and there are good reasons why so many companies want to capture its success: The Ultra works, and it works well. Low light video is great, the camera feels good in your hand, and it's so simple that you could probably train your cat to record their own cute videos with it. The small screen is a drawback, but it captures a good chunk of space. The Ultra is the best value of the bunch when you consider the criteria, remaining the Cadillac of cheap pocket camcorders.

[Special thanks to the singers and dancers, who asked to be known as Rocko Money and Inter Minetti!!]

RCA EXPANDS POPULAR SMALL WONDER LINE OF DIGITAL CAMCORDERS TO FOUR AFFORDABLE, EASY-TO-USE MODELS IN 2008

Small Wonder Facilitates Easy Upload to YouTube

LAS VEGAS, January 7, 2008 - RCA is expanding its popular Small Wonder line of affordable digital camcorders with four easy-to-use models, all with the capability of uploading video content to YouTube. The new versions include a high-def-capable Small Wonder Camcorder and a versatile, travel-worthy model.

Designed to meet the needs of consumers who want an inexpensive and simple way to capture and share precious memories, each of the new camcorders is extremely compact and stores video on convenient SD or microSD cards (depending on the model). No need to mess with tapes, and no more fast forwarding or rewinding.

Operation is as easy as it gets — just hit the red record button and watch the action unfold on the onboard color LCD screen. You can instantly play (and delete) video clips on the color LCD or connect the camcorder to your TV for big-screen viewing. In keeping with RCA's previous Small Wonder camcorders, there's no need to worry about recharging batteries because the new models run on two AA batteries. A convenient USB arm facilitates quick connections to your PC when you want to archive footage.

RCA makes it simple for users to upload and save their favorite Small Wonder video clips. The new models also feature a new version of the built-in Memory Manager™ software making it easier than ever to edit and share your videos online or via e-mail. Plus, there's a convenient new sharing functionality that lets you upload video clips directly to YouTube™ or to Box.net, a secure online storage and sharing service. Another key feature, EZ Grab™, enables the user to select any paused frame in any video and save it as a single .JPG or .BMP image to share with friends and family.

A Camcorder for Everyone

"Studies have shown that there's a significant market for camcorders that are affordable and simple to operate, which is what the Small Wonder line is all about," said Tom Malone, president of Audiovox Electronics Corp., which recently acquired Thomson Americas Audio/Video and Accessory businesses, including the RCA brand for audio/video products. "With the introduction of these four new models, we now offer a camcorder for just about everyone, including moms, dads, kids, grandparents, and vacationers who want a compact and simply way to document their travels."

Coming mid year and aimed at consumers who want simplicity as well as excellent image quality, the top-of-the-line EZ300HD has a 2.4-inch LCD screen with improved viewing in bright sunlight and 2GB of internal flash memory that offers 30 minutes of recording time in 720p (1280 x 720) HD mode. Six hours of recording time is possible in the lower-quality HQ mode. The camcorder is also optimized for low-light recording.

Ideal for vacationers, the EZ210 Traveler is the most versatile camcorder in RCA's Small Wonder line, boasting a 320x240-resolution 2.4-inch LCD screen, designed for high visibility outdoor use with removable carrying and attachment clips and shock-proof battery contacts. Available in a two tone black and red, the EZ210 ships with a 2GB SD card, which provides one hour of near-DVD-quality recording time and more than six hours using the Web Sharing mode and has a mount for a tripod. Suggested retail price is $149.99.

The EZ205 Pocket camcorder lists for $99.99 and ships with a 1GB microSD card, providing 30 minutes of recording time in near DVD quality mode or six hours in Web Sharing mode. It has a 1.5-inch LCD screen and boasts improved low-light recording, sporting a pearl white finish with champagne-peach colored trim accents.

Available in black, the EZ200 MyLife camcorder features a 1.5-inch LCD screen and ships with a 1GB microSD card to provide 30 minutes of recording time in HQ mode or two hours in Web Sharing mode. The new Web Photo button enables users to quickly capture a video frame and save it as a single image to share later. Total recording time can be significantly expanded with microSD memory cards up to 8GB. Perfect for kids and young adults who want to personalize their camcorder, RCA also offers optional "exact-fit" custom skins from SkinIt™ for the EZ200. Suggested retail price is $89.99.

All the new RCA Small Wonder models have web photo capability and memory expansion through a SD or microSD card slot.

[Keep My TV]

The Jet Stream player itself is much like the RCA Jet now on sale: it's got 1GB memory, a tiny color screen capable of video as well as music, 15-hour battery life, Napster and Rhapsody compatibility, and both arm and wrist bands for different workout preferences. At $139, though, the cute blue Jet Stream is twice the price of a standard Jet, thanks to its earphones.

They are not Bluetooth, and as such, they don't suffer from the digital compression and latency issues that Bluetooth often exhibits. Pairing was instantaneous and automatic, happening when both the player and headphones are powered up. You can control the volume from the headphones, and there's also a Play/Pause button, though for track advance, you'll have to touch the player itself.

When you use the headphones as intended, they are clear beyond reproach. The tracks I listened to sounded fantastic, especially for a low-end MP3 player, let alone one using RF wireless headphones. They are super lightweight, which has not been the case with Bluetooth headphones I've tested, and come with optional ear clips, as you can see in the gallery. When I pulled up a video to watch, it was fairly compressed on the tiny screen, thanks to proprietary software you need to load video, but I didn't notice any lip-sync trouble, a challenge for wireless systems.

The battery life of the headset itself is 10 hours, pretty good, but not as good as the player. The bummer is that they recharge separately, both requiring its own USB jack for power up. (You might want to invest in one of those wall-socket USB plugs.) The advertised range is 20 feet, but RCA says that it's not supposed to be used at any distance: it's there to keep you from getting tangled in the wires.

Speaking of wires, you need to use the included wired headphones for FM radio, as the wire itself acts as the FM antenna.

The Jet Stream is available for pre-order today on Amazon, and will appear at Wal-Mart in the next two to three weeks.

There's a ~1.5-inch screen on the back of both, but only the RCA's screen pivots. And according to Flip Video, their camera has improved low-light sensitivity, which testing showed to be true—we're sure that's the case for the RCA, too, but can't confirm it. The Flip has the advantage of also offering Mac software (RCA doesn't), and claims to have a direct link to YouTube uploading. Sounds cool, but it's not really true. Basically, when you click the share with YouTube button, it takes the MPEG-4 file, and squeezes it down to a smaller WMV file on a PC. (It records in 3vid , which I had problems viewing in Windows Movie Maker even with the codec installed.) Then you have to upload it to YouTube yourself. For the record, most digital cameras will record in MPEG-4 that you can directly edit in the free programs that come with Macs and PCs, and that format will natively go to YouTube. So what we have on the Flip video is an easy to use, branded solution, and a workaround for their use of a strange video format. So it's better for your technophobe relatives than you. I'd be much happier with a standard MPEG-4 camera than the Flip and RCA. But the price is stunning. I'd buy either of these for a niece or nephew who is a budding Spielberg, in a heartbeat.

Also, according to Gizmodo videographer Richard Blakeley, the bright recording light "makes it a horrible upskirt camera," so RCA and Flip totally lose the moms-who-film-moms demographic. The RCA drops May 6 at Circuit City for $130, everywhere else in June. The Flip Video cam is here. – Matt Buchanan, Brian Lam, Noah Robischon, and Video by Richard Blakely

Product Page [RCA]

More word as we get it.

– Mark Wilson

The DTA800 also receives OTA HD broadcasts as well as SD broadcasts, which is kind of strange seeing as the average consumer who buys this doesn't have the eye strength to discern one from the other anyway. – Jason Chen

RCA Readies for End of Analog with DTA800 Converter [Electronic House]

Look, I'm not going to lie to you: a lot of low-end gadgets aren't exactly built to last. I'm sure everyone out there in Gizmodoland has a tale to share about the $9 faux Discman that shattered within 48 hours, or the drugstore digicam with the exploding flash. As I've written before, you're always gambling when you go the discount route—with shoddy warranties and non-existent support the rule among low-end purveyors, today's $15 MP3 player is tomorrow's paperweight.

But far be it from me to add to your blues in the dark, frigid depths of February. This week's column isn't about those myriad times the Lords of Guangdong have given me the scroogie, but rather about the low-end products that have proven stunningly resilient over the years—starting with my beloved Apex AT1302 (pictured at right). Call this my own personal Low-End Hall of Fame, a pantheon of electronics that provided me with far more bang for the buck than I ever thought possible. Read on for four favorites, and start thinking about some of your own to share.

Apex AT1302 13-inch Color TV
Date of Purchase Fall of 1999
Price $79
Backgrounder My second TV in New York, replacing an antiquated Emerson that I'd found on the street (and that only showed hues of green, rather than a full color palette). Bought it at the Circuit City on Union Square, and distinctly remember the salesman's crestfallen expression when I told him where he could shove his extended warranty (though in much nicer language, I assure you). It's been with me every since.
Bound to Happen The remote control was made out of the cheapest plastic I've encountered in all my years on Spaceship Earth; it cracked badly within a few months, and is currently occupying a few square inches worth of space at Fresh Kills Landfill. The paint's worn off the channel buttons as a result.
Why It Deserves Adulation By far the most solid 13-inch TV I've ever encountered. Yes, it weighs only slightly less than Aaron Gibson, but that means it's been great at taking punishment. It's currently wedged between my stove and my toaster, a position in which it gets spattered with grease, broiled with waves of heat, and pounded by crashing plates (though only when I'm high off the Special Brew). Still displays the same craptacular picture as back in '99; just wipe a little Windex on the screen 'round Christmastime, and this puppy should be part of the inheritance I leave the grandkids.

RCA Lyra Headphones
Date of Purchase Sometime in 2002
Price Free (see below; list price surely <$5, though)
Backgrounder Given to me by a pal who'd just purchased an ultra-cheap 64MB RCA Lyra MP3 player—can't remember how much he paid for it, but I'm willing to bet he had money left over from his $20 bill. He assumed that any headphones that would accompany such a cheap digimusic player were bound to be awful, so he bestowed them upon me, knowing that I lap up freebies like a dog just returned from the Mojave Desert.
Bound to Happen The logo paint is gone, but otherwise these earpad-style 'phones are in excellent shape—which is a lot more than I can say for the five or so Apple earbuds I've blown out listening to Raekwon with the bass kicked way the hellheck up.
Why It Deserves Adulation As indicated above, the mere fact that these headphones haven't blown is a testament to their superior craftsmanship. Also, the little plastic hooks that latch 'em onto your ears are still going strong, despite getting drenched in sweat, frozen in the New York cold, and otherwise abused over the past four-plus years. Oh, and they provide surprisingly rich sound, given that they came packaged with a decidedly low-end MP3 player in the first place.

Acomdata 80GB External Hard Drive (Firewire Compatible)
Date of Purchase April 2003
Price $49.95 (a bargain then, a possible rip-off now)
Backgrounder Bought this drive after a previous backup drive whirred, screeched, then gave up the ghost at one of the worst times possible (i.e. just as I was experiencing a rather nasty laptop meltdown). I remember being a bit skeeved out by the Acomdata brand, which has its share of haters on various e-commerce sites. But the low-end gods were looking out for me on this one.
Bound to Happen The drive's starting to make some chimp-like yelps in its old age, and I'm wondering whether it's going to flare out sooner rather than later.
Why It Deserves Adulation External hard drives are so cheap nowadays that this doesn't seem like a particularly great steal in retrospect. But at the time it was a good price and, more importantly, Firewire compatible; I was using a Sony Vaio PGC-GR390 at the time, which oddly had Firewire but no USB 2.0. The Acomdata drive is hefty and not much to look at, but it's save my hide on multiple occasions. The only question now is whether I buy another one, so I can have a backup for my backup. Or is that overly paranoid?

Sony ICF-C120 "Dream Machine" Clock Radio
Date of Purchase Can't Even Remember—1997, perhaps? Earlier?
Price Under $10, for sure
Backgrounder Purchased at a "variety store" in Washington D.C.'s Mt. Pleasant neighborhood. I was a newly minted adult at the time, with a job I had to get to—showered and dressed—by 9 a.m. I had a travel alarm clock from my days in Ireland, but wanted to wake up to the soothing sounds of WPGC ("The People's Station"). The Dream Machine seemed like the way to go.
Bound to Happen The slider on the top that toggles between off, radio, and buzzer is pretty loose, and it'll come off if you jiggle it to hard. There are also lots of crevices that have become a might dirty. Suffice to say, this isn't the sort of alarm clock you'll see showing up in too many Wallpaper spreads.
Why It Deserves Adulation This white cube's survived some seriously rough handling over the years. I'm the farthest thing from a morning person, and I've often taken my wrath out on the poor Dream Machine. But it keeps on pumping out the ear-piercing tunes every morning and, as a special bonus, it's broken in a very beneficial way—if you put the slider in just the right position, it'll buzz and radio at the same time. If that doesn't get you up, you don't deserve to be a functional member of society.

I've got others, but I'm going to end here and throw it over to y'all: got a low-end gadget that's lasted you for years, and without which your life wouldn't be complete? Mention it in comments, or better yet, send me a brief description and a picture. You're dream of seeing your $5 knock-off/off-brand gadget on Gizmodo can come true! But nothing too racy, please—this is definitely a family site.

Brendan I. Koerner is a contributing editor at Wired and a columnist for both The New York Times and Slate. His Low End Theory column appears every Thursday on Gizmodo.

Read more Low End Theory

Another example of RCA's aging prowess is the DTA800 digital TV adapter. This little box picks up those new-fangled digital television signals and down-converts them to analog so your forty-year-old TV can play them (seriously, that's the RCA booth demo setup). Pricing is unavailable, probably because nobody knows if anybody will actually want to buy one of these things.

Rounding out the list of products to keep your aging system in useable shape, the Thomson wireless Music Box collects internet radio streams or other digital audio sources and connects them to your home stereo system for playback. It is managed from one of Thomson's new DECT-equipped phones or any other WiFi or UPnP device.

Not content to simply master the past, RCA also debuted the MPC4000 Laptop Teleceiver, a USB device that converts your PC into a full-fledged television. The small receiver will pick up and record both digital and analog signals. RCA thinks the Teleceiver is a perfect solution for cramped spaces like dorm rooms, and with a $200 price tag this April, they may have some takers. – Karson Thompson

The Jet, designed for the active music lover, packs the biggest punch. Sporting the same 1.5-inch OLED as the Opal, the Jet is also splash-resistant and comes with a Body Mass Index calculator to help you visualize your obesity. It plays MP3, WMA and WMA/DRM files and includes an FM tuner. The 1GB Jet runs $69 while the 2GB version is $89. Also available is the Jet Stream, a 1GB wireless version of the Jet that touts "lossless" audio transmission to the headphones for $149.
Also from the RCA/Thomson family are Jensen's new JPM3005 SportFones. The SportFones also eliminate the tangle of wires by integrating a 512MB digital media player into the headphones themselves, including simple controls on the side of one earpiece. Also designed for the gym rat, the SportFones are wrapped in sweat-resistant silicone. Pick them up in a zippered carry bag in February for $69.99. – Karson Thompson

The RCA RS2130 Bookshelf Audio System also includes and iPod dock that is detached, 160-watt amplifier, CD player, radio, etc. It does use RCA's Rip&Go feature that can rip music from the radio or CD player directly to an MP3 player or other mass storage device. It will also be available in May for $169. – Travis Hudson