Your Life: The Shirt-Pocket Movie

by Eirc A Taub

Think of it as Twitter with pictures. With a miniature wearable camcorder called the uCorder, you can document every mundane aspect of your life, from tying your shoes to going into the subway.
uCorder

The uCorder is about the size of a stick of gum. You can attach it to your belt, put it on a lanyard around your neck or slip it into a shirt pocket. Additional flash memory can be added to either of the two models, the $80 IRDC150 and $100 IRDC250, which come with 1GB and 2GB of memory, respectively, giving you either 36 or 72 minutes of video. The larger-capacity model can also double as a Web cam, using the included mount.

The uCorder records in 640 by 480 resolution using the AVI format. A built-in LED can help in low-light situations.

Playing videos from the device was simple. I just connected the uCorder to my Mac and double-clicked on the file that appeared on the desktop. In my tests, I found the video to be of good quality, but the audio was filled with lots of background noise and hum. While the device comes with a lanyard, don’t dangle the uCorder from it while you’re walking around, or you’ll be taking a lot of pictures of your shirt as the device twirls around your neck.

While the video quality was certainly acceptable watching in a small computer screen, don’t expect to use the uCorder to record life’s important events. Leaving a camcorder to find its own way around your neck or in your pocket will not make for the most compelling imagery. However, if you’re interested in recording a college lecture or the interaction between you and your date, it might do the trick.