A new $30 one-time-use camcorder goes on sale at CVS stores. Consumers must pay an additional $12.99 to have the camera's 20 minutes of video processed and put onto a DVD.
The cameras, about the size of an iPod, are expected to be recycled by the company about five times before their final disposal.
Melissa Block talks to USA Today technology reporter Jefferson Graham about the camera's advantages and shortcomings.
Pros
• Highly portable, the camera fits in a pocket and weighs about 5 ounces. (The camera doesn't use tape; it stores the video on 128 MB of internal flash memory.)
• Can be used for spur-of-the moment events -- or if you're on vacation and forgot to bring a camcorder.
• Easy to share videos on the Internet and via e-mail.
Cons
• No zoom capability.
• Can't plug the camera into your TV or computer.
• Can only view the last clip recorded, not the entire 20-minute video.
• At a 640 x 480 pixel resolution, the video quality is less than traditional DV camcorders.
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