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-   -   CVS Disposable Digital Camcorder (http://www.oldrocketforum.com/showthread.php?t=209)

CPMcGraw 06-07-2005 10:51 PM

CVS Disposable Digital Camcorder
 
This is a paraphrased news item from Reuters News today, and was posted on all the major feeds...

---Begin---

CVS, the #2 drugstore chain, has introduced a one-time-use digital camcorder at a price of $29.99, with a processing fee of $12.99. The camera can take up to 20 minutes of 640 x 480 video, weighs only 5 oz, and comes with a 1.4" video screen to watch the playback. The data is stored on memory chips (probably flash or other serial memory). When processed, the video is transferred to a DVD, and the camera is thrown away.

---End---

You just know one of us is going to buy one of these and take it apart, and see how it can be stripped down to the bare essentials, then stuffed into a body tube. Imagine having a camera that doesn't need an RF link to transmit the images, but returns (via parachute) an unbroken, range-unlimited, video stream.

All it would take would be some kind of interface to the chips, a little software to offload the video and reset the camera, and some way to recharge or replace the battery...

If anyone else gets there before me, go ahead and post your findings. This might turn out to be a better "Oracle" than the Oracle...

Craig McGraw

A Fish Named Wallyum 06-07-2005 11:37 PM

Sounded good until they got the the part where you pay $43, then throw it away. I don't know that I'd be interested in flying one, but taking one along on launch day would be cool.

Carl@Semroc 06-08-2005 01:53 AM

Now that is a challenge! It will be cracked in no time to be reusable!

CPMcGraw 06-08-2005 01:47 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by Carl@Semroc
Now that is a challenge! It will be cracked in no time to be reusable!


There are already a few hacks for the similar one-time digital single-image-at-a-time cameras, allowing you to keep using them like a regular camera, so I don't think it will be very long. It's too much of a temptation not to do something like this.

Craig


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