b2—otherwise known as a division Blue Box International—seems to want to make a name for itself marketing brightly-colored, odd-shaped electronics for kids. The best-known example to date is probably the mi Jam electronic toy guitar, but now the company is beginning to market the mi VDO FX video recorder as a quick and easy way for kids—or even adults—to record and edit their own short-form, lo-res YouTube masterpieces.
The mi VDO FX stores recorded video to either built-in memory (32 MB) SD cards, and can record audio directly from an iPod or MP3 player while users are recording, so a soundtrack can be automatically integrated. The camera also offers built-in video editing (no need for a computer) with 18 special effects (including earthquake, sepia, and negative), three SF style modes, plus a built-in speaker and microphone…and a tiny 1.5-inch LCD display. Users can offload their video masterpieces via USB or connect up to NTSC or PAL devices with an AV cable. b2 isn’t very clear on the camera specs, but does note the mi VDO FX camera offers a 4× digital zoom.
b2 isn’t being very forthcoming about the mi VDO FX price, but when the company first trotted the unit out before the press at CES last January, they were suggesting it would have a retail price around $99.
