Pocket a Creative Vado camcorder for $35 shipped

Originally $100, the Valentine's Day-ready Vado camcorder is on sale for just $35.

(Credit: Creative)

Just in time for Valentine's Day, Dell Home is offering the Creative Vado Pocket Video Camcorder--in pink, no less--for $35 shipped.

I've mentioned these before, but this is the lowest price I've seen. Consequently, the sellout risk is huge. Also, this deal expires at the stroke of midnight.

For anyone unfamiliar with it, the Vado is an ultraslim digital camcorder that's ideal for capturing life's little moments: the children doing something cute, some friends ripping off that wedding dance, the two feet of snow in your driveway, and so on.

The Vado can record up to an hour's worth of video at its best quality setting, which is a YouTube-friendly 640x480-pixel resolution. It features a 2-inch screen and a stowaway USB connector for plugging it into your PC.

With that connection made, its built-in software makes it a snap to upload videos right to YouTube or PhotoBucket.

Alas, while the Vado can connect to Windows and Mac systems, the included software is Windows-only. Mac users will have to settle for dragging and dropping videos to their machines.

CNET had mostly good things to say about the Vado in its review, and Amazon customers collectively rated it 4 stars out of 5.

I think this would make a great gift for the gadget girl in your life.

Backup deal: Want a camcorder with a little more oomph? SonyStyle has the refurbished HDR-CX100 1080p digital camcorder for $289.99 shipped. Wowee-wow, is that an awesome price on a full-size, full-featured HD camcorder.

Garmin Nuvi 255W

Trial Run: nüvi 255W

DESIGN
At 141.6 g and measuring 98 mm x 74.4 mm x 19.5 mm, the nüvi 255W is light and fits into your pocket. With its rechargeable lithium-ion battery you get up to four hours of battery life. You can use it anywhere you can get a satellite signal. It’s sleek, clean design does away with distracting buttons, allowing you to focus on the 4.3 in. widescreen, which is big enough to see clearly while driving.

INTERFACE
The touchscreen is responsive. Tapping out addresses on the QWERTY touchpad a little slow-going at first but you get the hang of it after a few tries. The device can be stubborn when you search for an address, so try a few different formats. Unlike other touchscreen devices, the keys are large enough to avoid making mistakes when spelling-out destinations.

USER-FRIENDLINESS
For people with no experience with touchscreen technology, the nüvi is easy to figure out. We didn’t even have to crack out the user manual to figure it out. A nifty feature of the nüvi 255W is the list of points of interest such as food, fuel, lodging, bank/ATM, parking and attractions. The Photo Navigation feature that allows you to upload photos (geotags) to the nüvi to help you navigate, but this feature doesn’t seem particularly useful. However, we do like that the nuvi can be switched on and off easily with a quick flick of the slider switch.

CONNECTIVITY
It’s freaking fast! Once you’re outdoors the nüvi 255W locks on to a satellite almost immediately.

MAPS
The turn-by-turn voice instructions were loud enough and the routes were clear. The best feature was the 3D rendered junction view that makes unfamiliar intersections and exits a snap to navigate. However, the map isn’t always up-to-date and you’ll still have to make your own decisions. But if you’ve made a mistake, the nüvi will recalculate the route within few seconds.

If you’re unfamiliar with KL roads, the nüvi 255W is a great time-saver. To find out more, log on to www.malaysiagarmingps.com.my