As still cameras begin to take on properties of camcorders and camcorders work to imitate the size of still cameras, Flip Video quietly came onto the scene with a great alternative:

It’s the Flip: a tiny, stripped-down video recorder the size of a digital camera (but you hold it vertically). And in the year since its invention, it has taken 13 percent of the camcorder market, according to its maker, Pure Digital. The latest model, called the Flip Ultra, had its debut six months ago with slightly improved video quality, greater capacity, a tripod mount and better looks (available in white, black, orange, pink and green). It’s been the best-selling camcorder on Amazon.com since the day of its debut. [The New York Times]

Of course the camera has a few downsides for those of us who love video - you can’t control your white balance, have basically no zoom, you can’t control your exposure and no headphone jack, just to name a few. But really, none of this matters when you think about what the flip does give you - the ability to take video anytime, anywhere. The camera is lightweight, doesn’t require any cords and works in low-light situations, making it the perfect cam to capture moments you weren’t expecting or to record something happening in your community, like a protest. It is also the perfect video blogging tool.

Go HERE to watch a video about the FLIP

to learn how you can use video blogging to tell stories and get them out to the world.