The Panasonic SV-AS10 D-Snap ($300) is only about one third of an inch thick, but it's a triple threat: digital camera, MP3 player, and camcorder. And its wafer-thin size means you can stick it in your pocket and still have enough room to pack a PowerBar.

advertisement

The D-Snap's manufacturer has found a way to store video comparable to what you see when you watch things over the Internet on postage-stamp-size memory cards, a format that eliminates the need for chunky moving parts. With a built-in flash, 4x optical zoom, and timer, it also makes a respectable digital camera, clicking away 2 megapixel-quality images that are clear enough to E-mail to friends but not so good that you'd want to frame the printout. The D-Snap has an audio component, too. So if you're recording your child feeding the ducks and he happens to utter his first word, you'll capture the sounds as well as the sight.

The largest memory cards cost $140, and you'll need several to get you through a daylong event: Each card stores about an hour of video, not including space for still pictures or MP3 tunes. The D-Snap serves best as a camera, a bit of a disappointment as you'll mostly want to use it as a camcorder. (Once the camcorder starts rolling, you won't want to stop it.) Moving through the gadget's menus takes some getting used to: You have to glide your thumb over its touch-sensitive controller rather than pushing a button for the option you want.

While it is by no measure a full-service MP3 player, digital camera, or camcorder, the D-Snap could be the perfect toy to take on your next road trip.
–Kenneth Terrell