It’s so tiny. It’s so mini. It’s so fun. It’s the Flip Mini camcorder!

Simple to shoot. Simple to share. It has been touted as one of the most significant electronic products of the year. (Do I sound like a sales ad? Maybe that’s because I’m so sold on the product!)

I played with one the other day. It’s really easy to use. It will record up to 60 minutes of video. It is compatible with both the Windows and Mac OS. And the neatest thing is that to connect to your computer you don’t need a hodge podge of cords and cables. Just flick a little switch and out flips a USB connection. (Hence the name ‘flip.”)

The 1G sells for $130. The 2G runs $150 and for $180 you can get the the 3G version. Obviously, the more you pay, the more features you get. Obviously. The least expensive one comes in 6 colors while the most expensive one allows you to design your own look if you so choose. Pick from a gallery of tons of designs. Or create your own pattern. Or upload your own image. Way cool.

If you’ve held out (like me) from getting a camcorder because they are rather prices, this might be just the thing.

This would be a great technology to help you stay connected to those grandchildren who live far away. Your son or daughter could video your grandchild playing soccer, at a piano recital, coming home from school and eating an after school snack, showing off a pet doing tricks, their outfit on the first day of school, or dressed in their Halloween costume and with all of their loot from trick or treating.

You could video tape yourself reading a bedtime story to them, doing a ‘day in the life of grandma,’ showing them the fall colors where you live, taking them on a virtual tour of your city, of you singing happy birthday to them, of you demonstrating how to make a dessert (and then send them the recipe to make themselves).

This would make a great Christmas present for a grandchild. Or a great birthday present. (For you, too! You might want to ask Santa to put one in your stocking this Christmas!)

Digi-Gram