Swann has introduced the Freestyle HD, a wearable camera that’s capable of shooting 1080p HD videos and surviving dives of up to 65 feet underwater. What exactly would you do with such a thing? Pretty much anything you want to – or at least anything that’s worth recording – since it’s compact enough to make it handy to carry around (it measures only 60mm x 51mm x 42mm), and it comes with a number of straps and mounts for hands-free use. Handy for bear-wrestling, and–thanks to the waterproof case–swimming with sharks. Or any other activity that’s so dangerous, you’d want to record it in 1080p for showing off in case you live to tell the tale.

The Freestyle HD can be used for recording either 1080p videos at 30fps or snapping 8-megapixel JPEG stills, and features a 3x zoom as well as continuous and triple-shot burst modes. Playback can be done post-shooting with a detachable 1.5-inch LCD screen, or by hooking it up to an HDTV via an HDMI connection. The cam also comes with a USB connection for file transfers, while storage is handled by an SD card slot that supports up to 32GB cards.

The cam also comes with a built-in rechargeable battery that’s listed to last up to 2.5 hours of recording per charge.

No word on availability yet, but the Freestyle HD is set to cost $279.99.

If you’re looking to shoot high-def 3D home movies, but you don’t feel like forking over a serious amount of dough for a dual-lens camcorder, then here’s something that might interest you: Camera company DXG has launched the DXG-5F9V, a compact camcorder that features a dual lens for shooting 2D or 3D videos in HD.

Featuring a pair of five-megapixel, 1/3.2-inch CMOS sensors that delivers the 3D effect, the camcorder is capable of shooting 1080p videos at 30fps or 720p quality clips at 60fps. A flip-out 3.2-inch glasses-free 3D LCD display will let you check out your 3D content without needing any special glasses, and HDMI and USB ports rounds out the spec for porting media to a PC or HDTV. Storage comes by way of an SDHC card slot.

If the spec didn’t interest you, then maybe the price will: the DXG-5F9V is now available for $299.99.

Waterproof digicams are pretty common these days, but they really won’t work for everyone. Maybe you want a more compact form factor, maybe you want a device that’s geared specifically for taking videos. Well here’s an option: Vivitar just introduced the DVR 690HD, a pocket camcorder that’s built around a rugged frame that’s waterproof down to 10 feet.

Like other pocket videocams, the DVR 690HD is designed to fit into tight spaces (like a pocket). Because of those restrictions, the device’s screen is a little tight at 2 inches, but makes up for it with an AV cable for connecting it straight to a TV for instant playback on a bigger screen. It’s no low-end toy though. The camera can shoot 720p AVI videos (Motion JPEG format) at 30fps, and records everything on an SD or SDHC card.

The rest of the spec includes a 4x digital zoom, analog mic, LED light and built-in rechargeable battery. The camera also features face detection and anti-shake tech, and comes bundled with software for uploading videos to social media and photo sites such as Facebook, YouTube and Flickr.

It’s due out soon in eight body colors for $60 in the US.

The Bloggie 3D packs Sony’s Exmor CMOS sensor and a dual lens setup at the back, allowing it to record 1920 x 1080 clips in high-def MP4 (H.264) as well as snap 5MP stills in 3D and 2-megapixel stills in 3D. Face detection and image stabilization tech comes standard to make sure everything you shoot comes out a little better, and an LED light offers some extra illumination for shooting in low-light.

The camera also comes with a USB interface that swings out from the body, which will let you upload videos directly to YouTube. 3D content that gets uploaded will only need a cheap pair of red-and-blue glasses to get the 3D effect.

Specs are rounded out by a 5X optical zoom, image stabilization, 3D stereo sound, and a 3.5-inch touch display that can display 3D content without requiring the use of 3D glasses.

JVC also unveiled the HD Everio GZ-HM960, a smaller, cheaper 3D camcorder that can convert regular 2D content into 3D. This compact HD camcorder also rocks a 3D-capable 3.5-inch display, and can stream content to a 3D TV.

The GS-TD1 is due out in March for $2,000, while the lesser GZ-MH960 should be out in February for $950.

This is Samsung’s HMX-Q10 camcorder, a compact HD-capable camcorder that features a 5MP back-illuminated CMOS sensor for low-light shooting. Looks great and all, but the design is what separates it from the rest of the pack. See, this cam isn’t your regular hold-it-with-your-right-hand cam. You can flip the slim barrel-shaped body over and around, strap it to your left hand, and be comfy with it if you’re left-handed (or if you’re just tired from holding it in your right hand the way nature intended it to be). A magnetometer in the cam senses which side is up and rotates the preview screen accordingly, which is a pretty simple idea, but a big boon to millions of left-handed tourists around the world.

The Q10 is able to record in either 1080i or 720p, and features a 10X zoom with image stabilization. It makes use of SDHC cards for storage to make it light (and lower the price), and will sport an HDMI port that’ll allow you to play the videos straight to an HDTV. The Q10 is expected to ship in February for $299.

As far as the rest of the features go, it’s pretty straightforward: the Pockito is capable of recording 720p AVI videos at 30fps and 1280×1024 JPEG stills. The cam also comes with a microSD slot for storage (a 2GB card comes with the box), a 5.5 hour battery, and the aforementioned sports accessory kit so you can keep your hands on the handlebars. A mounting bracket and USB port allows it to be used as a webcam on Windows PCs.

Available in red and black, the Pockito IRDC260 is available now for $100.

Wearable cams aren’t that rare, although previous cams usually came with a clip to hold it up. The Looxcie is built to be light enough to be worn looped behind your ear, just like you would a particularly bulky Bluetooth mobile headset (which, by the way, it also doubles as).  As for the “always on” part, that’s what makes the cam unique. Since you won’t always know when to hit the record button to capture the awesome (or outrageously funny), the cam doesn’t come with a record button. It’s always recording as soon as you hit the power button, like a security cam strapped to the side of your head , and it comes with 4GBs of storage and enough juice to store up to 5 hours of continuous videos and stored clips.

In case you suddenly capture something that you’d want to save, there’s an Instant Clip button that saves the last 30 seconds of footage, and in case the memory gets filled, the cam simply deletes the oldest clip that, hopefully, you already backed up. The cam records 480 x 320/ 15fps MP4 clips which, while not really considered “amazing” in terms of quality, should be good enough for uploading to YouTube.

The Looxcie app for Android will let you view, edit and share clips on your phone. As long as your phone runs on Android 2.0.

The transferring and sharing part doesn’t happen on the cam though. It works with an Android phone that it pairs with via Bluetooth. It comes with an Android app that allows you to view what’s being seen by the cam, play back and edit recorded clips, and upload clips from the cam straight to the net. The Looxcie app lists just a handful of supported Android phones, which limits it to, well, people who own any of the listed Android 2.0-compatible devices (including HTC’s Droid Incredible, EVO 4G, Nexus One, and Moto’s Droid, Droid 2, and Droid X), but if you happen to own one, then here’s a cam that’s perfect for capturing the unpredictable.

It’s not available yet, but it’s listed on Amazon to sell for $199 when it ships.

Via GottaBeMobile

Looxcie Sample Video:

Almost all of the functions and settings buttons have been moved to the touchscreen to save space, leaving one simple “Record” button below it to keep things simple. While it’s certainly easy to use (as pocket camcorders should be), the Bloggie Touch’s capabilities aren’t basic at all. The CMOS sensor can shoot full 1080p HD videos in mp4 format and 12.8-megapixel stills, and can handle macro photography. A Dual Record feature also lets you take snapshots while recording videos. The fixed lens are limited to a 4x digital zoom, which takes a backseat compared to the 3x optical zoom lens on the Sanyo’s Xacti PD2BK in terms of “getting closer” to your subject.

The Bloggie Touch also comes with pre-installed software for performing automated uploads to YouTube, Facebook, Picasa, and Flickr.

The rest of the spec includes 4GB or 8GBs of internal storage with no card slot for expansion, but an integrated, swing-out USB arm will let you charge and transfer files without having to bring a separate cable. An HDMI output port is also available for watching captured content straight to an HDTV.

Available in black or silver, the Bloggie Touch is set to ship in October priced at $180 for the 4GB capacity and $200 for the 8GB model.

You somehow knew it was inevitable that someone would the relatively small pocket camcorder niche would soon replace those tiny screens and basic buttons with full touchscreens. Kodak did it a couple of days ago with the Playtouch, and now JVC drops a couple into the mix with the Picsio GC-FM2 and GC-WP10. While both feature 1080p recording and a relatively large 3-inch screen that takes up the whole area at the back, the WP10 offers a different twist with a waterproof case.

The WP10’s water resistance rating is at par with most entry-level consumer cams at 10 feet, which should be enough for your everyday, splash-around-in-the-pool-type activities, but both cams feature the same basics: HD video recording, 5MP still shooting, 4x digital zoom, easy uploads to YouTube, Facebook and Vimeo, and a special Mac-friendly setting for doing quick iMovie edits. Storage is added through an SD/SDXC slot, and Eye-Fi card support allows you to add Wi-fi connectivity to both cams.

Both also feature time-lapse recording which, while certainly not necessary, allows you to create really awesome videos. Seriously. Have you ever seen a time lapse of anything and didn’t find it entertaining?

Both the waterproof WP10 and the regular FM2 are due out next month. The FM2 will arrive first for $180, while the WP10 will ship by the end of September for $200.