Technology: Keep the Recorder. Lose the Cassette

In the past few years, a new breed of tiny, high-capacity digital cassettes has made camcorders smaller than ever. Now JVC eliminates the need for a cassette altogether. Its new Everio, due out in October, is a tapeless camcorder with a tiny 4-GB removable hard drive (the same hardware that's tucked in Apple's iPod Mini) capable of storing up to six hours of DVD-quality video. The camcorder--no larger than the average digital still camera--can also shoot 2-megapixel photographs and has a built-in 10x optical zoom lens for both video and stills. One thing that's not mini, however, is the price: $1,200 for the basic GZ-MC100, $1,300 for the GZ-MC200, which has a swiveling grip for extra comfort. --By Wilson Rothman