TIME's Best Inventions of 2008

Gadget of the Year

Sanyo Xacti HD1010

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Sanyo's sleek-as-a-pistol Xacti is a digital camera and video camera in one. Rather than carrying around separate, boxy gizmos, you can take 4-megapixel stills and 1080i or 1080p high-definition video with the pocket-sized Xacti. Its slim design allows you to hold the camera comfortably in one hand; the buttons are streamlined and simple to operate for switching quickly between still picture and video. The Xacti's stand-by mode makes it easy to start filming in an instant. The camera uses cheap, small SD cards, so you don't have to lug around a stack of tapes or worry that you'll run out of internal memory.
Price: $799 list
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