one-function gadgets are nifty, but even better are those with multiple uses, such as mobile phones that play music, cameras with wireless networks, and portable music players that take photos.
Device manufacturer Archos has put together music and video with a twist.
Its Gmini 402 Camcorder looks like any standard portable music player (PMP), except that is has a fully-functional digital camcorder on its backside.
As a PMP, the Gmini 402 comes with an internal 20GB hard disk drive - enough storage space for up to 10,000 songs, 200,000 photos or 80 hours of video. It also comes with a 5.5cm LCD screen, which isn't very large considering most digital cameras today have bigger displays of up to 7.5cm.
But few digital cameras come with a big chunk of memory - and that is one of Gmini's main draw. The camera itself is nothing special, being only 1.2-megapixels (most of the newest mobile phones have more powerful cameras) and only records VGA-quality video in MPEG-4 format.
But the one convenience that the Gmini 402 offers is its ability to record video directly to its 20GB memory, which can hold up to 80 hours of footage. So instead of having to transfer your videos from your camcorder to your PC - and then to your PMP - you can now do it in a single step. The same goes with your photos.
Another neat feature is Gmini's USB host support, which allows you to plug in any independently powered USB device - such as a digital camera or other MP3 players - and transfer files to its hard disk drive. This way, the Gmini 402 can act as a portable memory bank on long trips when there is a chance you may run out of memory for your camera.