Ever wonder what life looks like from a doll’s perspective?

Well, hang on to your hat, now you can know just that!

It is IMPOSSIBLE to have not heard of the Barbie doll – AND, if you are a girl, or have small girl children in your life, you probably have one at home right now! Barbie has been an indispensable icon in the female toy world for more than 50 years now, and still continues to evolve.   Why, in the year 2000, Barbie was ‘re-proportioned’, with her makers enlarging her waist to more ‘realistic’ female figure proportions. Initially created in 1959 for the American International Toy Fair, Barbie made her debut in New York on March 9, 1959. Since that day, Barbie has been providing little girls around the globe with hours, days and years of enjoyment!  Incidentally, her debut at the Toy Fair is also became Barbie's official birthday: March 9, 1959. In June of 2010, a totally NEW Barbie emerged to grace the sales shelves … the Barbie Video Girl Doll!  Video Barbie comes with an integrated video camera in her chest, encircled by her ‘necklace’, and a color LCD screen on her back, enabling video clips of up to 30 minutes to be recorded, viewed and uploaded to a computer via a USB cable. To record, all one has to do is hold down the ‘camera’ button and the LCD comes on, ready for you to record video in 320 x 240 resolution at 15fps. To begin viewing life through Barbie’s eyes – just press the camera button again and you will start recording.   When recording, all you see from the postage-stamp size LCD screen (on Barbie's back), are Barbie’s arms and hands (which can be placed down and out of camera range) – and of course, whatever is directly in front of her!  And, because Barbie Video Girl can be posed, she can be her own tripod! True to toy life, Barbie’s video needs remain small …  just add two AAA batteries (one in each leg) for power, and select the video recording controls, located in Barbie’s back.   The controls (3 buttons) allow the user the ability to delete video (a button that looks like a garbage can), a play button for instant playback, and a camera button to stop and start recording – also functioning as the power (on/off) button. From this tiny screen, you can watch the recordings (without sound), or transfer the information to an Apple or Windows computer by way of the included mini-USB cable and watch the video with sound.  Video Barbie Girl is compatible with both PC and Mac, and with fresh batteries, can last up to 75 minutes of Webcam quality AVI video playtime.  Today, Barbie’s 256 MB of onboard memory can capture any sight or sound that appears right in front of her!  With over a billion Barbie dolls sold in over 150 countries, life is very good is the Barbie world!

Small cameras are not just for the toy world – With Sony, small but mighty is the answer!

The introduction of the ultra-compact XC-505 (XC505) video camera by Sony has rocked the industry’s world in the area of compact color video cameras! Tiny in size, with it's one-piece, ultra compact (7/8" high x 7/8" wide x 2-5/8" in diameter) body, lightweight at only 2 ounces, it incorporates a high sensitivity, high performance Super Hole Accumulated Diode II (HAD II) 1/3-type IT CCD. Using the white balance DIP switches, a choice of five white balance modes (3200K/5600K/one push WB/ATW / MAN) are available for the best setting designed for specific shooting conditions, and the most appropriate color compensation. Incredible picture quality and outstanding sensitivity in less-than-ideal lighting conditions, the Sony XC-505 (XC505) is wonderfully compatible for a wide range of uses. If you start with remote monitoring, security, content creation, machine vision and sports shooting, you will find the list endless in applications. The XC-505 (XC505)is rugged enough and small enough to be put in or near a space shuttle for the recording of the details of a shuttle launch. This identical camera can be attached it to a helmet and used as a high quality, long-lasting POV cam to record sporting events in the middle of the action. Need to use it for surveillance and security purposes? No problem! Place this tiny, obscure camera somewhere where people won't be able to detect it, like inside air vents, dome housings, atop street lights, in parking lots and even purses and briefcases, and it’s uses continue. The Sony XC-505 (XC505) can also be placed in gimbals, military applications, helicopters, pick and place machines, in quality inspection applications, medical imaging, and endless applications Perfect for space-restricted environments, this incredibly small, one-piece camera does not require a bulky camera control unit (CCD). Using the electronic shutter DIP switches, levels of shutter speed (off, 1/1,000 and flickerless) are available, which allow matching of shutter speeds to shooting condition. When the DIP switches are set for the CCD IRIS function, the shutter speed is automatically adjusted based on the amount of light allowed to enter, ensuring the most appropriate level of image signal. The configuring of an advanced setting can be achieved via the RS-232C serial communication support. Using a NF lens system, conversion to a flexible C mount lens is trouble-free, easily allowing additional optical options. Included accessories include a lens mount cap, tripod adaptor set, and operating instruction information. With the use of a C-Mount lens, magnification of the video view is possible, resulting in high resolution and exceptionally clear video recordings. Cameras come in all shapes and sizes, and choosing the correct camera for the application is the name of the game!  Remember, size does matter, and bigger is not always better! Aegis Electronic Group, Inc. is able to deliver the camera that is exactly suited to your demanding applications. Committed to delivering value added solutions with the highest levels of technical support, customer service and quality hardware, Aegis, over the last 20 years, has transformed from a hardware provider into a full systems integrator of industrial analog and industrial digital camera systems. Gail De Salvo, Aegis Electronic Group, Inc.