Cisco Intros Touchscreen Flip

Cisco Flip SlideHD Video Recorder With Touchscreen

Cisco has released a Flip camcorder with a slide-up, three-inch touchscreen.

The Flip SlideHD, launched Tuesday, has 16 GB of storage for recording up to four hours of 1280 x 720 video. The latest addition to the Flip family is the first with a slide-up display.

The widescreen is for showing video and navigating through the user's library. The device has a 2x digital zoom lens, speakers and a TV output. The camcorder's battery is good for up to two hours.

The body of the Flip SlideHD can be customized with pictures the buyer uploads to Cisco's Flip online store. Customers may also choose from thousands of images available on the store. The suggested retail price is $280.

Cisco acquired the Flip line through the acquisition of Pure Digital Technologies for $590 million in stock in March 2009. At the time, more than 2 million Flip cameras had been sold since their introduction in 2007. Cisco claims the number now stands at more than 4 million.

Cisco, a leading maker of corporate networking equipment, has been branching out for several years into the home networking business. In March, the company introduced a new line of home wireless routers that Cisco claimed simplified the often complex process of setting up a home network.

The Valet line paired the company's wireless technology with the simplicity-in-design knowledge Cisco gained in buying Pure Digital. Key to the success of the Flip has been its low price and simplicity.

Valet poses a challenge to Apple's Airport, which owes its success to its ease-of-use. Cisco follows that same path through its Connect software, which the company claims can setup a PC or Mac for use with a Valet router in three steps.