Video: Samsung ST500 and ST550 pout-cam hands-on
We got our hands on the Samsung ST500 and ST550, a pair of cameras with a hidden unique feature: an extra touchscreen -- on the front! We tried it out with our best MySpace pouts
We headed into London's West End for the official launch of the Samsung ST500 and ST550, two normal-looking compact cameras. But as you can see in our video, they have a unique feature just one tap away, and it's one for the kids...
If you've ever spent more than five seconds on a social network you'll know what we're talking about when we mention the MySpace pout. It's that curious facial expression unique to the Web 2.0 generation, when they point a camera at themselves, suck in their cheeks and snap away. The problem is you end up with badly composed pictures, as the poor little tykes can't see what they're doing. Fortunately, Samsung has spotted this gap in the market, and added 38mm (1.5-inch) touchscreens to the front of the ST500 and ST550. Yes, the front! Whatever will they think of next?
There are two versions of the camera: the Samsung ST550 and ST500. They're the same, except the ST550 sports a larger 89mm (3.5-inch) touchscreen on the back. They join the ST1000 wireless camera, which we also took for a quick spin. Click play to see for yourself whether the tapping touchscreen is a gimmick or a great idea.