Though Apple may have snatched the portable-video limelight for a moment when they released the new video-enabled iPod Nanos, Flip video has once again secured their place in the food chain with its lion - the new, decidedly premium, 2nd generation Flip MinoHD. Featuring 8GB of on board storage and a bigger, snazzier 2-inch transreflective screen, the already handy Flip MinoHD is now even more appealing thanks to its ability to capture up to 2 hours of HD video at 720p… 2 hours! Available in a new slick brushed metal shell that can be infinitely personalized on Flip’s website, the premium Flip is an improvement both aesthetically and functionally over its hugely successful predecessor.

We actually use a few Flips here at Gear Patrol to film many of our videos. A built-in HDMI out jack is another welcome feature that any HDTV owner will appreciate when they’re looking to share recently filmed escapades on the fly.

Speaking of sharing, thanks to a new version of FlipShare software, Facebook users can now automatically trim and edit before directly uploading and tagging, improving the online social video/embarrassing your friend experience. For $229, the premium Flip will cost you $30 over the original Flip MinoHD’s $199. In our opinion, that’s a minor premium to pay for double memory and a bigger, brighter screen. Though we haven’t managed to get our (impatient) hands on one just yet, we’ve been told by Flip its coming shortly. Don’t worry we’ll be posting video samples and more in-depth impressions then.

Cost: $229

Flip MinoHD 2nd Generation