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Product Spotlight: Beuler DVR Flashlight

This week, we're talking about another sort of "out there" product. It's an LED flashlight a built-in camera and DVR, from a company called Beuler. Chris is here with this week's Product Spotlight.

Your first thought is probably the same as mine… What the heck do I need a DVR in my flashlight for?

DVT_Flashlight_w_specs_....._Bueler_logoaWhile I personally find it a little goofy, there are instances where this can be a handy product. Security guards on patrol, for example, can use the flashlight, then start recording video or snapping pictures when they come across something that needs to be documented. Home inspectors can use it to document inside an attic or under a house. I suppose those who go on bigfoot-spotting missions can use it too. They say that the placement of the buttons makes it easy to start recording discreetly so that your subject is unaware that you are recording. However, I think the flashing red LED kinda gives you away.

The flashlight records on a Micro SD card (Which it does not come with). It charges via a micro USB cable which you can also use to transfer pictures and video off of the device.

Setup was fairly easy. I did find it odd, though, that upon initial setup, I had to go through some weird steps to get the proper time and date on the files. The instructions tell you to create a text file, then type in the date and time, and save that file on the SD card. that is what it will use to determine the proper time and date. I guess it will keep proper time as long as the battery keeps some kind of charge.

There are a couple of up-sides to this, though. The question came up in our office, “Why wouldn’t you just use the camera and light on your phone?” So I did a side by side comparison with my iPhone camera and light, and found that this not only worked better in a dark room, but had pretty decent quality images. Another upside is that you can snap still images even while you’re recording video.

The jury’s still out on this one. Yes, I still feel it’s kind of a goofy product, but I also see the benefit of it in certain situations. The Beuler LED flashlight sells for about $150.

Written by Chris Graveline

Chris has covered consumer technology for over 20 years. He is the host of This Week in Tech History as well as a regular co-host on "Into Tomorrow with Dave Graveline" and our Technical Director.

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