I had a chance to use the Kodak Zi6 to cover CES, and I thought it was a great little HD video recorder. Good things can always get better, and Kodak has improved the Zi6 in many ways, and the end result is the Kodak Zi8. The Kodak Zi8 still has:

• A swing out USB arm, but now it’s flexible
• Removable batteries, now a lithium-ion battery that can be charged in or out of the camera
• SD card slot - so you can bring extra cards and keep on shooting
• 2.5-inch color LCD

Now, tack on these new Zi8 features, and you’ll see what all the fuss is about:

• External Microphone Jack
• Full HD 1080p video capture
• Built-in electronic image stabilization
• 5MP still capture
• Improved low light performance
• Smart face-tracking technology

Yeah, that external mic jack caught us by surprise as well. Very nice. The Kodak Zi8 will be available in September in red, blue, and black, and you can pre-order it on Amazon for $179.