Film is on the way out, but nonintimidating technology isn’t. Hence the appeal of Pure Digital’s new single-use camcorder, which marries the convenience of a disposable camera with the excitement of digital video. The device is the natural evolution of the San Francisco startup’s first product, a singleuse digital still camera launched in 2003. Unveiled at CVS drugstores in July 2005, the camcorder targets simplicity seekers, from gadgetphobes to parents and kids. “When it came out, I brought it home to my 5-year-old, and he just started using it,” says judge Anne Zehren, president of sales and marketing at Current TV. With just four buttons, it retains only the most essential features; you can delete clips, for example, but you can’t zoom. For about $40, customers buy the camcorder, capture as much as 20 minutes of video, and return the device for processing. In an hour, they get a disc of clips that can be viewed on a DVD player or computer. The disc also includes software for uploading video to Pure Digital’s servers and e-mailing links to friends. When the “one-time-use” camcorders are returned, they’re sent off to be refurbished. In fact, Pure Digital realizes no profit until the second use.

BOTTOM LINE: In stores where it’s sold, the camcorder has captured a 15 percent dollar share of the single-use camera category.