The scoop: Lumix DMC-TZ50 digital camera, by Panasonic, about $450.

Click to see: Built-in Wi-Fi makes the TZ50 a gem.

What it is: A 9.1-megapixel digital camera that includes built-in Wi-Fi network connectivity, which allows users to upload photos directly to Google's Picasa photo-sharing service instead of having to connect to a PC. The camera also can connect directly to a T-Mobile HotSpot for uploading photos (the device comes with one year of free service), and can connect at user's home Wi-Fi networks (which is made even easier if users utilize the T-Mobile HotSpot@Home service.

The camera features a 28mm wide-angle Leica lens, has 10x optical zoom and a very bright 3-inch LCD screen for viewing photos that you've taken. The camera can record video at 720-pixel resolution, and content can be stored on an SD card.

Why it's cool: Unlike the Eye-Fi card (which Mark Gibbs reviewed last week in Gearhead), the Wi-Fi is built into the digital camera; no separate cards or equipment are required. There's even a dedicated Wi-Fi setting on the camera's feature dial to put you easily into Wi-Fi mode.

For users who are always within range of a Wi-Fi network (either at home or through the T-Mobile hot spots), using this camera is a very quick way to get photos uploaded to Picasa for sharing with others. If you're not within range of a Wi-Fi network, you can still save the photos on the SD card and transfer them in more traditional ways (either via USB cable or SD card reader).

The regular features on the digital camera are also very nice – the 10x optical zoom lets you get closer to objects without having to be right next to them, and the 3-inch display gave me awesome views of the photos I took. The display is so good that it deceived me into thinking I was a better photographer – only after I uploaded the images to Picasa did I see that some of the shots needed to be corrected for color, brightness, etc.

The camera's Intelligent Auto mode is great for nonprofessional photographers. The technology is a group of functions that automatically do things like face detection, intelligent exposure and scene selectors, making for the best possible photos. The only time I changed from that mode to a different one was for the "Sports" scene option, to try and capture my fast-moving toddler.