Ever wish you had your own personal photographer that would follow you around and snap photos of your day? Well one British design firm has created a "lifelogger" that will do just that.

The  SenseCam by Microsoft Research in Cambridge, is a small camera, worn around the neck on a lanyard, that uses a fish eye lens to take 640x480 pixel shots. It can be programmed to take photos on time increments, or with the help of heat and light sensors and an accelerometer, when changes occur. The camera can store up to 30,000 images and has a rechargeable battery that lasts 24 hours.

Microsoft initially developed the camera to be a medical tool for Alzheimer's patients in hopes of creating a lifelog that would jog their memories, and studies show that it has been quite successful.

One company, Vicon, decided that this invention was marketable on a larger scale, and recently acquired the license to mass produce the SenseCam. Vicon plans to have the device available to the public in 2010 for $820.   Eventually, as demand increases and the price goes down, the company hopes that this will become the next memory device for the everyman, replacing pad and paper and voice recorders.

Don't get me wrong. The idea is wicked cool, and I can see it being a fun way to document a vacation. But, there is no way the general public is going to pay anywhere near $820 for a clunky necklace that takes hundreds of pixilated snaps. For less money, you can duct tape a Flip Cam to your jacket. Much better image quality, and only a hair less fashionable.

[edit: One of our Facebook fans suggested the GoPro Hero cam instead. Kudos for the catch! Learn more about this mountable mini camera here.]

(top image by Vicon via New Scientist)

(bottom image by Microsoft via New Scientist)