 Number 309 - February 2009 |
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| Face-To-Face - Keep In Touch With Web Cams | |
| by Tara Simmons - Smart Computing | |
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Of all the tasks I perform with my computer, communication is one of the most important to me. It's simple to send friends and family digital photos, coordinate plans among multiple people via email, and keep up-to-date on important events. Cute, new rapidly growing additions to the family provide even more incentive to keep up with (and see) friends and relatives. These days, Web cams let friends, family, and co-workers meet face-to-face even if they're miles apart. (Web cams also let people broadcast videos of themselves dramatically singing along to Swedish pop tunes, but that's a topic for another day.) If you don't already have a Web cam, it's worth considering if you use your computer to communicate as much as I do. There are plenty of options available, and setting up a Web cam to chat with others is usually a straightforward process. Two models I recently used are the HP Premium Autofocus Webcam and the Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000. HP Premium Autofocus Webcam HP is better known for its computers than its Web cams, but the Premium Autofocus is a decent option. It offers live video at resolutions of up to 640 x 480 at 30fps (frames per second). Overall, the image quality is fair. Shooting in low light produced images that were grainy in dark areas, but making adjustments to sharpness, contrast, etc. using the included software helped some. Providing plenty of direct light produced the best results. Most Web cams will work with popular IM (instant message) and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) applications such as Windows Live Messenger and Skype (check documentation to be sure). The Premium Autofocus works with AIM, Windows Live Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, and Skype. I used the Web cam with Yahoo! Messenger. They cooperated well, and the built-in wide-angle microphone easily picked up my voice as I sat at arm's length from the camera. Three Quick Launch buttons on top of the camera start applications for chatting, recording video, or taking photos. The buttons made it easy to start a chat session with my sister, but because the clip that held the camera on my monitor wasn't sturdy, pressing the buttons often sent the camera tumbling. |
From filters to avatars, there's plenty to keep you entertained while chatting (though, I'm not sure how long anyone would want to chat with a Mona Lisa avatar). The Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 offered the same sorts of effects and recording capabilities but with one difference that I appreciated. With the QuickCam, I could start all of these features from one neatly ordered toolbar, while I had to launch different applications from various places to use similar features with the Premium Autofocus. Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000 The QuickCam provides clear video out of the box with a resolution of up to 1,600 x 1,200 pixels and a frame rate of up to 30fps. After some fine tuning, the QuickCam produced colorful and truly impressive images even in moderate to low light. Logitech credits this clarity to the high-quality Carl Zeiss optics and the auto-adjust RightLight technology. The QuickCam can be used with the same chat applications as the Premium Autofocus, and it worked well in my tests. The QuickCam also has a built-in microphone that picked up voices from a comfortable distance. Furthermore, the included clip held the QuickCam securely to my monitor without slipping. Logitech also offers a similar model specifically designed to clip on notebooks (QuickCam Pro for Notebooks, also $99.99). It's slightly smaller than the QuickCam Pro 9000 and comes with a travel case. The QuickCam also has a button on the side that launches the QuickCam capture software and snaps pictures. The QuickCam's superior image quality, fun extras, and the fact that it's simple to use make it worth considering for full-time use. After all, whether you're watching your grandson babble or making a music video that's sure to sweep the Internet, great images are a must. Reprinted with permission from Smart Computing. Visit |
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Number 309 - February 2009
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