Gadget Reviews
Everyone knows I like gadgets. Not just computer gadgets but pretty much anything with buttons or lights (blue led’s are especially cool). I thought a wee gadget review corner on the village website might be fun to do. I think Graeme also hopes that it might encourage me to be more rational in terms of gadget cravings, but I’m sure the tendancy to value cute, fun, cool as well as purpose, will be hard to hide.
So, here’s a wee Review Corner. All comments are my own opinion and as such are not guaranteed to be correct, balanced or even useful in any way.
Latest Review
Logitech QuickCam Communicate Delux
The new Logitech Quickcam Communicate Delux webcam arrived on my doorstep on loan from Logitech. A high quality webcam with 1.3 megapixel sensor (software enhanced to 5 megapixels), built-in microphone, glass lense, face tracking and intelligent light balancing, it aims at the top end of the usb webcam market. (Mac users need read no further… it supports only Windows XP and Windows Vista operating systems)
Out of the box: It’s certainly not as neat a solution as having a monitor with built-in webcam, but as webcams go it isn’t bad to look at. The problem I have had in the past with webcams is their stability on my laptop monitor. The flexible support on the Quickcam allows to be fitted to any sort of monitor… old fashioned CRT, LCD or laptop screen. Just bend the arm and the angle can be adjusted to hold it firmly in place in the chosen position. There is an activity light on the camera to indicate when the device is in use. There is also a handy privacy shade which can be pulled down to block the lens. A nice touch… opening the shade can be linked to launch your favourite video application. The software was easy to install. The camera configuration steps were simple and easy to follow. The webcam was up and running within 10 minutes of opening up the box.
Pro: the ease of use was certainly impressive but these days most webcams are pretty much plug and play. What sets this webcam in a price point or two above most of the competition (at £54 it is one of the more expensive webcams on the shelf) is the quality of the whole package. The image itself is excellent, and with built-in mic, it is a small self contained unit. It has a good solid feel to it. The face tracking is a feature I have found to be very useful in practice . If you move, the camera pans and zooms to try to keep you centred in the frame. Colour is good, light levels seem to adjust nicely, still images are quick and easy to take. A fun addition to this is the animated avatars which can follow your face movements and expressions. If appearing to others in your messenger program as a talking reindeer isn’t quite you, there are plenty of live avatar characters to choose from ;-)
Con: Not many cons to mention. The price is high but the quality is there to match the price. Resolution, image quality and easy of use are maybe things worth paying a little extra for. If you want to buy one camera that you will be happy to use then this is one worth looking at.
| Price |
£54.00 |
| Pro |
Neat, robust, |
| Con |
Price, |
| Comment |
I am not rushing out to buy one.
I’ll wait till I can buy a new laptop
with a built-in webcam |
| ‘Need’ Rating |
 |
Summary: Good quality lense, neat video/audio
More Info / Where to Buy
