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LifeCam VX-6000

LifeCam VX-3000
Microsoft new webcams are officially announced

Microsoft has officially released its new LifeCam VX-6000 and LifeCam VX-3000. DailyTech first brought you news of the new webcams when Amazon leaked information onto its website.

Both products are optimized for Windows Live Messenger and include a number of features to make your webcam experience a pleasure. These include:

  • Windows Live Call Button: One touch of the button on the top of the unit brings up a list of buddies who are currently online and allows you to quickly place a video call
  • LifeCam Dashboard: Provides easy access to controls such as pan, tilt and zoom
  • One-touch blogging: Allows users to post HiDef pictures directly to Windows Live Space

The $99.95 LifeCam VX-6000 as reported ealier will be able to capture still images at 5.0 megapixels interpolated and HiDef video at 1.3 megapixels. The $49.95 Lifecam VX-6000 also features a 71 degree wide angle lense which allows up to three people to join in on a chat. The LifeCam VX-3000 on the other hand is able to capture still images at up to 1.3MP and video at 640x480. Both feature a noise-cancelling microphone for clear audio and a universal base which allows for easy to attachment to just about any monitor.

Microsoft directs customers to Amazon.com to pre-order the new LifeCams. Both will ship in August with new products to be announced in September.

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Big Brother?
By dgouldin on 6/13/2006 2:45:24 PM , Rating: 1
Microsoft webcams + WGA = scary.




RE: Big Brother?
By Master Kenobi (blog) on 6/13/2006 2:55:43 PM , Rating: 2
This is definately a good thing. Microsoft pushed Optical mice into the hands of just about everyone. Now they are pushing relatively inexpensive webcams, to the home user. Definately a good thing. Its this sort of push that keeps the industry moving.


RE: Big Brother?
By BladeVenom on 6/13/2006 4:07:12 PM , Rating: 2
Yes, but optical mice can't spy on you, and report back to MS everyday.


RE: Big Brother?
By rushfan2006 on 6/13/2006 4:43:55 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
Yes, but optical mice can't spy on you, and report back to MS everyday.


Tell me, doesn't it make you tired expending so much energy to paranoia all the time?

Believe it or not I'm not being sarcastic with that, I'm seriously asking a question for real.

The world is a big place, we definitely live in somewhat cold and very cynical times -- if you worry about everything, if you analyze everything, if you stress over everything -- when do you have time to enjoy life? Time to just relax?

Think...do you (or anyone for that matter) really think MS, a software company has a vested interested in being a peeping tom with these cameras? If that isn't being paranoid I don't know what is.

Furthermore, pretend I'm wrong and you are right -- You'd be rich if you had evidence that such activity was practiced by MS...from the lawsuit that any judge in the country would hand you the win in a heartbeat.

Finally, there is such as thing as unplugging the camera when not in use and this neat thing called a lens cap as well.



RE: Big Brother?
By Nekrik on 6/13/2006 4:53:06 PM , Rating: 2
LMAO - I least I think/hope it was a joke. But then again, this does contribute to creating more foil hat fans :)


RE: Big Brother?
By Snuffalufagus on 6/13/2006 8:37:03 PM , Rating: 2
It's not Sony :)


3 people in chat?
By Scabies on 6/13/2006 2:34:27 PM , Rating: 2
As in, video feed out to three people? If you're careful, you can do that with any webcam. Maybe I'm missing something

and does this live cam do sweet action avatars and face-overs?
(http://www.albinoblacksheep.com/flash/quickcam)




RE: 3 people in chat?
By OddTSi on 6/13/2006 2:40:50 PM , Rating: 2
Since they're talking about a wide-angle lens in the same sentence my guess would be that you can have a person seating on either side of you and all 3 of you will be able to fit in the image/video.


RE: 3 people in chat?
By Brandon Hill (blog) on 6/13/2006 2:43:50 PM , Rating: 2
Correct


RE: 3 people in chat?
By eomhS on 6/13/2006 9:45:11 PM , Rating: 2
cant any web cam do this, it may be wide angle, but with any cam, if you move itback far enough all 3 ppl can fit in the picture, now if the cam was say 2 ft away and could capture 3 ppl, that'd be something, but simply saying 3 ppl, and "wide angle" isnt enough...


RE: 3 people in chat?
By eomhS on 6/13/2006 9:46:21 PM , Rating: 2
cant any web cam do this?, it may be wide angle, but with any cam, if you move itback far enough all 3 ppl can fit in the picture, now if the cam was say 2 ft away and could capture 3 ppl, that'd be something, but simply saying 3 ppl, and "wide angle" isnt enough...


FPS?
By flydef on 6/13/2006 7:23:57 PM , Rating: 2
Really wondering about the Frames per second of the 6000 at 1280x1024 and 1024x768.
Doesn't say anywhere on Microsoft's site.
Just says "up to 30fps"
You all know what that means.





RE: FPS?
By QueBert on 6/13/2006 7:57:05 PM , Rating: 2
ummm, are you saying 10fps at the highest resolution will make bad video? :) I'm interested in the claim of hi-def video, but @ 99 bucks I'm not going to hold my breath, or expect much. Consumers will eat up the "5MP" junk claim, wonder how you can interpolate an image from what's probably a 1mp'ish sensor to 5. I predict this web cam will be crapola, I also predict it will sell like hot cakes.


RE: FPS?
By WizzBall on 6/13/2006 8:53:16 PM , Rating: 2
Hail to you Nostradamus! ;)


Pricing error?
By xKelemvor on 6/13/2006 4:11:01 PM , Rating: 2
quote:
The $99.95 LifeCam VX-6000 as reported ealier will be able to capture still images at 5.0 megapixels interpolated and HiDef video at 1.3 megapixels. The $49.95 Lifecam VX-6000 also features a 71 degree wide angle lense which allows up to three people to join in on a chat.


So is the second price supposed to say $99 or is the second model supposed to say the 3000 model?




RE: Pricing error?
By killerroach on 6/13/2006 7:06:20 PM , Rating: 2
The second one should be the VX-3000.

However, the VX-6000 is an interesting one... although not by any means as affordable as other webcams on the market, it possesses FAR greater resolution. Really intriguing, if you ask me. If it does halfway decent, then a person with a laptop may have found an inexpensive digicam, hehe.


didn't know
By GNStudios on 6/13/2006 2:34:38 PM , Rating: 2
didn't know that ms made webcams. are they any good?

fp!




Creeeepio
By Dfere on 6/13/2006 3:00:58 PM , Rating: 2
As in "What are you doing, Dave". When is this scheduled to be installed in the Jupiter Launch?

And when did we discover the big black monolith orbiting Jupiter?




"You can bet that Sony built a long-term business plan about being successful in Japan and that business plan is crumbling." -- Peter Moore, 24 hours before his Microsoft resignation











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