Webcams with Wow- 3D and Bluetooth
Despite our wide-ranging coverage of gadgets and gizmos, we haven’t reviewed webcams before. Perhaps it’s because the webcam reached commodity status quite a while ago- most every laptop, even netbooks, now have one built-in. But after a few years of being fairly boring, webcams are starting to get really interesting- from Microsoft’s Project Natal to our two subjects today, the Minoru 3D Webcam and the BT1 from ecamm.
The Minoru 3D Webcam is billed as the first consumer stereo webcam, which processes images in red and cyan via the two small cameras, and allows anyone on the other end to use normal stereoscopic glasses to view the image in three dimensions. Much like with any of the new crop of pseudo-3D movies in theaters, the effect can range from startling cool to pretty boring. You can see some example videos on their site, which give you a fair idea of what the output looks like.
What we liked is seeing how the unit is already being extended- a Linux version of the drivers are available, and there is news about it working as a ranging sensor for robotics. We also loved the easy install process (XP or Vista, sorry Mac fans) and the cute design of the unit. But it only comes in red for the moment, the USB cable is pretty short, and you’ll need to calibrate the cameras, which is a bit difficult. Image quality is also only so-so, but the novelty factor is pretty high, and we liked the inclusion of 5 pairs of glasses. If only they would mail them out to your friends/family for you! Overall, we were impressed, and we can certainly imagine some implications for the more adult sectors of the internet. $89, available online.
Mac users feeling left out of the Minoru needn’t mind- we have you covered. The ecamm Bluetooth BT-1 webcam is Mac-only, and beats built-in webcams and many others with high-quality H.264 video at 640×480 and stereo 48 kHz AAC audio. Pocket-sized, and including a mini-tripod, this is an easy-to-use wireless webcam with a 10-30 feet listed range (ours often ended up in the middle of that range, depending on battery and environment, though slower streaming is possible even beyond that range). An extender is coming soon, with a claimed boost of up to 200 feet. The tripod is decent too- extendable legs and rubber-tipped feet. We liked using our Joby Gorillapod, for added flexibility.
Speaking of batteries, that was one issue- only 4 hours of use? That hurts. Chargeable via USB, and compatible with iChat, Skype, and many other applications, we only were disappointed in the seeming lack of iMovie support. Also, the unit itself won’t win any awards for style- it features a plain black front, and felt a bit like a larger Flip camera without the screen or on-board recording. At $150, it’s definitely a bit pricey for those looking for a normal webcam. As a fun way to get some new angles or shake up your YouTube videocasts though, it’s hard to do better.
