While many webcams vaguely (and sometimes strongly) resemble miniature aliens, Logitech's QuickCam Communicate STX's eyeball shape and glowing blue light (which lets you know the camera is on and transmitting) certainly reinforce that impression.

The QuickCam Communicate STX webcam is easy to set up. Logitech includes a USB cable and a clip to attach the camera to any type of monitor, including CRT, thin-panel LCD, laptops, and notebooks. Plug the cable into an available USB port, and you're ready to start capturing and transmitting video.

The webcam can capture video images at up to 640X480, up to 30 frames per second. It saves video in AVI format, which is the standard format for webcams. The QuickCam Communicate STX is compatible with most popular instant messaging programs, including AIM, Yahoo! Messenger, and MSN Messenger.

If you use Windows XP, the camera also supports Windows Messenger. The QuickCam Communicate STX doesn't include pan, tilt, or zoom features, which somewhat limits your mobility.

The built-in auto-compression feature will reduce the file to a size that is acceptable to most e-mail services. The recipient doesn't need any special software, and the files are viewable on both Mac and PC.

The QuickCam Communicate STX can also capture still images using a 1.3-megapixel (interpolated) CCD imaging system. The webcam can save images as JPEG or BMP, so you will be able to share images with almost anyone.

The included Logitech software integrates with most popular e-mail software, so with just a few clicks you can save an image and send it off to friends and family.

If you want to set up a webcam on a personal or business website, you can use the Logitech QuickCam Communicate STX to capture images every few seconds and automatically update your site.

The webcam package includes a free trial version of Logitech VideoCall, which you can use to make live audio/video calls over the web, using your QuickCam Communicate STX.

Logitech includes a built-in microphone, so in addition to using the QuickCam Communicate STX webcam for videoconferencing, you can also use it to capture and send video, complete with audio, via e-mail.

Pro:  Easy to set up and use. Includes a built-in microphone, so you can capture both audio and video.
Con:  No pan, tilt, or zoom features.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

Logitech Inc.
6505 Kaiser Drive
Fremont, CA 94555 USA
510-795-8500 Main
800-231-7717 Sales
http://www.logitech.com

Warranty
2 years hardware, limited