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What is a webcam?

With Internet providers continuing to bring faster and faster speeds into our homes, a whole slew of uses are beginning to become more mainstream. Webcams are just one of the many, but the DeGeeked Crew foresees them continuing to gain popularity at a very rapid rate. Soon it will be much more common for you to have the ability to video chat with friends, coworkers, and family. A growing number of computers and monitors have built-in web cameras, with about 50% of today's new laptops coming with a webcam standard.

Put simply, a webcam (or web camera) is a video camera that allows you to use your computer as a video camera. But what it really allows for is video communication; either between you and another person or between you and the world. The two most popular uses for video cameras are:

1. Video Chat - Person-to-Person video chat that allows both parties to see each other while they talk. The quality of the video has increased dramtically over the last 2-3 years, and we'd be willing to bet you'll be amazed by how futuristic a video call can feel. Most of the major web communications are jumping on board, with AIM, Gmail, and iChat leading the way.
   
2. Webcasts - which allow one (or a few) users to stream live video content out to the Internet masses. Topics and styles vary widely, pretty much the only common thread across the board is the use of a web cam. You should check out services like Ustream to see what people are doing in the personal video broadcasting realm.
   

Webcams themselves come in many shapes and sizes and vary drastically in price. The good news is that for less than $50 most people will be able to find a webcam that works perfectly for them. A few DeGeeked picks:

• Logitech QuickCam Pro 9000
• Logitech QuickCam Deluxe for Notebooks

So wait no longer, grab a webcam and start connecting with your loved ones face-to-face.