World's First USB 3.0 Webcam Streams Uncompressed 1080p Video

Point Grey demonstrated a new webcam using USB 3.0 that yields totally uncompressed video in 1080p at 60fps. It's definitely the sharpest webcam image I've ever seen, giving crystal-clear picture even on the huge 42-inch demo monitor. It's pretty stunning. More »

Affective Interfaces' Webcam Software Reads Emotions

You don't know me, webcam! You think you can just see my face and read my emotions!? Yea, that is gonna be the fight I have with my webcam if Affective Interfaces ever releases its emotion sensing software. More »

Best Buy in 3D Needs to Go Back to the 2D Drawing Board

With all the talk about augmented reality and 3D lately, it's only natural that the advertising folks jump the bandwagon. While among the first to take advantage of this tech, Best Buy's advertising team really missed the point. More »

Amazing Music Video Is an International Webcam Collage

Well, isn't this heartwarming and adorable. Japanese band Sour had fans use webcams in intricate, unexpected ways to create this lo-fi music video for their song "Hibi no Neiro." We promise you'll crack a small, satisfied smile. [Vimeo, thanks Jack!]

Museum Exhibit Explores Rome Through iMacs and Augmented Reality

Visitors to the Allard Pierson Museum will get to partake in an exhibit showcasing ancient Rome through augmented reality. More »

If Sony Makes This PSP-Controller Car, I Will Buy It

A Sony patent application reveals a very neat implementation of the PSP. Imagine a camera-enabled car you can drive around...through an augmented reality race course. More »

Democratic Chess Set Is Cripplingly Bureaucratic

Designer Michael Marcovici is currently developing a working version of what he calls the "Democratic Chess Set" A IP-WLAN network camera built-in to each piece facilitates interaction between each other and a human player. More »

Ecamm's BT-1 Bluetooth Webcam Is Exclusively Wireless, for Macs

Having built-in webcams on your Macs may be convenient, but physically turning your entire display whenever you want to focus on something other than your face is bothersome. Enter Ecamm's BT-1 $150 wireless Bluetooth webcam. More »

WowWee Spyball Looks Like Death Star Torture Ball, But Transforms and Shoots Upskirt Pics

Like the Rovio, WowWee's Spyball is a Wi-Fi-enabled spycam robot. But it transforms from sorta conspicuous ball to spycam for surreptitious shots. You can connect ad-hoc via Wi-Fi or over the internet. More »

New Magazine Ad Displays 3D Car in Augmented Reality

We've seen webcam-based augmented reality before, like in NSFW Japanese dating games and the PS3's Eye of Judgment. But in a publicly distributed Mini Cabrio ad? A realtime 3D rendering is actually useful.

Useless Monkey Webcam Smiles and Cheers You On

Behind this monkey's disheveled smile lies a discreet webcam. He clings on to a pencil holder, handy for that USB pencil sharpener you bought during the last Woot-Off, with a special message: "Happy every day."

FluidTunes Lets You Frantically Flail Through Your iTunes Library

Mgestyk's system-wide camera control system looks fun, but FluidTunes, a simple program that lets your toss around your iTunes library via your iSight, has two important things that it doesn't: free-ness and out-now-ness. More »

Mgestyk Gesture Control Works With Wiimote, Turns You Into Real Jedi

If the possibility of controlling all your PC applications Minority Report-style wasn't enough to get you excited about Mgestyk Technologies' gesture control system, the company's now showing off its ability to work with other input devices. The disembodied hands of Mgestyk employees go all Jedi on us this time around, using a Nintendo Wiimote as a lightsaber and the extra hand to “Force Push.” There's even a multiplayer mode! Once again, availability and pricing details were scarce, but the company said it would be demoing its tech at the Montreal International Game Summit next week. [Mgestyk]

Chinavasion Webcam-Fan-In-One Will Blow You Away

Every webcam girl worth her salt knows that there's nothing sexier than the “oh my, is there a breeze in here causing my hair to be all windswept” look, which makes this new accessory from Chinavision absolutely genius. It's a 1.3mp webcam and fan, with both pieces mounted on separate adjustable arms. And in case you need more lighting to really make it seem like you're starring in your own 90s girl group music video, it comes with two extra white LED lights as well. No listed price, but Chinavision offers a discount if you buy it in bulk. [Chinavasion]

Someone Please Build This Woman a Webcam Eye

In 2005, Tanya Vlach lost an eye in a car accident and has since worn the prosthetic pictured above. While the artificial eye is "an excellent aesthetic replacement," Tanya notes that she is "interested in capitalizing on the current advancement of technology to enhance the abilities of my prosthesis for an augmented reality." In other words, she is calling out to skilled DIY'ers across the internet to help her build a high-tech "eye-cam." But this isn't just about helping people—what she has in mind is just plain cool. More »

DIY Hand Gesture Multi-Touch Using a Webcam... and Magic

Andy Wilson, from Microsoft Research, has created a pretty impressive new way to interact with your computer, using very basic equipment and some very smart software coding. He's managed to use a standard webcam ("like $30," he says) and custom software to get the cam to recognize the shapes and movement of only his hands. It's a bit like the Wiimote hack, but already working with programs like Google Earth. More »

Cute Furry Bunny USB Webcam Hides Your True Motivations

This bunny USB webcam looks just like a normal stuffed bunny at first glance (if you ignore the USB cable coming out of his ass), which is perfect for whatever clandestine recording opportunities you're setting up in front of your computer. Of course, there are much easier ways of secretly documeting things than putting a stuffed bunny on your desk or monitor, many of which our own Sean Fallon is intimately familiar with. Sixteen bones and shipping gets you this 1.3-megapixel furry creature—which actually looks more like a dog than a rabbit. [Sourcing Map via Shiny Shiny]

Minoru 3D Webcam Brings Virtual Sex Closer to Reality

Virtual sex lovers around the world rejoice, for the Novo Minoru web camera makes 3D videosex a reality, at last. If red and blue 3D glasses turn you on, that is, because that's what you need to watch the 3D video: The Minoru mixes the two images captured by its dual sensors in one single stream. Looking at its shape and flexibility, if you get tired of the silly 3D chatting you can always use the thing as a proper sex toy. More »

Hollywood Film Kit: Lights, Camera, Sit Alone at Your Computer

So things didn't work out with the screenplay. And that backlot audition turned out to be a backseat party for two. But don't give up your dreams so quickly! It's a known fact that Matt Damon and Ben Affleck had to open mouth kiss for 5 seconds to get Good Will Hunting produced—in front of girls even! So pick up this Hollywood Film Kit and get back on the horse. The USB Spotlight will make your eyes sparkle as "producers" get a full look at your "talents" compliments of the simulated 35mm webcam and your AdultFriendFinder account. $25. [iwantoneofthose via OhGizmo]

Homemade Teddy Bear Cam Catches British Caregiver Stealing Money, Not Shaking Babies

A man and his daughter thought something was up when their terminally ill grandmother was losing money from her house, so they wrote down the serial numbers of the money in her purse and set up a DIY camera inside a teddy bear. It only took one day for the grandmother's caregiver to go and take 40 pounds out of the old lady's purse, which were easily identified by the serials and the evidence from the teddycam. In compensation, the thief will pay 60 pounds and was fired from the place that hired her out. This falls in line with our motto: always have a hidden camera detector when you go into old people's homes. You'll thank us later. [BBC via BBG]

Man Commits Suicide and Streams it On Webcam

A man in Utah shot himself in the chest with a hunting rifle and died while his ex-girlfriend watched over a webcamera. Watching a loved one hurt themselves has to be terrible, but watching over the internet, helpless to stop it, has to be a lot worse. Terrible. [KSL]

Tie Fighter Advanced X1 Webcam: Vader Records Your Private Moments

The cat is out of the bag—Darth Vader is a sick, perverted voyeur. First he sat atop your computer monitor and watched your every move. Now he his getting serious and starting to record the action (or lack therof) by using his Tie Fighter as a webcam. In addition to capturing audio, video and images, it also features sound effects from the movies. Just don't be surprised if your private moments end up all over the internet. Vader just can't be trusted with a YouTube account. Available soon for around $33. [Play via Technabob]

College Student Arrested After Installing Webcam Spy Software On Women's Laptops

A 23-year-old student named Craig Feigin is facing possible felony charges in Florida for allegedly putting spyware of the worst kind on up to 10 women's laptop computers. The programs, which he apparently wrote himself, would cause the integrated webcams on the laptops to take snapshots at certain times when a person was close and upload them to a server on the internet, where he would be able to browse them at will. This included several photos of at least one woman in various states of undress. The moral of the story: Make sure you trust your computer repair geek, or at least keep an eye on what they're doing to your machines. [Ars]

Boynq's Iris Webcam Has a Touch of Anglepoise in its Design

*Squeak* Hello. I'm Pixar's famous Anglepoise lamp... yes, the one from the CGI film. *Squeak* I'm here to complain about this new Iris webcam from Boynq, which takes a few too many design cues from me and my fellow lamp kind. Look at it: it's unmistakable isn't it? As well as a VGA webcam, it's got a 5W RMS speaker and an 8-LED light. Now, call me a drama queen but I think that's taking things a bit too far. More »

Olympics Themed Webcam is Not Really A Winner

"Citius, Altius, Fortius" runs the Olympic motto (that's faster, higher, stronger) and, oh dear, this Olympics themed-webcam can just about manage "cheaper, nastier, LEDier." It's in the shape of the five-ring emblem, with a 1.3-megapixel cam in the center ring. The other rings get a glowing LED each. It's $27, USB 1.1, not Mac-compatible and unlike the Lego Olympics models, it bodes ill for other nasty Olympic-themed gizmos yet to surface. [SiteDV via ChipChick]

Wireless Internet Cam Concept Would Be Creepy, Crawly Desktop Addition

This wireless concept by Flynn Product Design certainly freshens up the traditionally bulbous webcam design, and it's the first of its kind that I can say genuinely frightens me (just a little). And while those three creepy little legs do make the cam look like a desktop arachnid, they also serve a functional purpose. Thanks to a ball and socket joint connecting the legs and body, this spider-like cam can be positioned into a variety of unconventional positions. [Flynn via GizmoWatch]

Cyber Figure Alice Creates Interactive Virtual Peepshow Right On Your Desk

If the PlayStation 3's Eye of Judgment ever got drunk and made some bad decisions in Tokyo's nefarious Kabukicho district, the resulting offspring would probably resemble this Cyber-Maid Augmented Reality device from Geisha Tokyo Entertainment. The "Dennoh Figure ARis" (Cyber Figure Alice), on sale this fall, will come with all manner up alternate reality upskirts, strip teases and "augmented" promiscuity. And yes, because you asked, it comes with a virtual poker. More »

European Union Tests Automated Airplane Seat-Back Spy Cams to Detect Terrorism Faces

The European Union's Security of Aircraft in the Future European Environment (SAFEE) is testing some kind of nebulous facial detection system that will suss out whether your expression is one of a terrorist planning on commandeering the ride or just diarrhea face. More »

Benq C36 Cellphone Thinks it's a Webcam and Radio Recorder Too

Benq's new C36 cellphone is labelled a "Music Phone" but it also squeezes in a 1.3 megapixel webcam function and has a built-in FM radio with a recording function. This last even has a scheduling function, so you won't miss your shows. It plays MP3s, WAV, MIDI and AMR, has a 2-inch color LCD, built-in speakers, records voice notes, has microSD memory expansion and 180 hours standby and 2.4 hour talk time. The phone even has a "Health management" option, dealing with BMI and menstrual matters—we'd love to have been at the design meeting where they dreamed that up. The little 0.17-pound phone is available in blue, in Indonesia in May at first, with other countries to follow. No info on pricing. [Benq via TFTS]

Bender Webcam Records You Doing Disgusting Things, Meatbag

Reader Matt heard my pleas when I saw the Mr. Burns webcam and decided to take it upon himself to create a one of a kind Bender webcam from scratch. Well, not exactly from scratch—he used a pre-made Bender and a pre-made Creative Live! Video cam—but he did somehow shove the two together to make one insanely great peripheral. What would make this even better than it already is is if Bender could respond to whatever you were doing, ordering you to bite his shiny metal ass or exclaiming that he's back, baby. Nice work, Matt. [EBAY]

Asus R50 to Be Reincarnated With Keyboard Later This Year

The Asus R50 UMPC is already being updated—even though Mark 1 has yet to be released. Digitimes reports that the handheld with GPS and 3.5G connectivity, due out in June, will be sporting a keyboard come November of this year. As well as running Linux and Vista, the R50 has a webcam and TV tuner and is expected to sell for $500-plus. [DigiTimes via JKK Mobile]

Oral Hygiene Game Maps Mouth, Makes Kids Brush Better

As a guy with pretty horrible teeth, I can only wish that this computerized toothbrush was invented decades ago when I was a kid. When children brush using the system, the toothbrush's LEDs get mapped via webcam onto a representation of a mouth, which then shows kids which teeth have already been brushed and which teeth need more cleaning. The kids using the system were "twice as effective at cleaning their teeth following the trial." If only they could turn flossing into a game as well, I wouldn't have to go get a root canal in about a month. [New Scientist]