Computer Webcam - A Technology Gadget You Must Own

With today's era, gadgets and computer matters aren't unusual to us anymore. From the smallest up to the largest, almost all of them are now part of our lives. With these technologies our way of communication has been enhanced; from the old "write-a-letter" way and international calls that resulted to extravagant bills, communication is now through computer webcam or simply the webcam (the most common term).

From the word itself, we could determine that it involves the usage of camera and yes that is true. In fact, if we ponder on its meaning, it is of the same function as video camera and digital camera's except that it is connected to the computer through the universal serial bus (USB) or it could either be built-in on laptops or on your PC's screen.

Since computer webcams are mere technologies, their purpose greatly depends on the user/owner. These are widely used by people who want to communicate and see their loved ones, friends and relatives personally in far part of the world without worrying on the cost. Some other uses these webcams as part of their security system, educational purpose and even photo sharing.

Computer webcams are made up of lenses, an image or picture sensor and some supporting electronics. These technologies are easy to install but it doesn't mean that you can just choose any. Why? For there are webcams that are Operating Systems (OS) and processor dependent thus if you are planning on getting one, be sure that you know your OS and the capability of your processor.

Then, think of the purpose of the camera or better yet ask yourself if what the camera is for. Go for the regular ones if you would just use it for entertainment but if it is for your job, better opt for the camera with high quality. But don't think that regular cameras are of low quality. It's just that there are cameras built for some special purpose. But wait up, a much better idea is to purchase a camera with built in microphones.

Now, I guess you are ready for your new computer web cam hunting.

If you want a piece of technology that will literally change your life and how you view technology, a Computer Webcam needs to be considered.

For more and continuing information on Computer Webcams, visit http://computerwebcam.org.

Gadget Rivalries Amongst Major Metros

The 2010 Gadget Census compares major metro areas head-to-head. What does the Gadget Census reveal about gadgets in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles, D.C., Boston, and Chicago?

San Francisco vs. New York

SF reports owning 23% more iPhones than NY. New Yorkers must get down to business more than the citizens of SF, having 56% more BlackBerry smartphones per capita. In turn, SF had 94% more users of Mac OS (as their primary) than NY. Those hip and literate New Yorkers did beat out the Bay Area with 30% more iPads and 34% more e-readers.

Both cities like watching a lot of TV. San Franciscans watch 12% more television online than New Yorkers. Twice as many New Yorkers have televisions in their kitchens as compared to San Franciscans, but SF dwellers bounce back with twice as many TVs in their garages.

Boston vs. Los Angeles

Boston has 44% more BlackBerry smartphones than LA, while LA had 11% more iPhones. Maybe it's those long winters that motivate East Coast people to read more, because Boston has 43% more e-readers than LA. LA came in 54% ahead of Boston for their Mac OS use.

In home entertainment, LA comes out ahead with 24% more gaming consoles and 16% more Blu-ray players. LA likes online media. Twice as many people stream music, and 3.8x as many television viewers watch some or all their TV online in LA, as opposed to their Boston counterparts. In LA, you'll also find more televisions in kitchens (45%) and garages (2.5x).

Chicago vs. Washington D.C.

Gadget ownership and user data match up pretty closely. However, D.C. scores ahead in a few areas. There are 53% more BlackBerry smartphones per capita in D.C. (Obama would be proud). D.C. also has 24% more Android smartphones than Chicago, and 50% more e-readers per capita are in the nation's capital. In the kitchen, D.C. has 27% more TVs than Chicago.

Andrew Eisner, Retrevo's director of community and content and resident hard core gadget enthusiast. Eisner comes to Retrevo from the world of computer journalism. To find more information, see TV and television.

2010 Metro Area Gadget Awards

These metro areas stand above the rest for gadget ownership and use. The Gadget Census collected data from over 7500 households about the gadgets people own and how they use them. The final report analyzed per capita gadget data to determine which areas deserve to be recognized. And so, without further ado, on with the awards.

And the winners are...

Emerging Technology Owners

If you agree that owning gadgets like iPads, netbooks, smartphones, and Blu-ray players makes someone further ahead on the gadget curve than the CRT screen and VCR owners, then you won't argue with New York being the metro area with more households housing emerging tech. Sorry, air conditioners did not make the list.

Old Technology Owners

Film cameras, feature phones, CRT TVs and VCRs can mark a consumer as somewhat behind the times. The metro area winner with the most households likely to display 12:00 AM flashing on a VCR is Phoenix, Arizona.

Being Green with Gadgets

Being green with gadgets not only means recycling your old devices, but having more energy efficient gadgets in your household like flat panel TVs. It's no surprise that all those tree huggers in San Francisco helped the Bay Area come out on top with the greenest gadget households out there.

Media Streamers

And again, San Francisco scores another award as the metro area, having the most households who stream everything from music to TV shows. It's not clear if DirecTV should give up on the Bay Area, but it looks like many folks on the West Coast are getting their TV online.

TV Fanatics

This award goes to the metro area with households that have an exceptional love affair with TVs. Households here have more TVs in more places (yes, TVs in the bathroom and garage). They record the most shows and watch more TV than any other area. And the winner is...the Atlanta metro area.

Andrew Eisner, Retrevo's director of community and content and resident hard core gadget enthusiast. Eisner comes to Retrevo from the world of computer journalism. To find more information, see http://www.retrevo.com/samples/Friedrich-Air-Conditioner.html and http://www.retrevo.com/samples/Vizio-TV.html