Courtesy of our hardware team here in Microsoft UK I’ve recently been furnished with some of our latest mice, keyboard and webcams with the invite to review them and post my honest opinions here.

In this review I offer you the LifeCam Show. It’s an elegant, compact web cam that’s pretty versatile in term so of how it can be used. I’d say it’s ideally suited to the traveller who need a webcam that can easily be used with a laptop versus the LifeCam VX-5500 which I’ll review at another time.

The LifeCam Show sports a 2.0 megapixel camera which with excellent focus coming from it’s 21” to 60” depth of field capability. It includes a noise cancelling microphone and integrated nicely with Windows Live Messenger and can take 8mp stills . It has some other smart features that although a bit gimmicky for me do show the level of thought that has gone in to the product

• Real time photo sharing using Windows Live Messenger
• Windows Live Call button to start video calls with Messenger friends at the touch of a button
• One Touch Blogging integration with Windows Live Spaces

Whilst it may seem this little unit is designed only to integrate with Messenger you may be pleased to hear it works with Skype, Yahoo! Messenger, AOL IM and Microsoft Office Communicator.

Where it really shines for me though is it’s design and attention to detail. Using a clever magnetic connector system, it can arranged in 3 way

1. clipped to your laptop screen with a magnetic plastic clip included
2. clipped to your laptop screen with a semi-permanent magnet attached
3. mounted on a “stalk” using the magnet system

Of the 3 methods, the second seem a bit off to me as it means have a magnet stuck to the outside of your laptop but (1) and (3) are both very viable options with (1) being my chosen one for now. All allow the camera to be moved around to find a suitable view.

What I also like is the small carrying case that is provided for the camera though the kit would also benefit from a carrying pouch like those supplied with recent mouse products to ensure all clip is also safe.

The final part of the package is the LifeCam Dashboard software that offers some real fun when it comes to conversations by dynamically adding features like an afro haircut or cowboy hat to your head. Remarkably clever stuff that if fun for a while but definitely more appealing to kids in the long run. The software does make tweaking of setting very easy though as well as the aforementioned still photos and integrated blogging.

Overall I have to say I’m pretty happy with the LifeCam Show and its design makes it the kind of kit I expect to get admiring glances with.

I’ll give it an 8 out of 10 with the potential for higher marks if it had included a cool carrying pouch!

Check it out online – currently selling for £54 at Amazon UK