Microsoft Outs LifeCam VX-2000, BlueTrack Wares

Microsoft may not be the first vendor you think of when looking for a new webcam, but sure enough, the company has just introduced a new one. The LifeCam VX-2000 is the newest member of the growing LifeCam family, and priced at under $30, it's apt to fit most budgets. It transmits VGA video and possesses a built-in microphone, and apparently Microsoft has arranged for this thing to work easily with any broadband-connected PC. Designed for video calling and video chatting, the webcam packs a 1.3MP sensor and auto-adjusts for low-light condition. It'll ship next month for $29.95 and will arrive with a three-year limited hardware warranty.



In related news, the company is also introducing three new devices in its BlueTrack Technology line: the Wireless Mobile Mouse 6000 featuring Microsoft’s first nano transceiver, the full-sized ambidextrous Wireless Mouse 5000 and the mouse and keyboard combo Wireless Desktop 3000. In theory, all of these mice should be able to track on virtually any surface -- from a mouse pad, to a kitchen counter to a pants leg -- which should be music to the ears of travelers who will likely line up to purchase 'em. In fact, the mice even work on granite, marble and all manners of shiny surfaces, which generally drive laser and optical mice crazy.



The Wireless Mobile Mouse 6000 introduces the company's first nano transceiver, which sticks out 0.8cm from the USB port. The purpose? It enables users to leave the receive in one's netbook or notebook -- pretty nifty, if we should say so ourselves. The Wireless Mouse 5000 is completely ambidextrous, and it's sold either alone or in the Wireless Desktop 3000 combo. That kit also contains a compact keyboard that utilizes the familiar 2.4GHz band to send signals. The Wireless Mobile Mouse 6000, Wireless Mouse 5000, Wireless Desktop 3000 and Wireless Keyboard 3000 will be available in June for $49.95, $39.95, $69.95 and $39.95, respectively.