SEATTLE, June 13 (UPI) -- Microsoft Tuesday unveiled a line of webcams designed for optimal performance with the company's popular Windows Live Messenger instant-messaging system.
The LifeCam VX-6000 and VX-3000 are Microsoft's first foray into webcam hardware and will retail from $50 to $100 in the United States later this summer.
"People spend more than 1 billion minutes in Windows Live video conversations each month," said Microsoft Vice President Tom Gibbons. It is clear that consumers are now embracing technologies that support relationship-centered digital communications."
Gibbons said the new cameras were aimed at improving the quality of the "digital communications experience" for consumers.
The VX-6000 is the higher-end model and provides video of 1.3 megapixels and still images at 5 interpolated megapixels. The 71-degree lens can fit three people into a picture, Microsoft said.
In addition, the cameras both include noise-canceling microphones and various video backgrounds that can be used to liven up conversation sessions.
