http://blogs.technet.com/ewan/archive/tags/Humour/OCS/default.aspxTags: Humour, OCSen-GBCommunityServer 2.1 SP1 (Build: 61025.2)http://blogs.technet.com/ewan/archive/2008/12/19/updated-lifecam-software.aspxFri, 19 Dec 2008 11:22:00 GMTd5e57398-b9ef-4490-9955-07cbb4e4a80d:3170469Ewan0http://blogs.technet.com/ewan/comments/3170469.aspxhttp://blogs.technet.com/ewan/commentrss.aspx?PostID=3170469<P>It's not exactly "news", since the <A target=_blank href="http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/digitalcommunication/Productlist.aspx?pid=lifecam" mce_href="http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/digitalcommunication/Productlist.aspx?pid=lifecam">Microsoft LifeCam</A> web-camera <A title="LifeCam 2.04" href="http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/download/DownloadResult.aspx?category=ICE&amp;type=Webcams&amp;name=VX6000&amp;os=XP_SP2&amp;lang=en" mce_href="http://www.microsoft.com/hardware/download/DownloadResult.aspx?category=ICE&amp;type=Webcams&amp;name=VX6000&amp;os=XP_SP2&amp;lang=en">driver &amp; software package</A> was updated a few months ago, but I only picked up the latest version the other day and it brought a few smiles when playing with it today, during a call with <A target=_blank href="http://blogs.technet.com/outofoffice/" mce_href="http://blogs.technet.com/outofoffice/">James Akrigg</A>.</P> <P><A href="http://blogs.technet.com/blogfiles/ewan/WindowsLiveWriter/UpdatedLIfeCamsoftware_11EE8/vidcam%20natural_2.jpg" mce_href="http://blogs.technet.com/blogfiles/ewan/WindowsLiveWriter/UpdatedLIfeCamsoftware_11EE8/vidcam%20natural_2.jpg"><IMG style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px" border=0 alt="vidcam natural" src="http://blogs.technet.com/blogfiles/ewan/WindowsLiveWriter/UpdatedLIfeCamsoftware_11EE8/vidcam%20natural_thumb.jpg" width=366 height=473 mce_src="http://blogs.technet.com/blogfiles/ewan/WindowsLiveWriter/UpdatedLIfeCamsoftware_11EE8/vidcam%20natural_thumb.jpg"></A> </P> <P><A href="http://blogs.technet.com/blogfiles/ewan/WindowsLiveWriter/UpdatedLIfeCamsoftware_11EE8/livecam_2.jpg" mce_href="http://blogs.technet.com/blogfiles/ewan/WindowsLiveWriter/UpdatedLIfeCamsoftware_11EE8/livecam_2.jpg"><IMG style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 10px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px" border=0 alt=lifecam align=right src="http://blogs.technet.com/blogfiles/ewan/WindowsLiveWriter/UpdatedLIfeCamsoftware_11EE8/livecam_thumb.jpg" width=270 height=479 mce_src="http://blogs.technet.com/blogfiles/ewan/WindowsLiveWriter/UpdatedLIfeCamsoftware_11EE8/livecam_thumb.jpg"></A> The LifeCam software does real-time manipulation of the video coming from the camera, and should be visible in any application that uses the webcam (eg IM, Live Meeting etc). A few of the effects are potentially useful - like the one which blurs the background but keeps the face in focus, but most are just silly: some hilariously so.</P> <P>What's kind-of amazing about the software is the facial tracking it can do; either to zoom in and out as you move around (and follow your head movements), or to attach effects to your face or the background, all in real time.</P> <P>My favourite funny effect is the "big mouth" one :)</P> <P><A href="http://blogs.technet.com/blogfiles/ewan/WindowsLiveWriter/UpdatedLIfeCamsoftware_11EE8/vidcam%20wide_2.jpg" mce_href="http://blogs.technet.com/blogfiles/ewan/WindowsLiveWriter/UpdatedLIfeCamsoftware_11EE8/vidcam%20wide_2.jpg"><IMG style="BORDER-BOTTOM: 0px; BORDER-LEFT: 0px; BORDER-TOP: 0px; BORDER-RIGHT: 0px" border=0 alt="vidcam wide" src="http://blogs.technet.com/blogfiles/ewan/WindowsLiveWriter/UpdatedLIfeCamsoftware_11EE8/vidcam%20wide_thumb.jpg" width=366 height=473 mce_src="http://blogs.technet.com/blogfiles/ewan/WindowsLiveWriter/UpdatedLIfeCamsoftware_11EE8/vidcam%20wide_thumb.jpg"></A> </P> <P>I can't for the life of me think of a business reason for using this, but it certainly raised a laugh ...</P><img src="http://blogs.technet.com/aggbug.aspx?PostID=3170469" width="1" height="1">IMHumourOCS