Windows Experience Blog : Microsoft Hardware

Introducing the Microsoft LifeCam Cinema

Brandon LeBlanc — Thu, 20 Aug 2009 13:08:16 GMT

A few days ago you may have heard about a new webcam from Microsoft Hardware that does 720p High Definition widescreen video. Well… meet the new LifeCam Cinema!

The LifeCam Cinema records video at 720p HD in 16:9 widescreen up to 30 frames per second (fps). It uses ClearFrame Technology for smooth, detailed video and has an improved de-noiser. The improved de-noiser reduces image graininess - especially in low light. It also has a faster image-processing technology that keeps video smooth at any resolution. The LifeCam Cinema also has a high-precision glass element lens for much clearer video quality. You know how some webcams have blurry corners in videos? Yeah – not here! Other features include taking 5.0 megapixel stills, a digital noise-canceling microphone, and a flexible attachment base bends to fit on most surfaces (like the top of LCD monitors and notebook screens, or simply on your desk desk).

Through the LifeCam 3.0 software (which can be downloaded here), LifeCam Cinema users will enjoy integration with both Windows Live Photo Gallery and Windows Live Movie Maker which was released yesterday. To record video and take still photos with the LifeCam Cinema, you will need the LifeCam software installed. After recording a video, you can quickly launch Windows Live Movie Maker to edit that video and share with friends and family online. Using Windows Live Movie Maker, you can add transitions and other animations to videos recorded with the LifeCam Cinema as well as music, captions and more. When taking still photos, you can view those photos in Windows Live Photo Gallery and edit and add tags.

The LifeCam Cinema will be available starting in September 2009 for an estimated retail price of $79.95 (U.S.).

For more information on the LifeCam Cinema, click here for the press release.

I am currently giving the LifeCam Cinema a spin myself – courtesy of Microsoft Hardware. Expect to see some movies created with the LifeCam Cinema and edited with Windows Live Movie Maker in the very near future.

Writing Blog Posts with the Microsoft Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000

Brandon LeBlanc — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 05:49:06 GMT

Microsoft Hardware announced earlier today the new Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000. Last week, I met with the awesome folks from Microsoft Hardware and they handed me a Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 to use here in my office. Several of my latest blog posts (including this one) were written using the Comfort Desktop 5000.

A “desktop” is essentially a keyboard + mouse set. The Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 comes with the Wireless Comfort Keyboard 5000 and the Wireless Mouse 5000.

The Wireless Comfort Keyboard 5000 is designed to encourage a natural wrist posture with a slight 6-degree curve. I spend a great deal of time typing on a PC so as you can imagine, having natural wrist posture is pretty important. It also features a soft-touch palm rest – with a textured design.

Like with previous keyboards from Microsoft Hardware, the Wireless Comfort Keyboard 5000 comes with removable feet. If you are someone that wants their keyboard tilted upward from the front, you can configure the feet for this. I personally like the keyboard tilted up from the back so this is the configuration I am running currently.

The Wireless Comfort Keyboard 5000 has low-profile quiet touch keys which make typing more comfortable.

It also features Media Keys for one-touch quick access to volume and playback controls.

The Wireless Mouse 5000 utilizes Microsoft’s BlueTrack Technology. That means this mouse can be used on more surfaces than any laser or optical mice could. The transceiver (2.4GHz wireless) for the desktop snaps into the bottom of the mouse. The design of the Wireless Mouse 5000 utilizes rubber on the sides for an easier grip. A 2 color battery life indicator will let you know when your batteries need replacing and the Wireless Mouse 5000 allows for one-touch access for Windows Flip.

The Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 takes advantage of Windows 7 in several ways. It utilizes Taskbar Favorites, which I blogged about back in June. Taskbar Favorites maps the order of applications on the Windows Taskbar in Windows 7 to the “My Favorites” hot keys on a Microsoft Hardware keyboard. The “My Favorites” hot keys are the 5 numbered keys usually at the top of the keyboard. So for example if Internet Explorer 8 is the first pinned application on your Windows Taskbar in Windows 7, it gets mapped to the #1 My Favorites hot key on the Wireless Comfort Keyboard 5000.

To utilize Taskbar Favorites in Windows 7 today with your Microsoft Hardware keyboard, click here to download the latest version of IntelliType (version 7).

This fall, Microsoft Hardware will be supporting Device Stage in Windows 7 which will include the Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000.

NOTE: The above screenshot is not final and is used as an example for this blog post.

And the Wireless Mouse 5000 takes advantage of Windows 7’s enhanced Windows Flip capabilities with thumbnail previews of running applications.

The Microsoft Wireless Comfort Desktop 5000 will be available starting this month at an estimated retail price of $79.95 (U.S.).

Unboxing the new Microsoft Explorer Mini Mouse

Brandon LeBlanc — Mon, 10 Nov 2008 07:11:41 GMT

This weekend I decided to run out and pick up one of Microsoft Hardware’s new BlueTrack mice. I grabbed the Microsoft Explorer Mini Mouse which is perfect for folks who are on the go with their laptops. Both the Microsoft Explorer Mini Mouse and the Microsoft Explorer Mouse (for desktop PCs) are available this month at Best Buy stores. The difference between the 2 is the Microsoft Explorer Mouse is slightly bigger and rechargeable.

Microsoft BlueTrack Technology is a brand new technology for mice designed to work on more surfaces than both optical and laser mice. So how does BlueTrack Technology work? It uses a Microsoft-designed image sensor to generate a high contract image of the surface in which the mouse is on. This allows for greatly improved tracking accuracy. The BlueTrack “light beam” from the bottom of the mice is 4 times as large as the lasers used in today’s laser mice. Because of this, mice using BlueTrack Technology can be used on difficult surfaces such as granite, carpet, or wood.

The Microsoft Explorer Mini Mouse package come with of course the mouse and USB transceiver as well as a neat cloth carrier and a disc with the Microsoft IntelliPoint 6.3 software. The cloth carrier has the BlueTrack logo on it.

The design for the mouse is comfortable with 2 customizable buttons on the left side. The USB transceiver “snaps” into the bottom of the mouse and when it’s snapped in, it turns off the mouse so it doesn't use battery life when not in use. Here are a few shots of the mouse.

I also compared the Explorer Mini Mouse with the Wireless Notebook Optical Mouse 3000 and Arc Mouse.

The Microsoft Explorer Mini Mouse is certainly a mouse you should look at if you’re looking for one especially with the advantages of BlueTrack Technology.

Are you a Geek? Want a Chance to Win a LifeCam VX-5500?

Brandon LeBlanc — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 03:57:00 GMT

A few weeks ago, Chris Pirillo (of Lockergnome fame) launched a brand new community website – called Geeks! - designed to give geeks of all ages a place to socialize on the web. On Geeks! – folks can sign-up to become members on the site and create photo albums, add videos, and even create a blog – all for free! The best part essentially is interacting and socializing with fellow geeks with the same geeky interests as you. Being a geek myself – I’ve signed up on Geeks! and if you’re a geek – you should too!

To help attract more geeks to Geeks! – the awesome Microsoft LifeCam folks at Microsoft Hardware have donated 10 Microsoft LifeCam VX-5500 webcams to Chris for a giveaway. These are the brand spankin’ new webcams just announced earlier this month.

This is how you can be entered to win one of these new Microsoft LifeCam VX-5500 webcams:

1. Sign-up to become a member of Geeks!

2. Join the Microsoft Hardware group on Geeks!

Once Geeks! hits 7,500 members – Chris will randomly draw 10 names for the 10 Microsoft LifeCam VX-5500 webcams from the list of members in the Microsoft Hardware group. You are required to be a member of the Microsoft Hardware group to be entered for the giveaway. As of the writing of this post – Geeks! currently has 5,040 members. So sign-up and tell your friends!

I own both a Microsoft LifeCam VX-5000 and VX-7000 and both offer excellent quality video as well as impressive video conferencing capabilities via Windows Live Messenger. You can also use the brand new LifeCam 2.0 software to add video effects to your webcam video and images. Microsoft’s LifeCams (including the VX-5500 being given away) are also compatible with AOL Instant Messenger, Yahoo! Messenger, Microsoft Office Communicator, and Skype.

Click here to view Chris’s announcement of the giveaway.

After you sign-up on Geeks! – feel free to add me as one of your geek friends!

This post was written using the new Beta of Windows Live Writer now available on download.live.com. I used Chris’s YouTube video to test Windows Live Writer’s ability to insert videos from YouTube. In the past I’ve only inserted videos from Soapbox on MSN Video. For a more complete list of what’s new with the Windows Live Writer Beta – click here.

Need a webcam? Try the Microsoft VX-7000 LifeCam

Brandon LeBlanc — Sat, 08 Mar 2008 00:18:00 GMT

Back in September, Nick blogged about two new LifeCams from Microsoft Hardware: the VX-7000 and NX-3000. Recently, I've been looking for a new webcam. I already owned the VX-3000 - but I wanted something a little more powerful and higher quality. And the VX-7000 is just that! I went ahead and picked one up last week and thought I'd share some notes on my experience with it so far.

First off, let me give you a brief introduction to the device. The VX-7000 is the top-of-the-line webcam in the VX series of LifeCams from Microsoft Hardware. The VX series LifeCams are designed for desktop PCs while the NX series LifeCams are designed for laptops. The VX-7000 is a Certified for Windows Vista device so it is designed to work great with Windows Vista. All LifeCams are optimized for Windows Live - specifically being used with Windows Live Messenger for video calls. The VX-7000 comes with a pretty slick set of specs (you can also read the specs here from the Microsoft Hardware site):

2.0 Megapixel Sensor for clear video
Built-in Microphone designed to capture crystal clear audio
Universal Attachment Base to fit on top and clamp on to most monitors
Auto-Adjustment for Low Light Conditions
71 degree Wide-angle Lens
High Definition 8 Megapixel still digital photographs

Both video and still photos are shot at 1600x1200 screen resolution which is really nice.

The VX-7000 (and all LifeCams) utilizes the Microsoft LifeCam client where you can take photos and videos using the camera. You can download the Microsoft LifeCam along with the drivers here.

But what the VX-7000 is perfect at, I found out, is doing video calls with contacts in Windows Live Messenger. I used Windows Live Messenger's Audio and Video wizard (under the Tools menu) to set the audio and video up with the VX-7000. I then initiated a video call with a friend of mine and within seconds my friend could hear and see me via my VX-7000 webcam. And the quality was pretty good!

As I mentioned above, you can use the Microsoft LifeCam client to record photos and videos using the VX-7000 (or any LifeCam). And with Windows Live Photo Gallery - you can upload those photos you take to your Windows Live Space (or Flickr). Did you also know that with Windows Live Photo Gallery you can upload videos to MSN Soapbox as well?

I was able to take several videos I shot with the VX-7000 and use Windows Live Photo Gallery to upload them to MSN Soapbox.

Overall though I've been really impressed with the quality of the VX-7000 in general and it should certainly be looked at if you're looking for a new webcam.

Using fingerprints to log in to Windows Vista

Brandon LeBlanc — Wed, 01 Aug 2007 08:59:00 GMT

I've been itching to demo this neat little gadget for a while now. A few months ago, I purchased the Microsoft Fingerprint Reader. The Microsoft Fingerprint Reader allows you to replace your standard Windows logon (Username and Password) with your fingerprint. And it works absolutely fantastic with Windows Vista. Anyway, I'll let the demo do the talking:

Video: Demo: Microsoft Fingerprint Reader on Windows Vista

You can quickly manage your credentials through the software that ships with the Microsoft Fingerprint Reader called DigitalPersona. If you hold your finger down on the fingerprint reader you will get a "One Touch Menu" pop up in the lower right-hand side of your screen giving you all the options you need to manage your credentials.

To manage your logons to various websites, you have a Password Manager that lets you edit the profiles for specific websites you use the fingerprint reader to login.

Using the DigitalPersona software, you are able to import and export data within your Password Manager to other PC's using Microsoft Fingerprint Readers. Security is a concern here in regards to importing and exporting of data so you are required to use your finger to verify you are you to export or import any data.

If you login in to quite a few websites, the Microsoft Fingerprint Reader is a great way to manage your logins "with the touch of a finger". Sorry, I couldn't resist ;-)

If you own a Microsoft Fingerprint Reader - you can download the Windows Vista drivers here. Just select "fingerprint reader" for your product.

Hands-on with Certified for Windows Vista Devices

Brandon LeBlanc — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 00:44:00 GMT

I've got a couple of reviews on some Certified for Windows Vista devices I'd like to highlight from some friends of mine.

DCVIEWS has published its review of the Nikon D40x. The D40x is Nikon's consumer friendly DSLR (digital single-lens reflex) digital camera with quite a punch. I own the original Nikon D40 (no "x") which is still impressive even for a first release. The Nikon D40x takes 10 megapixel photos while my D40 takes only 6 megapixel photos. The D40x also offers taking photos at a higher resolution that my D40. Read the review from DCVIEWS for a more detailed analysis of the Nikon D40x. You can also head over to Nikon's D40x website to check out the feature and tech specs on the camera.

Andre Da Costa has a pretty extensive review on the Microsoft Wireless Entertainment Desktop 7000 keyboard and mouse. Andre notes the Wireless Entertainment Desktop 7000's tight integration with Windows Vista specifically with Windows Media Center. The Wireless Entertainment Desktop 7000 essentially gives you a huge step-up from the Remote Keyboard for Windows XP Media Center Edition in its design for use with Windows Media Center. I own both keyboards and the Wireless Entertainment Desktop 7000 is just amazing.

Two great reviews on two great devices.