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Reviews (2)
15 August 2011
Good buy
I am happy to share that I found that this webcam is Linux friendly. I have tested it on Crunch Bang Linux (which is built over Ubuntu 9.04, so the results I found should work for any Linux operating system that has an Ubuntu base, like Linux Mint and Xubuntu, it will most likely work with any Debian base as well, but I am less certain about this). When I plugged in the webcam, Crunch Bang Linux recognized it immediately without needing to use the drivers on the CD-ROM. The picture was very clear, in fact the clearest of any of the webcams I have used so far (I have a lot of experience with about 5 others). The webcam adjusts to low light conditions (even without the software that helps to adjust to low light!). This is important to me, because many of the older webcams handle only a small range of lighting conditions, and make people look shadowy even with enough illumination coming from light bulbs. It seems that the older webcams were not sensitive to the frequency bands of many light bulbs. I concluded it was worth the extra money to get the webcams that were optimized for low light conditions (like this one).
I tried Skype on Crunch Bang Linux and Windows XP, this camera delivered good video in both environments. The Linux version of Skype is less advanced than the Windows XP version. It seems that the condenser mike needs to be adjusted manually on Linux for more optimal sound, but sounds good on Windows with the Skype auto-adjustment feature.
Update: I tested the webcam on PC Linux 2010 Open Box edition. Unlike Crunch Bang Linux, PC Linux did not automatically install a video application to test the webcam on. But I found the "Cheese" software application in their repository and downloaded it (the software, as usual for Linux, is open source and did not cost anything to download and use). The software automatically detected the webcam and presented a very high quality and high resolution image, and the webcam also adjusted for the low light conditions automatically. On PC Linux, running on an old generic Pentium 4 1.6 ghz processor, the webcam was able to track motion without going fuzzy. It seems, too, that PC Linux loaded some superior video drivers into the old computer that brought out the high resolution quality that the webcam is capable of.
The webcam also has a kind of folding arm that allows a lot of different set ups. It seems mainly designed to hang on top of a notebook computer screen or a desktop LCD screen. It has some range of tilting to angle down to where you are sitting. I also found that the arm can also act as a stand when simply placed on a table and the tilting range can also work to angle to where a person is sitting. When used this way, there is enough of a base so that the webcam is not wobbly. Another webcam that I had I eventually glued to a block of wood so that it would not fall over. This webcam does not need this and therefore can be used free standing (provided there is no pull from the cable).
I had a chance to upload the Windows software that came with the webcam. It has taken me some time to do this, because I prefer working in a Linux environment over the Windows environment. The software was of a good quality and worked without glitch. It also had a feature where it showed some free software available on online and where to download it, including Windows Movie Maker, which I felt was the best of those it presented and which I made a few videos that I uploaded to my youtube chan
13 August 2011
SOPRANOS WILL BE MISSED!
The death of Carmine, family crime boss of New York, sets up the organizational tug of war that operates through the fifth season. The brutal push and shove between Little Carmine and Johnny Sack provides the dramatic backdrop as tensions mount between the families. Through it all, Tony tries to maintain neutrality but finds himself, as usual, in the thick of things.
On the home front there are several touching and poignant moment between our lovable thug, Tony, and his long-suffering wife, Carmella. Slowly and sweetly, they inch toward each other; each painfully aware of the sensitive issues and the deep divide which separate them. In a grimly amusing scene, Tony may have found Carmella's price.
Without question, this is Gandolfini's finest hour. He gives a performance which portrays not only the ruthlessness and thuggery of Tony Soprano but also the maturity, thoughtfulness, humor and depth of a caring husband father. No humanitarian awards just yet, though, this is brutal gangsterism and intimidation of innocents, after all. Carmella, Christopher, and Adriana also deliver their very best performances to date. Well-deserving of their awards and recognition.
Adriana's episode commentary in bonus features is worth listening to.