webcam

Toshiba is looking to redefine desktop replacement notebooks in a a big, big way, and we’re the very first to bring you a hands-on with the groundbreaking Qosmio G55, which will go on sale next month for $1,549. This 18.4-inch beast isn’t notable just for its futuristic good looks (a combination of a slick black chassis, LED illumination, and metal highlights), but because it’s the first notebook to boast a dedicated Quad Core HD Processor (powered by the same Cell Processor that runs the PlayStation3). This enables gesture control, blazing fast video encoding, and more. Read on for our first impressions.

Hands-Free Media Control

Thanks to the dedicated Quad Core HD processor, the G55 is the first notebook that lets users control music and video playback (Toshiba’s DVD player and Media Center), as well as PowerPoint, using just their hands-no remote or keyboard required.

The webcam senses your movement from 3 to 10 feet away and the Quad Core HD processor interprets your hand motions in real time. This was, obviously, the most talked about feature when the Qosmio G55 arrived in the office. After getting some significant time with the control scheme, we can say that we’re quite impressed.

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HP, not a usual suspect in our webcam roundups, just unleashed a beast of a camera, the Elite Autofocus webcam. I don’t use the word “beast” lightly: its boxy shape is conspicuous, and even a bit sinister. That said, its specs steamroll those of every other $99 webcam on the market: it takes 12-MP still photos and 3-MP video, outputs HD video, autofocuses, and has an instant chat button that you can sync with every major IM client, including Skype and AIM. Although its size is clumsy, you get a plug-n-play, pan-and-tilt design that fits any LCD.

Look for the Elite Autofocus in Best Buys nationwide starting April 6th.