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.