Today, Microsoft Corp. reshapes the webcam experience with the LifeCam VX-5000, a webcam with a unique bendable attachment base that molds to virtually any surface — from a notebook to a desktop — so users can take it anywhere.

The LifeCam VX-5000 will be offered in three colors: Lucky Green, Fire Red and Cool Blue.

Click for high-res version.

For personalized flair, the LifeCam VX-5000 features a brightly colored ring around the front of the webcam in the colors Cool Blue, Lucky Green and Fire Red, allowing consumers to choose their favorite to suit their style. To complement the fresh, new look, the LifeCam VX-5000 features MSN Photo Swap, a special feature that lets consumers share digital photos in midvideo conversation and see real-time reactions as both callers view the pictures. The new webcam arrives just in time to help share summer vacation memories and keep consumers connected throughout the year.

“With the LifeCam VX-5000 we are changing the perception of webcams from boring and bulky to fun and flexible,” said Michael Cowan, product marketing manager for the Hardware Division at Microsoft. “We designed this LifeCam to match the experience its technology delivers — it’s all about fun and letting consumers share their personalities.”

Microsoft is also offering the LifeCam VX-500 and the LifeChat LX-2000 — two affordable products, each with a unique, compact design. The LifeCam VX-500 is a versatile webcam designed to fit on notebooks and desktop PCs. The LifeChat LX-2000 is a full-size headset that folds down into a small, portable shape. Both are perfect products for consumers on the go.

Photo Swap: A Feature You’ll Flip Over

Digital camera owners have on average more than 1,200 photos stored on their computer, and Photo Swap helps bring the pictures to life as a virtual photo album. Using Windows Live Messenger, consumers easily can share pictures from summer vacations or holiday gatherings. The best part is with Photo Swap they can see and hear the reaction of their friends and family — whether across town or across the country — and feel like they are sitting right next to each other.

See, Hear, Share — Easy as 1, 2, 3

The VX-5000 comes with Windows Live optimizations and the latest version of LifeCam software, making it easier than ever for users to experience a great video call. Key features and benefits include the following:

• Windows LiveCall Button, located on top of the LifeCam, allows users to open their Contact Picker (a tool showing which contacts are currently online) with one touch, so they can quickly initiate video calls to friends and family.¹

• LifeCam Dashboard incorporates full LifeCam navigational controls (pan, tilt, zoom, face tracking and Video Effects) within the Windows Live Messenger interface, enabling a seamless and easy navigating experience.¹

• World-class VGA optics with a VGA sensor, 640x480 video resolution and 1.3-megapixel still photography (interpolated) offer high picture quality.

• Built-in unidirectional microphone with acoustic noise cancellation delivers crystal-clear audio.

• Pan, tilt and 3X digital zoom features allow users to adjust the image to see more clearly.

LifeCam VX-500 and LifeChat LX-2000

Microsoft continues to bring friends and family together with the additional announcement of two affordable products made to enhance the computing experience: the LifeCam VX-500 and LifeChat LX-2000. With true VGA video, the LifeCam VX-500 enhances the webcam experience with brilliant video quality, and its compact design allows for easy mobility — working seamlessly with both notebooks and desktop PCs.

The LifeChat LX-2000 delivers supreme comfort as a portable, full-size headset that is perfect for music, gaming, online chatting and more. The unique collapsible design allows the headset to fold into a compact shape for easy portability — just throw it into the carrying case and go. Both the LifeCam VX-500 and the LifeChat LX-2000 can be easily used with major instant messaging programs, and the setup is quicker than ever, with no software needed.

Pricing and Availability

The LifeCam VX-5000 will be widely available in June 2008 for an estimated retail price of $49.95 (U.S.).³ The LifeCam VX-500 and LifeChat LX-2000 will be available in May 2008 for the following estimated retail prices:³

• Microsoft LifeCam VX-500, $16.95 (U.S.)

• Microsoft LifeChat LX-2000, $29.95 (U.S.)

The LifeCam VX-5000 and LifeChat LX-2000 are available for pre-sale on Amazon.com, and all three products will be backed worldwide by a three-year limited hardware warranty from Microsoft.

Taimur Asad (The Microsoft "Wow" Blog!)

Microsoft Corp. brings the beauty of Windows Aero from the PC to the devices that surround it with its latest keyboard and mouse desktop set, the Wireless Laser Desktop 7000, designed to complement the Windows Vista operating system with its striking design.

The new desktop set includes an ultrathin Comfort Curve keyboard and rechargeable mouse, delivering ultimate performance and comfort. The keyboard features a Windows Aero-inspired translucent design, floating Hot Keys and instant access to Windows Flip 3D,¹ making this desktop a perfect companion for today’s Windows Vista-based PC.

Wireless Laser Desktop 7000
Click for high-res version.

Today Microsoft also debuts the Digital Media Keyboard 3000, an ultrathin, stylish yet affordable keyboard designed to fit the digital lifestyle.

Wireless Laser Desktop 7000: The Sleek “Little Black Dress” of Peripherals

The Wireless Laser Desktop 7000 brings together productivity-enhancing features and a sophisticated design to create an elegant accompaniment for today’s computers. The following are among its new design elements:

• Smoked translucent border brings the subtle elegance of Windows Aero to the keyboard.

• Floating My Favorites Keys deliver one-touch access to users’ most-used Web sites, files and folders. Users simply push and hold a key to assign it to the current destination, just as they would with a car stereo’s preset buttons.

• Amazingly sleek, thin design complements any living room or office décor and features quiet touch keys.

“This keyboard is a perfect example of Microsoft’s focus on connecting its hardware with Windows Vista, bringing the elegance of Windows Aero to the keyboard,” said Carla Forester, group marketing manager at Microsoft. “The Wireless Laser Desktop 7000 truly brings the best of both worlds together — a beautiful design and a full suite of productivity features — making it the best option for customers desiring a sophisticated accessory for their computer.”

“We are thrilled to see the simplicity and beauty of the Windows Vista Aero experience conveyed in the Wireless Laser Desktop 7000,” said Jeff Price, senior director in the Windows Group at Microsoft. “With the smoked translucent border and floating keys, this keyboard is a true extension of the dynamic design of Windows Vista.”

Comfort Curve Is King

The Wireless Laser Desktop 7000 keyboard features Microsoft’s best-selling Comfort Curve design, which encourages a more natural position with a slight 6-degree curve. With more than 6 million Comfort Curve keyboards sold worldwide,² Microsoft Hardware continues to shine as a leader in comfortable computing.

Wireless Laser Mouse 7000

Digital Media Keyboard 3000
Click for high-res version.

The included Wireless Laser Mouse 7000 is a stylish, rechargeable mouse that perfectly complements the sleek keyboard. The horizontal charging station provides a sturdy base, and the battery status indicator lets users know when it is time to charge. By choosing a rechargeable mouse, users can reduce their battery consumption by up to 80 percent over three years of use.³

Get Confident With 2.4 GHz

The Wireless Laser Desktop 7000 features advanced wireless technology using 2.4GHz frequency. Benefits include the following:

• Confident connection with virtually no interference.Intelligent technology “hops” frequency when it encounters interference, making it ideal for crowded wireless environments with multiple computers.

• Wireless freedom. Users can sit back and click up to 30 feet away from the transceiver, even if it is out of sight.

• Easy setup and use. Users can just plug in the transceiver and start working.

Digital Media Keyboard 3000

Microsoft also announced today the Digital Media Keyboard 3000, designed to fit today’s digital lifestyle. This affordable keyboard allows users to bring digital media to life with one-touch access to photos, Windows Media Player, My Favorites Keys and Zoom. This sleek, thin keyboard is also optimized for Windows Vista, with quick access to Flip 3D⁴ and the Windows Start Button.

Pricing and Availability

The Wireless Laser Desktop 7000 will be widely available in April 2008 for an estimated retail price of $129.95 (U.S.).⁵ The Digital Media Keyboard 3000 will be widely available in June 2008 for an estimated retail price of $29.95 (U.S.).⁵ The Wireless Laser Desktop7000 and Digital Media Keyboard 3000 are now available for special pre-sale on Amazon.com and will ship in April and June respectively, when the products are widely released.

About Microsoft Hardware

For 25 years, the Hardware Group has employed innovative engineering, cutting-edge industrial design and extensive usability testing to create products of exceptional quality and durability that enhance the software experience and strengthen the connection between consumers and their PC. Microsoft Hardware leads the industry in ergonomic engineering, industrial design and hardware/software compatibility, offering consumers an easier, more convenient and more enjoyable computing experience. Microsoft IntelliMouse Explorer, which launched in 1999, earned a place on PCWorld.com’s December 2005 list of “The 50 Greatest Gadgets of the Past 50 Years” as the first mainstream optical mouse that “brought gunk-free pointing devices” to a broad consumer base. More information about the Hardware Group is available at http://www.microsoft.com/hardware.

Taimur Asad (The Microsoft "Wow" Blog!)

I bought this TV tuner from Wal-Mart(Germany) for $149 for my home Media Center PC running Windows Vista Ultimate. After testing this card for around 1.5 months, I thought I should write a mini review just to tell my readers how I found this card:

Certified for Windows Media Center - Live TV:

This card is fully compatible with both Windows XP and Windows Vista and it carries certification logos for Windows Media Centers on Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005, Windows Vista Home Premium and Windows Vista Ultimate. It is also compatible for use with third party applications such as BeyondTV and SageTV.

Features:

• Dual 125 channel cable ready TV tuners, each with a dbx-TV stereo decoder (Nicam stereo decoder in Europe)
• Dual high quality MPEG2 video and audio encoders based on the Conexant -416 MPEG encoder
• One back panel composite/s-video plus stereo audio inputs to connect to cable or satellite set top boxes
• Two on-board A/V headers, to connect to two more A/V sources (A/V cable set not included)
• One A/V back panel set with S-Video, composite and left/right audio input connectors
• One FM radio receiver
• Media Center compatible remote control with 2 IR blasters & receiver.
• Watch one TV show while recording another using WinTV-PVR 500's built-in dual hardware MPEG encoders
• Record two TV shows at once

The feature that attracted me the most to the WinTV-PVR 500 is the dual tuners. Being able to watch one show while recording another, or recording two shows at the same time is a great plus for me.

Performance:

After plugging the hardware properly in one of the PCI slot of my motherboard, Windows Vista Ultimate automatically detected the card and installed the appropriate driver through Windows Update. Now at this point everything was all set up and it was ready to roll through Windows Media Center. I clicked the "green button" on my Microsoft MCE remote (sold separately) and it was easy setting up for all the TV settings I required through TV setup in Windows Media Center. The card successfully scanned all the 92 channels that my cable operator is broadcasting.
Now one of the best things about this card is that since it has 2 tuners, all the load is taken by these 2 tuners which means there is absolutely no load on CPU while watching TV or recording so it really keeps your Media Center experience smooth.
The quality of "live tv" on Windows Media Center was absolutely great. The ability to pause tv and play it back is another great plus.
When it comes to TV recording, nothing beats this card. I have uploaded a short clip so that you can judge yourself on how good the quality is which I recorded from "live tv". You can download it from the link provided below. Since it has 2 tuners, this means that with this card you can record one show while was another channel at the same time or you can even record two shows at the same time!!!
I also tried FM radio receiver which the card features and it also performed and worked very well.

Conclusion:

As I already mentioned above that I have been using this card since last 1.5 months and I am absolutely satisfied with what it brings in $149 package. It's a great value for this money and is a must buy for all Media Center enthusiasts.

I have also uploaded photos of box, card and its contents in Photos section.

Links:
Official website of Hauppauge WinTV-PVR 500 Dual tuner
Sample recorded video from live TV
Photos of Box, Card, "live tv" and its contents

Taimur Asad (The Microsoft "Wow" Blog!)

The launch of Microsoft Surface marks the beginning of a new technology category and a user-interface revolution. Surface, Microsoft’s first surface computer, provides effortless interaction with digital content through natural hand gestures, touch and physical objects. Surface computing breaks down traditional barriers between people and technology, changing the way people interact with all kinds of everyday information — from photos to maps to menus. It was announced on May 30, 2007 at D5, and is expected to be released by commercial partners in November 2007. Initial customers will be in the hospitality businesses, such as restaurants, hotels, retail, and public entertainment venues.

Surface is essentially a Windows Vista PC tucked inside a black table base, topped with a 30-inch touchscreen in a clear acrylic frame. Five cameras that can sense nearby objects are mounted beneath the screen. Users can interact with the machine by touching or dragging their fingertips and objects such as paintbrushes across the screen, or by setting real-world items tagged with special barcode labels on top of it. Prices will reportedly be $5,000 to $10,000 per unit. However Microsoft said it expects prices to drop enough to make consumer versions feasible in 3 to 5 years.

A version of the device was reported to be used in the 2005 Science Fiction movie The Island.
Experience Microsoft Surface here!

Taimur Asad (The Microsoft "Wow" Blog!)

Taimur Asad (The Microsoft "Wow" Blog!)