While the iSight built into your new Macbook (or any laptop-integrated webcam for that matter) might meet your day-to-day needs, Logitech is hoping that their new QuickCam Ultra Vision can significantly raise the production value on your next YouTube masterpiece. For $129, you get a mostly glass lens -- there are still a few plastic elements in there, just less than usual -- that'll open all the way up to f/1.6, making acceptable results possible even in darkness that would turn normal cams into digital noise-filled nightmares. The press release also boasts "high definition" capability from its wide format, interpolation-free 1.3-megapixel sensor, but skimps on the hard resolution numbers, with the product page only making mention of its capability to do "live video up to 640 x 480" at 30fps. (That doesn't sound very HD to us.) Other amenities include a 4-megapixel (there's the interpolation) still camera, USB 2.0 connectivity, RightSound microphone, a heap of cheesy effects and the RightLight 2 metering system, which promises "twice the image clarity of conventional webcams." If you still feel your cinematic needs aren't being met, you can check out the rest of the updated QuickCam line, including the Orbit MP, Fusion, Pro 5000 and the Communicate STX, all which received minor spec bumps. These all should be available by the end of August, so you still have a little time to clean your room before exposing it to the world -- or at least your Skype contacts.

[Via Tech Digest]

Remember that mega-spec'd and rock-bottom priced 42-inch hunk-o-plasma Hitachi announced earlier this month? Consider it a trend 'cause Hitachi is now saying that they'll be pushing out four new 1080p LCD displays with 120Hz refresh and their Black Frame Insertion picture enhancement technology for less than $3000. Yeah, that ain't no typo -- p as in progressive for less than the five-large similarly sized sets pull today. The Ultravision HLT79 family will spawn a $2200, 32-incher and $2700, 37-inch model while the HLX99 Director's series will offer some additional features and image tuning in the $2500, 32-incher and $3000, 37-inch panel. All models are expected to ship in November, just in time for the holidays. With prices in freefall, the argument over whether you can see any difference between 1080i and 1080p (or even 720p) in sets this small just doesn't seem to matter anymore, eh? And yeah, that 32-incher ensures Hitachi's rule as the world's smallest 1080p display.