In Our Lives Connecting With Webcams (NAPSA)—Phone calls just weren’t enough for Elizabeth Shevloff when her daughter, Judie Phillips, who lives in a different country, became pregnant. So mother and daughter invested in webcams, and on a daily basis began using the Video Conversation feature of MSN messenger. By making free video calls over the Internet, Shevloff and Phillips saw and talked to each other daily during the pregnancy—even though they were separated by more than 3,000 miles. “We would chat about whatever she was excited or troubled about that day, and I wasable to watch her belly grow,” Shevloff said. “It was as if we were in the same room.” The Logitech webcam technology saved the day for Shevloff when an obstacle arose for a planned baby shower. Phillips was unable to make a trip home when,after experiencing some premature contrac- tions, she was told by her doctor not to travel. Shevloff decided to host the event anyway—anduseherlaptop for an extended video call so that her daughter could be there, visually andvirtually. The guests took turns visiting with Phillips from afar, they played traditional shower games together, and Shevloff even opened the packages and showed them to her daughter, on-screen. Shevloff is part of a growing number of enthusiastic webcam owners whoare using the technology to make a better connection over great distances. Computers are more powerful and webcams Face To Face—New webcam applications let people see and talk to one another overthe Internet forfree. are more affordable (Logitech offers webcams that range in price from $29 to $129). Faster Internet access has dramatically improved the quality of video, while the applications for webcams have become easier to use. Some of the best applications, including MSN Video Conversation and Skype, arefree. “Phone calls, instant messaging and e-mail are great for daily communication, but sometimes you just want to see the face of that special friend or family member when you are talking to them—especially during the holidays,” said Gina Clark, Logitech’s director of product marketing for Internet communications. “It’s so easy to actually see and talk to loved ones using video calling. Once people try it, they won’t go back to only making phonecalls.” For more information about webcams and video calling, visit www.logitech.com.
