Creative has always been justly applauded for its research and development into audio equipment for the PC, from the basic SoundBlaster to the highly gamer-friendly X-Fi F8tal1ty, and thus it comes as no surprise that the biggest selling point for its latest foray into the Webcam market is a unique audio development.

Considerable thought has also gone into the overall design, as one of the constant annoyances with webcams is that so few seem to be easily adaptable for desktop and laptop usage. The problem is resolved here by including a powerful spring clip under the base which is strong enough to cling firmly to a laptop screen and then to snap under the base to perch on a flat surface.

The stylish black and chrome finish looks like an alien eye and you can swivel it 360 degrees and tilt it 65 degrees, which should cover every angle you'll need. The wide angle lens offers 1.3-megapixel resolution for video (with up to 25 frames per second at VGA resolution) and the same for photos, though with the possibility of interpolating to 5-megapixels with the help of the supplied software. You do get a fish-eye aspect on the wide lens, which may not be to everyone's taste, but you get impressive detail and colour in low light conditions.

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Before discussing the software bundle in detail, it's time to cut to the chase on the audio. You know how you can be sitting in a crowded café or office and you don't want to shout above the rabble in order to be heard when you're conferencing? Well, Creative's solution is to provide a pair of Integrated Adaptive Array microphones with directional beam, noise cancellation and echo reduction.

There are three settings for these, each one more directionally focused than the last, with the result that the background chatter all but disappears, although the sound becomes more tinny. The Live!Cam Voice also comes Skype enabled and with a supplied headset, and having tested it alongside MSN and Yahoo Messenger, the Skype sound and picture are far superior.

The heart of the included software is the Creative Webcam Centre which allows you to capture and broadcast video and stills, use the camera as a remote monitor, make a time-lapse video and even add advanced video effects.

In addition, the Creative Photo Manager does what it says on the packet, the Photo Calendar does likewise (providing you with several templates and you add the pin-ups!) and the Muvee autoProducer turns you into a basic video producer with all those hours of holiday movies chopped to a manageable size...

The only minor irritation is the need to reset the Webcam drivers from the standard Live!Cam to the Webcam with video effects, instead of being able to incorporate them all within the Creative Webcam Centre window.

A very practical addition to the Webcam family which will enable more stress-free communication by cutting down on extraneous noise, boosting light levels and increasing the quality of still images.