The advent of instant messaging and voice-over-IP telephony has morphed the webcam from a luxury piece of hardware into a common, yet extremely necessary gadget. Cheap pricing is not everything, but neither are the high-end expensive oddities. As every time, the truth is somewhere in the middle. I can say I've found the truth in Creative's Optia AF model.

The 2 megapixel camera is definitely a special offering, as most of the average-priced webcams hardly pass the "VGA" barrier if ever. Another striking feature is the camera's design, that allows it to be easily fastened on a supportive surface via a ball and socket hinge, that allows the camera to move 10 degrees laterally and 270 degrees vertically. Moving from a laptop to a LCD display has never been easier, as the fastening system does not involve complicated mechanisms or the use of the more rudimentary glue.

The camera can be easily disabled without having to unplug it from its USB port by simply swiveling it down until it faces its mount. The matte plastic that covers it is not a good environment for leaving your fingerprints for the posterity.

Not only that it does not retain fingerprints, but it also gives the camera a durable look-and-feel. The camera body includes a blue LED that lightens up when the camera is in use and two built-in adaptive array microphones for clear sound even when you are not directly in front of the camera. The auto-focus lens make sure you're always in the spotlight while delivering a 2.0 MP image quality.

The webcam comes bundled with its own software and drivers. The Live! Cam Center program offers a multitude of options, no matter if you're shooting videos or still images. The software can take care of video recording, photo capture, motion detection, remote monitoring, time lapse video as well as creating image and video collections.

The camera can also be used as a security device thanks to its motion detection skills. The camera can be programmed to activate itself when moving objects enter its field of view. You can find who is using your computer while you're out or what does your toddler in the few moments when he's alone.