Introduction

With the rise of video sites such as YouTube, Revver, and 12seconds, the demand for webcams is booming. Some laptops have integrated webcams, but most lack them and desktops outright lack them. The Cyber Snipa Scout webcam is a small, capable, and highly compatible device adequate for photo booth camera fun and video conferencing alike. LEDs help illuminate the view during low-light conditions, too. BIOS LEVEL takes captures the Scout in this review.

Features & Specifications

• 640 x 480px resolution / 30fps
• Sensor activated onboard lights
• Onboard microphone
• Adjustable 3 times digital zoom lens
• Laptop screen clip
• System: Windows XP, Windows 2000, Windows ME
• Connection: USB 1.1

Packaging

The Cyber Snipa Scout comes in a very small, tightly packed box which depicts the webcam on the exterior, as most Cyber Snipa packaging tends to do. The side of the box highlights the light sensor, microphone, metallic body, and clamp.

The package includes a manual, driver CD, and the webcam.

First Look

The camera bears a small lens with a sextuplet of white LEDs controlled by a light sensor on top of the unit. On the other end of the cable is a USB connector for video and a microphone cable for audio.

A sizable clip extends downward and can be folded underneath to form a sufficient foot. There is a pad on the clip to keep it from scratching the surface. The Cyber Snipa logo is on that clip.

The camera is small and could probably hide fairly well.

Installation

Windows

Drivers are available for a variety of Windows operating systems, including Windows XP Pro 64-bit. I was able to install the drivers and use the camera in the included application and Skype without a problem.

Linux

Ubuntu Linux 8.04.1 contains the driver for the camera, which is identified as a Z-Star Microelectronics Corp. ZC0303 with a Vimicro chipset (USB ID 0ac8:303b). However, my own custom kernel lacked the driver, so I had to install from sources available at http://mxhaard.free.fr/download.html.