Hasta La Gadget!

Do you regularly video-chat? Neither do I. There’s something nice about not having to comb your hair before sending an e-mail. But for those of you who have just had a baby and want to show the little one to the grandparents, Logitech has announced seven updated webcams.

• Premium: The Webcam Pro 9000 ($99.99) has Zeiss optics, autofocus, a 2-megapixel sensor, and RightLight 2 technology. The Portable Webcam C905 ($99.99) is the company’s top portable model.

• Mid-Range: The Webcam C600 ($79.99) has a glass lens, a 2-megapixel sensor, and RightLight 2 technology. The Webcam C500 ($49.99) has a glass lens, a 1.3-megapixel sensor, and RightLight technology.

• Basic: The Webcam C300 ($49.99) offers 5-megapixel (software-enhanced) photo capture and fun effects. The Webcam C250 ($39.99) has a VGA sensor and fun filters. Finally, the Webcam C200 ($29.99) has a VGA sensor and can take 1.3-megapixel (software enhanced) still photos.

Logitech is tying the mass release to its recently introduced Vid videochatting software, which is free for Logitech users. As I said when I covered the release last month, I think Logitech is making a mistake in not offering Vid free to everyone. People already perceive videochatting as too complicated.

All seven new models will be available in the U.S. and Europe in August.