Lights, Camera, Chat

By Chris Taylor

Sometimes a phone call just isn't enough, and a videophone is just too expensive. Sounds like a market niche. Last week Apple released the iSight, a $149 webcam that clips to the top of a Mac screen and operates with the latest version of its instant-messaging software iChat. Now people with an up-to-date Mac and a broadband Internet connection can have high-quality video chats with anyone on their buddy list, anywhere in the world. And yes, the service is free. --By Chris Taylor