CyberLink YouCam 7 build 0824

CyberLink YouCam allows you to get much more from your webcam and covers everything from adding weird and wonderful special effects to your webcam chats, to jazzing up PowerPoint presentations or just taking and enhancing photos.

Spice up your online chats

If you fancy turning yourself into an alien or Santa Claus while video calling then CyberLink YouCam is probably for you. Other effects include weird backgrounds, all sorts of clipart and comic-like effects, hats and fake beards, and even a free-hand drawing tool if you want to get really creative. CyberLink YouCam works with most major messaging clients, including Skype, Yahoo Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger.

Many of the photo enhancement tools are only really useful for those taking photos on a Windows 8 device. You can apply a wide range of filters, effects and enhancements which do also work on webcams, but will be more useful and effective when used out and about with a tablet.

Besides the fun part, CyberLink YouCam also includes a video surveillance utility that can help you keep control of your property without spending a fortune on a surveillance system. It allows you to use multiple webcams as CCTV cameras to protect your property while you're away. You can obviously access footage from the cameras when you're on the move although the logistics of setting up such a system are quite complicated. CyberLink YouCam allows you to set up Face Login - a system whereby the only way to unlock your PC is by facial recognition.

Also, for business users, there's a Presentation Creation Wizard which allows you to import PowerPoint presentations and then jazz them up with special effects and other nifty features all in HD quality.

Well organized, slick interface

All the effects included in CyberLink YouCam are well organized in different tabs, and their results can be applied in real time. The overall interface is very slick with a smart Adobe AIR-style interface. It also organizes photos that you've taken very efficiently in a calendar which tells when and at what time photos were taken.

The most recent release of CyberLink YouCam also features an enhanced interface with augmented reality technology with which you can interact with 3D virtual objects in the video preview window. With the existing support for HD video, this adds another layer of realism to the effects although still, many of them look crudely superimposed.