In the Hitchcock classic "Rear Window", Stella says, "We've become a race of Peeping Toms. What people oughta do is get out of their own house and look in for a change." She says it like it's a bad thing! Well, hallelujah for webcams! Now we all can be both voyeurs and exhibitionists.

Lucky for you there are lots of online stores that sell webcams. No need to do any skulking about in seedy back alleys. With popular brand names like Logitech QuickCam, Canada Retail sells webcams and 37,000 other computer items. Drop in at Compusmart and Future Shop, sites chock full of computer stuff, including webcams. At Microson you'll find 3Com, Logitech and Creative Lab webcams, so this is a good place to "sit a spell" and comparison shop. Sohodiffusion and Clic Shop both have extensive bilingual sites.

45 frames per second

Remember that number. The speed of television pictures is 45 frames per second. That's the quality of picture you want in any streaming video you receive via webcam. Most webcams start at 15 frames per second and go up from there. The higher the price, the more frames per second you should expect. Now that you have this as your guiding principle, it should only be a matter of getting the webcam that can deliver it, right? Wrong.

It's a turtle vs. hare thing!

Video quality often has little to do with the make or quality of a webcam. It has everything to do with your Internet access. "It depends a lot on the webcam images that are captured. This will determine whether you get a choppy image or not," says Ken Pollock, Compusmart's manager, e-commerce. Captured? What the man is saying, in non-tech speak, is that the strength of your connection to the Internet and what kind of picture will be captured (received) will determine the quality of your images. Is your Internet access through dial-up modem or is it through high-speed access or cable?

If your access is through dial-up, then any high-end webcam would be a waste. "With dial-up access I would go with a low-end camera. You will not benefit from the options on a higher priced camera," says Pollock. He recommends that people considering webcams who have dial-up access buy the low-end camera for now and, when Internet cable access comes to your area or you get a high-speed connection, consider upgrading to a better webcam.

All optimal options for video streaming are available on any high-speed connection. If you're what marketing folks classify as an early adopter and have high-bandwidth Internet access, then you can take full advantage of the high-end webcam products available on the market. Remember that the higher end webcams should provide higher frames per second. Your decision then can be based on price.

Webcam options

While webcams can be pointed at your face while you surf the 'Net or open your e-mail, giving the world a charming view of your dimples...the big use for webcams now is through e-mail. You can open up sound and pictures in your e-mail instead of just text. Most webcam packages come with instructions on how to make full use of this option. Enquire about whether or not a microphone is included for the transmission of sound as well as picture. However, it may be that your computer already has a built-in microphone, so don't pay extra if you already have one.

High-tech wonders

Don't fall into a trap thinking that you want the latest, greatest webcam in order to stay ahead of new technology. You can't. "Buy the high-end product compatible for today's technology. This should keep you current for the next year. You can never be 4 to 5 years ahead in technology. There are always new developments," suggests Pollock.

The newest webcams are Logitech's QuickCam Pro, which comes with a microphone for sending sound; Logitech's QuickCam Express, which is a basic camera minus the microphone; and, for the techie, check out XCam Anywhere from X10 http://www.x10.com/. The XCam2 is primarily for those thinking about setting up video for a web site or video conferencing. The signal strength of this baby is in the gigahertz range. Who knows? You may need a TV license from the CRTC.

Happy viewing. Remember, we've got our eye on you!

Glossary

Video streaming is how data flows from one computer to another. The data should flow like a river, not in stop and go intervals.

Bandwidth is the amount of data that is able to flow through a cable or modem at any given time. It is expressed as bits of data per second.

Dial-up access uses phone lines, hence dial-up, to access the Internet via your Internet service provider.

Quirks

Now that you have the perfect webcam set up -- no need to thank us -- check out ultimatetaxi.com/taxinow.htm. Nothing like a wild ride in the back seat of a cab. Maybe you could hook up your webcam in the back of your Minivan. You'll finally know who hit whom first.