I had been thinking for a while of getting a new webcam. I have owned a couple, but none of them seemed to work on Linux. One may have died altogether. I mainly wanted it to use with Skype, so consulted the list on the Ubuntu wiki. Various Logitech units seemed to do well so I checked them out in PC World. I don't buy much there, but I was passing and had a voucher. I found a Quickcam Communicate STX Plus (what a mouthfull) for 20 quid. It even came with a headset, but that is less useful given my non-working soundcard input.

On plugging it into my PC I expected to have to do some configuration, but it worked straight away in Skype, including the microphone. I was also able to stream it through VLC. It gives a nice picture even in low-light conditions. I'm very happy with it so far. The base of the camera is designed to sit on top of an LCD, so I thought it might not work so well on my CRT, but then discovered that it is flexable and so can be bent to the required shape.

My other 'hardware' upgrade this week was to get a new computer chair. My old one was found in a skip at work and was never that great. I was finding that the lack of proper back support was causing me pain. So I picked up a Nominell in Ikea. I got a green one just because it was in the sale and saved me a bit. Mind you, we bought a load of other stuff in there as we generally do. This one is totally adjustable for tilt so that I can make myself sit upright or slouch.

With reference to my previous post on carbon footprints there is a great article on the Register about what would be required to actually make this country independent of oil. It would require major changes to how we get and use our energy. Taking the TV off standby and getting a little wind generator on your roof is not going to make a real difference.