Enlarge / Logitech really wants you to know that its Brio 500 webcam works with Meet, Teams, Zoom, and Chromebooks. (credit: Logitech/Amazon )

Logitech made a peculiar announcement in January.

It proudly declared that its MX Master 3S wireless mouse, along with some of its other peripherals, had been certified to work with Intel Evo laptops. (Evo laptops are Intel-certified premium ultralights meeting certain criteria , like providing at least eight hours of battery life with a QHD display.) Imagine my shock when I realized I had been using that very mouse with a Dell XPS 13 (an Evo laptop) for almost eight months without Intel's blessing.

Of course, even before the mouse gained Intel's stamp of approval, I had enjoyed hours of problem-free use. The same can be said of every functioning USB webcam I'm ever plugged into a computer. But that hasn't stopped countless peripheral makers from touting that their devices have been certified for Google Meet, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom.

Enlarge (credit: Scharon Harding)

What goes up must come down, the tech industry is feeling that law right now. From historically low PC sales to depressing waves of layoffs hitting big names like Google , Microsoft , Amazon , and HP , companies are having to readjust after getting used to business-fueling pandemic conditions like lockdowns and working from home. The latest is Logitech, one of the kings of the tech pandemic boom, which is painting us another picture of the downsides that come with those short-lived highs.

On Monday, Logitech announced its Q3 fiscal year 2023 results, which covers the three-month period ending December 31, 2022. Sales fell 22 percent compared to Q3 of the prior fiscal year. This includes drops in PC webcams (49 percent decline), audio and wearables (34 percent), mobile speakers (32 percent), keyboard and keyboard combos (22 percent), and pointing devices (14 percent). In the nine-month period ending on December 31, Logitech saw a 16 percent decline in year-over-year net sales. (This includes streaming services revenue from its Streamlabs division.)

That's quite the contrast from May, when Logitech announced record sales from April 2021 to March 31, 2022 (fiscal year 2022), and from April 2021, when the company announced a 76 percent increase in sales year-over-year from April 2020 to March 2021.

Enlarge / The new webcams are supposed to be home office-friendly and come in graphite, off-white, and rose. (credit: Logitech)

Logitech today released a new series of webcams for users and IT managers seeking something below the $100 mark that still incorporates handy home office features, like a physical shutter and noise-canceling microphone.

The Brio 300 and almost identically specced but enterprise-focused Brio 305 each support up to 1920×1080 resolution at 30 frames per second and claim 2 megapixels (MP). They also include a microphone with noise reduction and can automatically adjust brightness and contrast based on the room's lighting by using hardware and Logitech's Tune app .

Automatic lighting adjustments and background noise suppression have become popular features for companies—whether they're for webcams, laptops , or monitors —to brag about since working from home became more prevalent during the COVID-19 pandemic. With $70 MSRPs, the Brio 300 and 305 are now the cheapest cameras in Logitech's lineup that offer those features and support for 1080p or better resolution.

Enlarge (credit: Anete Lusina)

Webcams are having a moment. With video chats and teleconferences becoming a normal facet of life in a pandemic-addled world, having a device that presents you at your best can be invaluable.

The best webcams will greatly spruce up your online presence compared to the middling cameras built into most laptops, whether you’re working at home, video-chatting with family, teaching online classes, or streaming on Twitch. The best part is that most webcams are plug-and-play, allowing you to improve your video quality instantly.

There are countless webcams on the market today, ranging from affordable options designed for the basics to feature-packed models that can cost hundreds. Some perform better in daylight. Others more accurately render colorful LED backgrounds or produce flattering skin tones. A few record at ultrasharp resolutions like 4K, which can be nice, but it's not essential. The video quality you get will always be highly dependent on the lighting and general makeup of your surroundings, but some webcams will make looking sharp less of a hassle all the same.

Enlarge / One camera's on the user; the other's facing the desktop. (credit: HP)

Companies haven't paid all-in-one (AIO) PCs a lot of love lately. Exciting AIO releases in the US are few and far between, and ever since Apple discontinued the 27-inch iMac , there has been somewhat of a gap for users seeking the simplicity of an AIO, along with ultra-high resolution and strong components. HP has apparently noticed that gap because in September, it will release a 34-inch AIO with 5120×2160 resolution, current-generation Intel and Nvidia parts, and flashy features aimed at workers.

Magnetic webcam(s)

A webcam that can magnetically attach to anywhere on the display's bezel is one of the hallmark features of HP's 34-inch all-in-one Desktop PC announced today at HP's Amplify channel partner conference.

The cameras use temporal noise reduction when producing an image, and there's Windows Hello support for facial recognition logins. (credit: HP)

This is similar to a magnetic webcam concept Dell showed us in December, but the camera isn't wireless and can't attach directly to the display. The AIO also supports up to two of these magnetic cameras; they would use pixel binning for 4 MP per still or video image, according to HP.

Enlarge / Insta360's new Link webcam. (credit: Insta60 )

These past couple of years have experienced a bit of a webcam renaissance, as the ability to get an in-person feel from a virtual meeting has become more valuable than ever. That renaissance included the introduction of helpful features, many of which focus on keeping the user center-frame. We've seen cameras play with AI, and in the case of Dell's magnetic, wireless webcam concept, even magnets to keep your face perfectly in frame. The Insta360 Link announced Tuesday also leverages AI auto-framing but adds a much more obvious, yet rare, tool for capturing a moving subject: physical mobility.

Insta360, headquartered in Guangdong, China, and founded in 2015, is primarily known for sports and 360-degree cameras. The Insta360 Link is its first webcam, and it's like if the DJI Pocket 2 and Apple Center Stage had a baby.

The Link is a 4K camera with a proprietary half-inch sensor and f/1.8 aperture living on top of a three-axis gimbal (the webcam can also be mounted on a tripod or stand purchased separately). Insta360's camera is similar to the $269 Obsbot Tiny 4K , but the latter has a two-axis gimbal.