Video conferencing is cool, but it doesn’t have to be complicated or expensive. I appeared on the TODAY show yesterday to give some quick tips about how to select the best equipment to be able to video chat with your friends and family in HD quality.

Here’s some of the software I talked about:
– Skype: Software that enables free video calls over the internet
– Video conferencing (3 or more people): Oovoo or Logitech’s Sightspeed.

And here are the video cameras I’m recommending:
– HD Video Camera: The Logitech C910 let’s you chat in high-def 720p, records higher-def 1080p video, has stereo mics for great sound, and costs $84.99. You can pick one up at Logitech.com
– Take it with you: The FREETALK Everyman Webcam is Skype-certified and you can take it with you anywhere. It’s on sale for $49.98 at ebuynow.
– Get it all: The faceVsion TouchCam N1 has a wide-angle lens that helps you crowd more people around the camera. You can pick one up for $89 directly from faceVsion.

Don’t forget about Facetime!
– All Apple products, including the iPad 2 and iPhone 4, include front-facing video cameras that let you quickly and easily video chat with friends and family using Apple’s amazing Facetime software.

Hangout on Google+
Google’s new social network, Google+, has a great feature called “hangouts” that lets you video chat for free up to 10 people. Think about using it for everything from wedding planning to a special family event. It’s perfect when you just need to connect to family members in different geographic locations!

And if you want to record and share videos, you can use one of my favorite new services, Socialcam. It’s a great and easy way to record videos on your mobile device and then share them instantly with your friends and family as well. Plus, you can follow me on Socialcam!