After becoming the Fans’ favorite during the i-stage competition, people from all over the globe have been looking forward to try out Novo’s Minoru 3D Webcam – the first ever 3D webcam. And in the opening of the year, they got nothing but good news because the public can now buy this latest gizmo in electronic and gadget shops, not just online shops anymore.

Minoru, from the Japanese word that literally means “reality”, is the first 3D webcam to be ever invented and known worldwide. It has a pair of cameras that look like human eyes (in fact the entire device more looks like a mini robot). Same with any ordinary webcam, the first thing you’d have to do to use it is connect it to your computer and once the eye-looking-cameras light up, that means it starts working. Minoru also has a built-in microphone for the audio.

You can take pictures with Novo Minoru or make videos with it that you can upload on YouTube – all in 3D!

And how about letting your online friends see you in 3D, like making your online conference or conversation more realistic? It is so much possible as you can use Minoru with Skype, AOL instant messenger, Windows Live Messenger, and others.

This reality webcam uses the anaglyph technique. This means red and blue images (from the two cameras) are superimposed on each other. But to experience the 3D effect, the video or photos taken by the web camera must be viewed while wearing special colored glasses that come with the device. Five pairs come free with the Novo Minoru. The webcam can be bought at $89.