CyberLink YouCam is one of those applications that allows you to add wacky and bizarre effects to your webcam chats and conversations.

You can do just about anything from turning yourself into Abraham Lincoln to a talking dog to shock, surprise and even disgust your friends. It works in conjunction with Windows Live Messenger, Skype, Yahoo Messenger and AOL Instant Messenger. CyberLink YouCam doesn't just stick a dogs face in front of yours however. It uses facial-tracking 3D avatars that mimic the real movements of your face so it actually looks pretty good (except the dog, it has to be said).

There are two different modes to choose from - Live Chat Mode which allows you to pepper your chats with video effects; Video and Photo Capture Mode - this allows you to record yourself on video, capture a single photo, or photo burst. And finally, Automatic Capture which records videos by setting your recording time, or to starting with the detection of motion.

CyberLink YouCam is a fun tool that will spice up any webchat conversation, although some of the effects are clearly more realistic than others.