It's the middle of the night. You hear a noise. Your wife nudges you, because there's no way she's going to investigate. You turn on your TV set or computer and see that Fritz, your sleepwalking cat, just knocked over your favorite lamp. You return to bed, wondering what cat stew would taste like.

Science fiction? Nope. I've been playing with this neat little package from X-10 that makes all this possible.

The XCam 2 ($79.99 or $129.99 with X-Ray Vision) is a wireless video camera that will transmit video and audio signals from inside or outside your house, provided it's within 100 feet of your PC or TV.

Hooking it up was easy. The basic kit comes with a video receiver, a power supply that attaches the camera to the nearest power outlet and all the cables you need to hook it into your TV, VCR or the USB port of your computer.

You can get a battery pack, which supplies power to the camera for up to four hours, but if you're as lazy as I am, you're better off plugging it in.

You can also add up to three more cameras, placed in different locations around the house and scan from camera to camera using an optional remote control. In fact, X10 is offering a three camera kit with the remote control for $169.99.

Here are the rest of the specs, for those of you that thrive upon such things:

The camera has a built-in 2.4 gigahertz video transmitter. The receiver can handle either coaxial cable or RCA-type cables to attach to your TV or VCR. It works with optional X-Ray Vision software, which allows you to monitor your home via the internet or e-mail from anywhere in the world. The X-Ray Vision kit includes a USB adapter which attaches the receiver to your PC.

Of course uses for the camera are endless, ranging from security to teleconferencing.

Cameras and all of the extras can only be purchased from the company's web site (www.x10.com).

Another camera I've been playing with is the ProMax Digital PC Camera ($129.95) manufactured for IBM by Xirlink, Inc.

Unlike the XCam 2, this camera is tethered, which means it has to be attached to your computer's USB port. It can also capture video from DVD players and VCRs through an NTSC port on the back of the camera. One of the features that makes this camera superior to other tethered units is its ability to capture video at 30 frames per second. I've found that others have a tough time dealing with 15. Resolution is nothing to write home about -- ranging from 176 by 144 dots per square inch (dpi) on the low end up to a maximum of 640 by 480 dpi. A lot of these cameras max out at 320 by 240 which is okay for video but terrible for snapshots.

Other features include: 

• 24-bit true color images
• An adjustable lens to provide images ranging from closeup to wide angle.Mounting clips for notebook computers and PCs.
• An optional driver that can reduce the file size of your video, making iteasier to send via email. Images can be viewed full screen.

Obviously this camera is more for sending video email of the kids and video conferencing than the XCam. And, truthfully, it's one of the better cameras of this type that I've seen.