PC World - USA (2020-09)

38 PCWorld SEPTEMBER 2020

REVIEWS HP ENV Y X360 13

An automatic cover slides over the webcam when

the privacy shutter button is pushed.

At the push of a button, you can instantly block the

camera and remove it from Windows 10.

HP’s Ryzen-powered Envy x360 on the left and HP’s Elite Dragonfly on the right.

quality appears to be comparable to that of its

corporate cousin, the HP Elite Dragonfly. We

still favor the warmer rendering the Elite

Dragonfly’s camera gives. For biometrics, HP

integrates a finger pad reader where the right

Control button would normally go.

HP has been pushing cut-off circuits and

sliding covers for webcams for the last few

years, but this is the first we’ve seen from the

company with an automated shutter. Push the

dedicated camera-off button, and a physical

shutter inside the bezel will slide over the

camera lens. The shutter is white, so you can

see fairly easily that it’s closed. HP also

removes the camera from Windows Device

Manager. When the webcam is switched on,

but not actually activated, HP even notifies

you with a Windows pop-up. With this

webcam, there’s little chance that the Internet

will glimpse you eating a Sloppy Joe while

sitting in front of your computer in a stained

t-shirt.