Digital Camera

Hard to say, and with less than 100 bucks, it isnt going to be that great. Main thing to look at is the megapixels. Your should aim for something with around 11 MPs. From there, look at the optical zoom, as this is important for taking distance shots without losing much/any quality. You should be able to find something with maybe 5x optical zoom, maybe even more.

From there, narrow it down to a few cameras, and check out reviews.

More megapixels != better. Its just going to make the image more uglier than it already is if its like 14.1MP on a VERY small camera sensor (1/2.2" - 1/2.5")

Since your budget is only $100, you're not going to be getting a camera with a decent sensor. Also, are you looking for a camera that has a lot of zoom? Plus, do you need manual features or do you just use the Auto function. Also look at the ISO settings. The lower, the better. Although you need to use higher ISO settings with Flash in very low light conditions or in the dark.

I suggest maybe 9-10MP on a 1/2.2" sensor point and shoot. Remember, the larger the sensor, the better the camera. Although this has the disadvantage of it being more expensive. Larger sensors also have the advantage in low light conditions, so DO NOT get an el cheapo camera if you plan to do a lot of low light shots.

You probably have seen many camera users with those huge lugging cameras.. Those are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras. Those are the ones with pretty large sensors and take very good photos. But they're in the $600-2000 range (APS-C sensor to Full Frame Sensor pricing respectively).

Yay for info from my colleague about cameras.