Communicate visually with Web cameras<\/p>\n
Zatni Arbi, Columnist, The Jakarta Post<\/p>\n
Tired of trying to type away at the speed of your thoughts
\nwhen chatting over the Internet? Web cameras, or Webcams as they
\nare more widely known today, may save your wrists from repetitive
\nstrain injury.<\/p>\n
A Webcam is actually not very much different from an ordinary
\ndigital camera, or your everyday scanner, for that matter.<\/p>\n
What it does is scan the world in front of it through its
\nlens, capture the scanned images and send data into the computer.<\/p>\n
The main difference between a digital camera and a Webcam is
\nperhaps that the latter is designed especially for capturing
\nmoving images, which means that it will have to be able to
\ncapture a number of still images at regular intervals and send
\nthem to the host computer so that we can watch a video.<\/p>\n
Each of these images is called a frame, and a good Webcam
\nshould be able to capture approximately 30 frames per second
\n(fps) and send them to the computer, if possible, in real time.<\/p>\n
Clearly a high-speed connection is then required between the
\ncamera and the computer.<\/p>\n
In the past, a serial connection was the best that people
\ncould use. Today, however, most Webcams rely on the more user-
\nfriendly USB connection. Installation should be as easy as
\nplugging in all the cables and installing all the software
\ndrivers and applications.<\/p>\n
Serious Webcams should use the much faster FireWire
\nconnection, sometimes still known by its original name IEEE 1394.<\/p>\n
If you have this port on your PC or Mac already, you can even
\nuse your video camera as the Webcam. Certainly it is also
\npossible to connect the camera and the computer using a wireless
\nconnection with industry standards such as the Wi Fi (802.11b) or
\nthe Bluetooth.<\/p>\n
Which Webcams are the best? One could mention the Xirlink IBM
\nPC Camera Pro Max, Intel PC Camera Pro Pack, and the alien-
\nlooking iRez Kritter USB.<\/p>\n
Their prices range from US$30 up to $150. More costly Webcams
\nare also available, of course. Besides, as this category of
\nproducts has started to gain momentum, the list could change
\novernight.<\/p>\n
Webcam vendors have also come up with the practical idea of
\ncombining the functions of a portable digital camera with a
\nWebcam.<\/p>\n
Good examples are Creative Lab's Video Blaster Webcam Go, PC-
\nCAM 300 and PC-CAM 600.<\/p>\n
You can take any of them away with you as a pocket digital
\ncamera, snap a dozen shots, go back to your computer, plug in the
\ncable and download the still pictures onto your computer.<\/p>\n
While tethered to the computer, it can serve as a Webcam.<\/p>\n
Are there more serious uses of the Webcams other than just
\ncapturing live videos? Certainly there are.<\/p>\n
Surveillance can now be conducted over the Internet. For a
\ndemo, visit www.digitalsurveillancecenter.com. Do-it-yourself
\nsecurity software packages such as Gotcha (www.gotchanow.com)
\nhave also become available.<\/p>\n
You can download Gotcha from the Web site for $70. A good
\nsource for wireless cameras would be X10 (www.x10.com).<\/p>\n
What should you look out for?<\/p>\n
First, like a pocket digital camera, a Webcam should be
\ncapable of capturing the best images with rich colors. Another
\nfeature to check for is the speed, measured in fps. It should be
\nas close as possible to 30 fps. Third is of course the sturdiness
\nof the device itself. Fourth, check the bundled collection of
\nsoftware. Many of them come with exciting games that might keep
\nyou from doing real work for quite a long time. Finally, some
\nWebcams have extra features such as a built-in microphone, which
\nmay be a good thing to have as the camera and the microphone will
\nremain aligned and the microphone will be directed toward you as
\nlong as your camera is capturing your face.<\/p>\n
So, the next time you meet your old folks online via Yahoo
\nMessenger or Microsoft NetMeeting, speak up and smile. Do not
\njust type, since Smileys will not convey your true emotions.<\/p>",
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