Intel PC camera helps us see things through the Net<\/p>\n
By Zatni Arbi<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): During the New Order era, each time you heard
\nthe word \"Intel\", for the country's intelligence agency, you
\nimmediately had a sinking feeling.<\/p>\n
Today, when you hear the same word spoken, you may have a
\nmental picture of a microchip. However, as you may also know,
\nIntel has for many years gone beyond making the processors for
\nour PCs. Digital cameras for PCs are one of their strengths.<\/p>\n
I was lucky to get a chance to play around with not one but
\ntwo PC cameras. Intel calls the model that I received the \"Intel
\nDeluxe PC Camera\". I was doubly lucky, actually, because at the
\nsame time Hewlett-Packard also let me test-drive its hard-to-
\nresist Pavilion 9850, which uses a Pentium 4 processor running at
\n1.3 GHz, so I was able to connect one camera to my own PC and the
\nother to the Pavilion.<\/p>\n
If you go to any good computer shopping center, you will find
\nPC cameras everywhere. Intel offers at least seven different
\ntypes (I wonder if the company makes any peripheral for the Mac,
\nthough). However, the Deluxe PC Camera has received at least one
\nEditor's Choice award. I have actually been mulling the idea of
\nbuying one for myself for some time, but so far I have not been
\nable to come up with the justification for an investment of
\nbetween US$100 and $150 that my wife would willingly accept.<\/p>\n
That was why I was so lucky when, courtesy of PT Intel
\nIndonesia, I was able to satisfy my curiosity and learn a few
\nthings about this quite interesting piece of peripheral, which,
\nsomehow, I believe will become a standard feature on every PC in
\nthe future.<\/p>\n
Easy to install<\/p>\n
The cameras, which have actually been around for more than a
\nyear, came with a USB connector, and this made plugging it into
\nthe back of my PC a snap. The Pavilion has two USB ports in
\nfront, so connecting the camera to that speedy monster was even
\neasier. Both my Windows 98-based PC and the Windows Me-based
\nPavilion recognized the new hardware immediately. The cameras
\ncame with a CD-ROM that contained all the drivers and software
\nthat were required.<\/p>\n
If you do not have a USB port and do not want to buy an add-on
\nUSB card, you can buy Intel's Create & Share Camera Pack 2.0 PCI
\nVersion. But, then again, if your PC does not have a USB port, it
\nmust be an already aging one (according to Intel's standard, not
\nyours), and chances are it will not have the power necessary to
\nenjoy the games that the camera comes with.<\/p>\n
A number of other hardware makers have come up with a variety
\nof cute designs to make the camera less like the eye of an owl
\nstaring at you as you stare at the screen. Personally, I found
\nthe design of the Intel Deluxe PC Camera one of the most
\nattractive. It has a cover that we have to slide over to the left
\nto turn it on.<\/p>\n
This cover also protects our privacy, so that people will not
\ncatch us working on our PC in pajamas, for example. On top of the
\ncamera unit there is a button that we can press to create a
\nsnapshot, and in front of the button there is a dial that we can
\nuse to focus the camera for capturing an object that is very
\nclose to the lens. It is possible to capture a couple of lines of
\ntext with this camera by holding it close enough.<\/p>\n
We can also adjust the hue, sharpness and color saturation
\nusing the software application. There is also an option that will
\ncompensate for the paleness effect of fluorescent light.<\/p>\n
Applications<\/p>\n
What can we do with this gadget? First, we can create
\nsnapshots and send electronic postcards to others over the
\nInternet. Of course, we can do this with a digital camera, but
\nwith a PC camera the file will already be available on the hard
\ndisk. We can also create a video and send it as an e-mail
\nattachment. The Intel Create & Share software that comes bundled
\nwith this camera has all the facilities that will be needed. I
\nsent myself a video clip that I had created with this camera, and
\nthe result was acceptable. Of course, you will need a broadband
\nconnection if you want to play around like I did. The Create &
\nShare application has a gallery of ready-to-use postcard designs
\nthat look quite attractive.<\/p>\n
A more specialized use of the hardware and software would,
\nperhaps, be the Automatic Snapshot utility, which is also part of
\nCreate & Share. This can work as a surveillance camera, only it
\ncan send the snapshot automatically through e-mail. We can set
\nthe program to take snapshots at regular intervals, or only when
\nthe camera senses motion. We can also tell it to take snapshots
\n24 hours a day or only between certain hours. If we still rely on
\na dial-up connection, the program can be set to dial the ISP
\nnumber automatically. So, if you are away from home and there is
\nnobody there, you can leave your PC running and it will be your
\nsentinel.<\/p>\n
A PC camera can also expedite the development of multimedia
\nWeb sites. However, just like any other digital technology, there
\nare always people who will use the camera for purposes that
\nbelong to the gray, red and even black areas -- the Webcam sites
\nare good examples.<\/p>\n
Finally, the bundled software also comes with a few games. My
\nfavorite was Shoop. It was actually an onscreen basketball game,
\nand I could hit the ball on the screen with my own hands. The
\ncamera would track the movements of my hands and the ball would
\nbounce based on the direction and speed of my hands.<\/p>\n
What is the purpose of this game? Well, if for nothing else,
\nit serves to show you that you do need a very powerful PC to be
\nable to see smooth and realistic 3D movements on the screen, as I
\ncould see on the Pavilion. That notwithstanding, I do think a PC
\ncamera can be a lot of fun and can also have many practical uses.
\n(zatni@cbn.net.id)<\/p>",
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