Webcam can help ensure security of your home and safety of your kids
BY MATTHEW WEINBERGER
Saturday, July 26th 2008, 4:00 AM
Getty
Sure, you have a nanny to watch the kids - but who's watching the nanny?
With the right equipment, it could be you.
Cameras wired to the Web allow people to maintain visual contact from far away, whether to monitor the safety of their kids, security of their homes or the progress of workers.
"The convenience of being able to quickly log on to the Web from work and see what's going on remotely is, as they say, priceless," said David Carnoy, executive editor of the technology Web site CNET.com.
Cameras can be out in the open - or hidden in clocks, books, speakers, DVD players and even teddy bears.
While so-called nannycams have garnered widespread attention, mainly for the frightening images they've occasionally captured, the Web cameras have several practical uses, experts said.
If you decide to monitor your home remotely, you've got two main options, Carnoy said: Buy the gear and attempt to rig one up yourself, or buy a ready-made system you can plug in.
"The best systems I've dealt with, unfortunately, you have to pay for," Carnoy said.
For many users, it may not be money poorly spent. Take, for example, the Logitech WiLife system. For a list price of $299, you get a wall-mountable camera, a base station that hooks up to your computer and all the software you need to get going.
Best of all, it uses powerline networking, meaning the signal travels to your computer through your home's electrical wiring.
The system supports up to six linked cameras, and you can watch the feed at WiLife.com (except on a Mac - the base station software doesn't support Apple computers).
Of course, any Webcam is a potential watchdog, a fact anticipated by the manufacturers.
"Some products have their own software package," Carnoy said.
Not all the software is user-friendly, though, especially if you want your video to be viewable via a Web browser like the Logitech offering. It often requires the user to fiddle with settings best left alone unless you know what you're doing.
"I could not get the do-it-yourself versions working," Carnoy acknowledged.
The cheapest and possibly easiest solution is to buy a no-frills Webcam, connect it to your computer and stream the images onto the free service at uStream.tv, where you can upload images in real time.
Think YouTube live.
Users around the globe can broadcast lectures, political debates or even their own low-budget talk shows on the site, but you can also use it to keep track of what's going on when you're not around.
Sign up for a free account and they'll help you get started with all the software you need. It works with every Web camera.
Be sure to password-protect your video stream - unless you want activity in your living room to be an overnight Internet sensation.
If you do decide to do it yourself, make sure you have a good camera.
That iSight that came prebuilt into your MacBook isn't going to cut it if you want to see anything in the distance that's more than a blur.
There are numerous external Webcams available for any price range you can name, but expect to pay as little as $40 or as much as $100 for a good one.
"The quality of the camera makes a huge difference," Carnoy said.
BY MATTHEW WEINBERGER
Saturday, July 26th 2008, 4:00 AM
Getty
Sure, you have a nanny to watch the kids - but who's watching the nanny?
With the right equipment, it could be you.
Cameras wired to the Web allow people to maintain visual contact from far away, whether to monitor the safety of their kids, security of their homes or the progress of workers.
"The convenience of being able to quickly log on to the Web from work and see what's going on remotely is, as they say, priceless," said David Carnoy, executive editor of the technology Web site CNET.com.
Cameras can be out in the open - or hidden in clocks, books, speakers, DVD players and even teddy bears.
While so-called nannycams have garnered widespread attention, mainly for the frightening images they've occasionally captured, the Web cameras have several practical uses, experts said.
If you decide to monitor your home remotely, you've got two main options, Carnoy said: Buy the gear and attempt to rig one up yourself, or buy a ready-made system you can plug in.
"The best systems I've dealt with, unfortunately, you have to pay for," Carnoy said.
For many users, it may not be money poorly spent. Take, for example, the Logitech WiLife system. For a list price of $299, you get a wall-mountable camera, a base station that hooks up to your computer and all the software you need to get going.
Best of all, it uses powerline networking, meaning the signal travels to your computer through your home's electrical wiring.
The system supports up to six linked cameras, and you can watch the feed at WiLife.com (except on a Mac - the base station software doesn't support Apple computers).
Of course, any Webcam is a potential watchdog, a fact anticipated by the manufacturers.
"Some products have their own software package," Carnoy said.
Not all the software is user-friendly, though, especially if you want your video to be viewable via a Web browser like the Logitech offering. It often requires the user to fiddle with settings best left alone unless you know what you're doing.
"I could not get the do-it-yourself versions working," Carnoy acknowledged.
The cheapest and possibly easiest solution is to buy a no-frills Webcam, connect it to your computer and stream the images onto the free service at uStream.tv, where you can upload images in real time.
Think YouTube live.
Users around the globe can broadcast lectures, political debates or even their own low-budget talk shows on the site, but you can also use it to keep track of what's going on when you're not around.
Sign up for a free account and they'll help you get started with all the software you need. It works with every Web camera.
Be sure to password-protect your video stream - unless you want activity in your living room to be an overnight Internet sensation.
If you do decide to do it yourself, make sure you have a good camera.
That iSight that came prebuilt into your MacBook isn't going to cut it if you want to see anything in the distance that's more than a blur.
There are numerous external Webcams available for any price range you can name, but expect to pay as little as $40 or as much as $100 for a good one.
"The quality of the camera makes a huge difference," Carnoy said.
