Webcam Wikipedia. Typical low cost webcam used with many personal computers. A webcam installed near Sumburgh Head lighthouse, Shetland. The cliffs are home to large numbers of seabirds and the area is an RSPB nature reserve. A webcam is a video camera that feeds or streams its image in real time to or through a computer to a computer network. Camera Diagnostic Software' title='Camera Diagnostic Software' />When captured by the computer, the video stream may be saved, viewed or sent on to other networks via systems such as the internet, and emailed as an attachment. When sent to a remote location, the video stream may be saved, viewed or on sent there. Unlike an IP camera which connects using Ethernet or Wi Fi, a webcam is generally connected by a USB cable, or similar cable, or built into computer hardware, such as laptops. The term webcam a clipped compound may also be used in its original sense of a video camera connected to the Web continuously for an indefinite time, rather than for a particular session, generally supplying a view for anyone who visits its web page over the Internet. Some of them, for example, those used as online traffic cameras, are expensive, rugged professional video cameras. CharacteristicseditWebcams are known for their low manufacturing cost and their high flexibility,1 making them the lowest cost form of videotelephony. Snapon diagnostic tools are known the world over for great performance, rocksolid construction and intuitive design, along with instant access to online and in. Shipping Speed Items Addresses FREE 2day shipping Items sold by Walmart. Despite the low cost, the resolution offered at present 2. They have also become a source of security and privacy issues, as some built in webcams can be remotely activated by spyware. The most popular use of webcams is the establishment of video links, permitting computers to act as videophones or videoconference stations. Other popular uses include security surveillance, computer vision, video broadcasting, and for recording social videos. The video streams provided by webcams can be used for a number of purposes, each using appropriate software Health careeditMost modern webcams are capable of capturing arterial pulse rate by the use of a simple algorithmic trick. Researchers claim that this method is accurate to 5 bpm. Video monitoringeditWebcams may be installed at places such as childcare centres, offices, shops and private areas to monitor security and general activity. CommerceeditWebcams have been used for augmented reality experiences online. One such function has the webcam act as a magic mirror to allow an online shopper to view a virtual item on themselves. The Webcam Social Shopper is one example of software that utilizes the webcam in this manner. Videocalling and videoconferencingeditWebcam can be added to instant messaging, text chat services such as AOL Instant Messenger, and Vo. IP services such as Skype, one to one live video communication over the Internet has now reached millions of mainstream PC users worldwide. Improved video quality has helped webcams encroach on traditional video conferencing systems. New features such as automatic lighting controls, real time enhancements retouching, wrinkle smoothing and vertical stretch, automatic face tracking and autofocus, assist users by providing substantial ease of use, further increasing the popularity of webcams. Webcam features and performance can vary by program, computer operating system, and also by the computers processor capabilities. Video calling support has also been added to several popular instant messaging programs. Video securityeditWebcams can be used as security cameras. Software is available to allow PC connected cameras to watch for movement and sound,6 recording both when they are detected. These recordings can then be saved to the computer, e mailed, or uploaded to the Internet. In one well publicised case,7 a computer e mailed images of the burglar during the theft of the computer, enabling the owner to give police a clear picture of the burglars face even after the computer had been stolen. Unauthorized access of webcams can present significant privacy issues see Privacy section below. In December 2. 01. Russia announced that 2. Webcams would be installed in 9. Russian presidential election, 2. Video clips and stillseditWebcams can be used to take video clips and still pictures. Various software tools in wide use can be employed for this, such as Pic. Master for use with Windows operating systems, Photo Booth Mac, or Cheese with Unix systems. For a more complete list see Comparison of webcam software. Input control deviceseditSpecial software can use the video stream from a webcam to assist or enhance a users control of applications and games. Video features, including faces, shapes, models and colors can be observed and tracked to produce a corresponding form of control. For example, the position of a single light source can be tracked and used to emulate a mouse pointer, a head mounted light would enable hands free computing and would greatly improve computer accessibility. This can be applied to games, providing additional control, improved interactivity and immersiveness. Free. Track is a free webcam motion tracking application for Microsoft Windows that can track a special head mounted model in up to six degrees of freedom and output data to mouse, keyboard, joystick and Free. Track supported games. By removing the IR filter of the webcam, IR LEDs can be used, which has the advantage of being invisible to the naked eye, removing a distraction from the user. Track. IR is a commercial version of this technology. The Eye. Toy for the Play. Change Autoplay Programs Windows 7'>Change Autoplay Programs Windows 7. Station 2, Play. Station Eye for the Play. Station 3, and the Xbox Live Vision camera and Kinect motion sensor for the Xbox 3. Small webcam based PC games are available as either standalone executables or inside web browser windows using Adobe Flash. Astro photographyeditWith very low light capability, a few specific models of webcams are very popular to photograph the night sky by astronomers and astro photographers. Mostly, these are manual focus cameras and contain an old CCD array instead of comparatively newer CMOS array. The lenses of the cameras are removed and then these are attached to telescopes to record images, video, still, or both. In newer techniques, videos of very faint objects are taken for a couple of seconds and then all the frames of the video are stacked together to obtain a still image of respectable contrast. Laser beam profilingeditA webcams CCD response is linear proportional to the incoming light. Therefore, webcams are suitable to record laser beam profiles, after the lens is removed. The resolution of a laser beam profiler depends on the pixel size. Commercial webcams are usually designed to record color images. The size of a webcams color pixel depends on the model and may lie in the range of 5 to 1. However, a color pixel consists of four black and white pixels each equipped with a color filter for details see Bayer filter. Although these color filters work well in the visible, they may be rather transparent in the near infra red. By switching a webcam into the Bayer mode it is possible to access the information of the single pixels and a resolution below 3m was possible. HistoryeditEarly developmenteditFirst developed in 1. Trojan Room coffee pot in the Cambridge University Computer Science Department initially operating over a local network instead of the web. The camera was finally switched off on August 2. The final image captured by the camera can still be viewed at its homepage. In 2. 00. 4, the oldest webcam still operating was Fog. Mini 0. 80. 1 Dashcam Review Network Camera Critic. The previous dashcam I reviewed was very good, but the Mini 0. This is the smallest dashcam available with an LCD display, GPS, G Sensor and 1. P recording. It can hide discretely behind the rear view mirror without being disruptive. For example, the WS3. W I reviewed would not fit behind the mirror on my Audi, but this one fits in there with room to spare. Records 1. 08. 0P HD Video at 3. Audio. 5MP CMOS Sensor. Accurate GPS Data Logger. Axis G Shock Sensor for Accident Data. LCD Viewing Screen. Degree Viewing Angle. Records Time and Date Stamp. Micro. SD Card Slot 3. GB maxAmbarella A2s Processor. Ive had this on my car about 2 months now and the video quality is very clear and  sharp both day and night, better than other dashcams Ive tried. At night the image is very clear and noise free thanks to the 5. MP sensor and Ambarella A2s processor used on more expensive cameras. This camera is very small, easily fits behind most mirrors and can hide discretely without anyone knowing its there. In my Smart Car, it is not visible from the drivers seat and partially visible from the passenger seat. My only complaint is it has a bluish LED to tell you its on but not bright enough to be seen past the mirror. If its distracting to you, a small piece of black tape will take care of that. The camera uses 3. M double stick take to attach the mount to the windshield. The power cable connects to the mount, not the camera making it easy to unclip the camera without lose camera position. Whats also nice is that its very small, maybe 1 square make it less conspicuous. The mount is sturdy, does not move and the camera stays in place quite well. The windshield mount also contains the electronics for the GPS. The GPS is used to not only track location but also logs speed. It takes under a minute to acquire a satellite signal. You have the option to display the speed on the recorded video, but may work against you in an accident, so best to let it store the information separately. It also has a G sensor that logs if you are turning, accelerating or stopping and how hard your are doing so. For example, it can show that you did try to avoid an accident. You will need to get a Micro. SD card. The manufacturer recommends at Class 4 or 6 card and to avoid Class 1. What I found with a Class 1. With a Class 4 or 6 card, it worked consistently all the time. It could be that a firmware fix is already in place that resolves this, but to be safe, use a Class 6 card. Crystal Reports 2008 Service Pack 3 Full Build. Inside the box you get a CD with software, a manual, an extra double stick tape pad, a USB cable, a 1. V adapter with a very long cable, the windshield mount and the camera. I had no problem running the cable through the headliner, down the a pillar, under the dash for a clean install. I tried the software that came with the camera, and it worked OK, but not as well as Registrator free which seamlessly played clips together, showed Google maps with the video and had a nice graph of speed travelled. As you can see, the camera is shorter than the 1. V adapter. Videos. To see them at the full 1. P resolution, you must click on the icon with 4 corners to see the video full screen and then it should automatically go into 1. P viewing, if not click the gear icon and select 1. P. Word of warning, some browsers have issues with embedded You. Tubes. If you click on the heading, its a link the You. Tube page with the video. Day Video. Night Video Hollywood and Vine. Registrator Video. Camera Configuration. Now onto the technical bits, how to configure the camera. You turn the camera on or off by pressing and holding the large button on flat end of the camera for a few seconds. It chimes to let you know its there and turning on or off. Reassurance that its working. When the camera is plugged into power, it powers itself on automatically, like when you start your car. The first screen you get is the recording screen with the image the lens sees, in this case black because I set it down on table to take picture of the screen. The upper left is a large blue dot, that means the camera is on but not recording. If it was recording, it would be red. You can turn recording onoff with the top button on the right. Theres other information showing you what resolution you are recording at FULL HD means 1. P, what date and time is, how fast you are going and that the SD card is place. The number 3 means its recording in 3 minute segments, this is configurable. If you hold the upper right button for a few seconds, it goes into the setup screen. Theres nothing really to change here, the defaults are setup as most would want, like FULL HD. You use the top and bottom buttons on the right to scroll updown and you use the center button to select an option. Scrolling down theres more options, again nothing that I changed here. Scroll down more and theres menu options you should change like Time Setup and Auto Power Off. Auto Power Off is where you specify the amount of time to record after you turn the car off or unplug the device. Time is pretty self explanatory, you set the time you want to see on the video. Use the updown buttons to scroll to the number you want and then press the center button to take you to the next field. Viewing the Recordings. The files are stored on the micro. SD card as. MOV files and can be played back using the included software. Amiga Odyssey Manual. What I would recommend that makes this easier is a free program called Registrator Viewer that I show in the video above. It lets you open a series of files and then gives you a timeline to make it easier to find recordings and displays Google maps along side the video. It also lets you view videos that span separate video files and then export a selected startend points as one video file. Videos that span a file do not lose any frames and the transitions are invisible. Conclusion. Im very impressed with this little camera. Its incredibly small, especially when you consider it has a color LCD screen. It hides well behind the mirror in all my cars and not visible from the drivers seat and barely visible from the passenger seat. From outside you see light gray 3. M pad. Some people found black double stick tape that is less visible. Some people say you can see the white letters that say 1. P and put black tape to cover it. I find that its not all that visible. I had it running for 2 months and never even thought about it or noticed it was there other than the chime when it first powers up. It also reduces my stress levels driving because people cut you off and do stupid things and I think to myself, I have this all being recorded, they wont be able to talk their way out of this one. The pluses for this camera are Price good HD quality for the price. P  resolution at 3. GPS Logger. G Sensor. V adapter has a very long cord to allow you to hide the wire. Price currently 1. Wrightwood Surveillance. Click HERE for the link.