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Hidden webcam : The Best Solution…

admin — Wed, 18 Jan 2012 10:33:19 +0000

Observed on one laptop, if you do not want to be observed” (or you wanted your laptop to be controlled from elsewhere). Which is why you can put a (French) stamp (“easy to remove”) on the camera.

This is an interesting example of these little signs of how users try to reclaim a form of control on digital technology. Even if the laptop has a LED that indicates whether the webcam is working on not, this user prefers to have a better control on this device. If you try it you can check your webcam at Webcam Test

How to use Webcam Chatroulette

admin — Mon, 28 Feb 2011 13:35:43 +0000

“WebcamChatroulette” is a website that randomly connects Internet users by setting up webcam sessions with strangers around the world. Each user can break off the session at will, by a simple press of a “Next” button. As soon as a session is closed by any user, a new session is started. Because of the nature of the webcam connections, a regular webcamchatroulette session comprises of a series of quick connections.

Participation in WebcamChatRoulette is simple. Make sure a webcam is available and active, and surf to Webcam Chatroulette. At the site, press “Next”, to have the site set up a first webcam chat session. Press “F9″ and the connection will be canceled ,and a new connection is automatically set up. Press “F8″, to stop the sessions altogether.

As WebcamChatroulette is in large parts about being and staying interesting to the other person, many inventive ways have been thought up to catch and hold interest. People have been seen singing, wearing Star Wars Stormtrooper masks, dancing to Techno House music, etc. several hundreds of captured WebcamchatRoulette sessions have been distributed on Webcam Chatroulette screenshots, pictures, video submitted by users all over the world. Updated constantly with new and funny webcamchatroulette reactions…

Dynamic DNS Free for Webcam

admin — Thu, 30 Sep 2010 11:22:52 +0000

Dynamic DNS is a technology that allows you to update the IP address of a domain in real time. In order to fully understand how Dynamic DNS works, it is important to first understand domain names and name servers. Essentially, all website domain names are held on computer servers known as name servers. These servers are used, with the help of a Domain Name System (DNS) server, to change the domain name into something more easily recognizable by a computer, an Internet Protocol (IP) Address.

Dynamic DNS works in roughly the same way outlined above, except that it is much more flexible with its features. Because of the dynamic systems associated with Dynamic DNS, this type of domain name system allows domain names to be accessed from servers that have dynamic, or varying, IP addresses. By allowing dynamic IP addresses to host domain names, Dynamic DNS makes it possible for people and other websites to connect to a particular server without having to track that server’s IP address.

Free Dynamic DNS : dyndns.com and No IP

Setting Up the Webcam Web Page

admin — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 10:34:13 +0000

When webmaster decide to build a webcam, focus all their time and energy on getting the webcam and the software. But the web page it’s on is nearly as important. If you don’t have certain things set correctly, your webcam can become a “webcan’t”.

First there’s the image. Make sure:

•The image should have a generic filename – no timestamps - we recommend something like webcam.jpg
•Know what size image your camera takes, and use that in the HTML. Don’t resize your camera images with the HTML – they are usually fairly grainy and hard to view and browser resizing will make that worse.
•Check your FTP settings and know where the image will be uploaded to.
•Write your image tag, the way you would any valid XHTML image tag. Include height and width and don’t forget the alt text:

Then there’s the web page itself. Your page should automatically reload and it should not be cached. This will insure that your cam viewers get a new image every time. Here’s how you do that:

In the of your HTML document, place the following two lines:

In the meta refresh tag, if you want your page to refresh less often than every 30 seconds, change the content=”30″ to something other than 30: 60 (1 minute), 300 (5 minutes), etc. The expires tag is important because it affects the cache of web browsers, so that the page is not cached but rather pulled from the server on every load.

With these simple tips you can have a webcam up and running quickly and easily. Check this example at Paris Webcam website.

10 Ways To Survive A Webcam Interview

admin — Sun, 26 Sep 2010 13:56:29 +0000

What should you do to survive and succeed in a web cam interview?

1. Get comfortable with the technology – If you don’t own a web camera, go Buy one. At least a week before your interview. And then do web calls with everyone you know. Buy two and send one to your parents. Your comfort level will contribute to your confidence level. On interview day, don’t be surprised if an issue or two comes up (can’t hear, can’t see, a few second delay). These can happen and usually get worked out in the first few minutes. A lot of companies will offer you a test call to make sure it all works : Check TestWebcam

2. Set up a mock interview – It is one thing to talk to your Mom about the kid’s weekend soccer games. It’s another to talk to an HR person you don’t know who lives on the opposite coast about your biggest challenge. So set up a mock interview with a friend or former boss so that you can get used to giving your pitch while staring at your computer.

3. Clear the room – Simply said, make sure you know what the camera sees. Ask your mock interviewer to tell you what they see. Set up your computer in a clean, well lit room without your beer bottle or antique doll collection on the back wall. Bookshelves and fireplaces tend to be pretty good. Can be your home office if you have one. Also, make sure your roommate, spouse and/or 6 kids are cleared out (30 minutes before and after your scheduled call). A fight over the new PlayStation won’t sound good in the background.

4. Determine a proper distance – To avoid the fishbowl effect during the interview, make sure you ask your friends/mock interviewer how you look. For me, I’d like to see you from the waist up. A little tighter is OK, but much more and you are “all face”. Some programs will allow you to see how you look from the start allowing you to adjust on the fly.

5. Know the strength of your voice – So, I’ll just say it. You don’t need to yell. With most programs, your computer’s speakers will work just fine. If you are one of those loud talkers on a normal conference call, don’t be that person during your web cam interview. Start in your normal voice and ask nicely, “how do I sound?” and you can adjust from there.

6. Be professional, not stiff – Part of your task in a prelim interview is to provide detail on your qualifications for the job. But you also have an opportunity to establish a rapport with the interviewer. Some interviewers are all business, but there are many styles of interviewers. So your ability to judge their style early on will help you to succeed as the interview progresses.

7. Dress to impress, not to kill – You will each make your own decision on this one. It may depend on your own beliefs. Or the industry or culture you’re in. But I’m going to suggest that you interview business casual via web cam. Still professional but comfortable enough that you don’t look over-dressed in your own house. I’ll be curious to get your reaction this suggestion. Feels right to me. And it is what I’ve done in the past.

8. Prepare like it’s interview day – Make sure you treat this web cam interview like you would an in-person interview. It walks you through a structured process to help get to know the industry, company and people. The more you know the better, right?

9. Smile – You hear me say this a lot. To me, it is one of the key networking habits you need to have and something that people like to see during interviews. It says you are confident and comfortable. And excited to be talking to this company. Too much and you are going to look silly so don’t over-do it. Part of the “don’t be stiff” advice above.

10. Relax - A web cam interview is often the first in what will be a string of interview opportunities with a company. If you don’t succeed, you haven’t invested a lot. Nor have they. And you may find that this first interview unlocks the key to your next role. Or it may uncover a dud. Try to enjoy the process of learning about a new company and of sharing your accomplishments with others.

Try Freewebcamcall it is a good and free program to use with nothing to download, to install … just easy!

For the fun try webcamchatroulette and chat with people around the world…

How to Fix Webcam Problems Easily

admin — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 07:44:30 +0000

Webcams are being used more frequently than ever before. More models are being put on the market every month, and although the technology involved is becoming more convenient, it is also becoming more complex.

Since webcams are being used for new applications constantly, the software associated with them has to be updated regularly to keep them compatible with all of the new applications. Sometimes these upgrades can present problems for users, as the computer is unable to communicate with the webcam properly when these changes occur. Although this is a common cause of webcam problems, they can an be caused by other issues.

To fix webcam problems, you’ll first need to assess the situation to be sure that you’ve ruled out all possible hardware problems:

Diagnosing the Situation

To find out whether or not your webcam is experiencing driver issues, you’ll need to use the process of elimination. The only way to find out what is really going on with your device is by using deductive reasoning skills to rule out all possible hardware malfunctions.

First try unplugging the device and then plugging it back into the computer. In some cases this will reestablish the connection between your webcam and the computer. If this doesn’t work, try plugging the webcam into another computer. If the webcam works on a another computer then you’re most likely dealing with a driver issue. If the webcam doesn’t work on another computer, then it is quite possible that you possess a defective webcam. Although incompatibility with several computers points to a hardware problem, this may not always be the case. In some instances both computers may have outdated drivers, or may not include the drivers at all.

Fixing Webcam Driver Errors

Once you’ve deduced that your problem is not a hardware malfunction, and you’re sure it is a driver error, then it is time to take some action. Drivers are the translators between your webcam and your communicator. When the drivers are damaged, outdated or completely missing, then your computer cannot communicate with the webcam. To fix this you’ll need to repair, update or install the correct drivers.

Over time the drivers can be damaged by normal computer usage, or by the effects of a malicious software such as a virus. To fix this issue, you’ll need to try reinstalling the webcam drivers. Another problem is that your operating system has been updated regularly, leaving the old webcam drivers incompatible with your newly updated operating system., if this is the case then you’ll need to update the drivers. This can be done with a few different methods, but the easiest by far is the following method.

Fixing the Situation Automatically

Now that you’re sure you have a driver problem, you’ll need to carry out one of the above measures to correct it. You could do it manually, but why would you when you could just as easily use a software to do it for you. Using a tool such as TestWebcam will let you check if your webcam works correctly.

Webcam Driver Help

admin — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 22:28:58 +0000

Drivers are required for everything from video cards and keyboards to the mouse and webcam. Different manufacturers have varying ideas about how products should run, so different webcams may each require a different webcam driver.

Many webcams include an accompanying CD with the driver, or computer version of an instruction booklet, on it so the computer can “learn” how to run the new device. Often installation disks are also full of other software, like a media player in the case of a webcam. The most important part of that disc, however, is the webcam driver, without which the hardware cannot function.

If you find yourself at a loss because you have an older webcam that no longer has the disc with it, do not fret! While you should always use the disc if you have it, there are sources you can find online where you can download an updated webcam driver. Try the manufacturer’s site, where many respectable companies regularly update drivers so their customers can have the smoothest operating hardware.

If the manufacturer does not have the driver you need listed on their site for your webcam model, let the search begin. There are sites available that offer comprehensive lists of webcam drivers required for many hundreds of models from dozens of manufacturers, simplifying your search considerably. Installing a new driver and removing the old one is a fairly straightforward process you can perform with your computer’s control panel. If you have software that you have used before that stops working properly, chances are there is something wrong with your driver. Computers are constantly installing updates for themselves and this can cause the need for a new webcam driver.

As you search for the right driver online, it is important that you know the brand, model and sometimes even the serial number. Once you have the right webcam driver, you can use your webcam for many purposes like recording and saving footage on your computer and providing live feeds for internet viewers. There are thousands of cameras functioning all over the world that do just that and you can play with you webcam on HelloWebcam that is fun. Also try webcamquestion, you can ask about help and find anwsers !

Using a Webcam on Skype for 2 or More People

admin — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 03:39:12 +0000

When you use Skype to chat with your friends, you have the option to include video from your webcam. If you’ve read my Beginner’s Guide to Skype, you’ll know how to add a friend and initiate a normal VoIP call with them. In a normal VoIP call, you cannot see the other person; it’s just like a telephone call.

On a Skype call with video, you’ll be able to see the other person clearly. It’s amazing how much it can feel like you’re in the same room when really you’re thousands of miles away. For those in long distance relationships or too far away from friends and family to see them regularly, this is a great way to keep in contact for free. You can only use video calling if you are both connected to Skype through the computer. You will need a webcam and a microphone. Some webcams have a microphone included; check to see if yours does before you buy a separate microphone.

Before you invite your friends to start a video call with you, first check that your webcam is working properly. To do this, open up Skype and click “call” on the top menu. A little bit down the list, you’ll see Audio Settings and Video. Audio settings will check that your microphone is working, while Video will show you your own webcam video.

First, make sure you can see yourself clearly. If you have no video at all but your webcam is hooked up properly, you’ll have to troubleshoot on the manufacturer’s website. If your video appears too dark or discoloured, try turning on another light. If you’re next to a window and it’s a sunny day outside, move away. Webcams need even light to work properly, so sitting underneath a window or having a desk lamp on will often make the picture dark in some places but too light in others.

Once you can see yourself and you’re ready to share your video with your friend, close the settings menu and head back over to the left, where your contacts list is.

Unfortunately, Skype doesn’t have built in conference video yet. To do this, you’ll need to follow several steps, but none of them are particularly difficult. First, create a conference call. To start one of these, click “new” on the left menu directly above contacts. Underneath this you’ll see the option to have a group conversation. Choose this and add all of your friends to your group conversation, which will by default be an ordinary call. Skype will call all of them and connect you in one big conference call. If call quality is low, make sure everyone is using the most updated version of Skype. Different codecs can throw off the quality of the call, so it’s important to have the same version running on everyone’s computer.