Is your computer watching you?

Most new computers and laptops now have webcams. But, how do you know if it’s activated?

One couple found out they were being watched through the webcam of a laptop they rented. In depth:  how your electronics can turn against you.

Matt Bauerband, computer whiz with a local company called Computer Answers, shows how your webcam can watch you.“As soon as I move my finger, it should kick on, and there we go.”Bauerband downloaded a program that activates the computer’s webcam as soon as it detects any motion or noise.

First, we walked in front of the laptop to test it and then we set the laptop up in a separate room.  As soon as we walked in, the camera started recording. Bauerband says a program like this can be installed from anywhere.“Someone could easily hack into any computer, install it, and then monitor the webcam remotely.”

And the program will send the hacker updates of what the webcam has captured.“This will also email you video, pictures, sounds, whatever this captures directly to your email address.” The software is supposed to act like a security camera. For example, a Florida woman set up a webcam in her home and caught two burglars in the act. But, a Wyoming couple had a very different, and disturbing experience.

Crystal and Brian Bird leased a laptop from Aaron’s a rent to own store. They were blown away when an employee from the store showed up at their door. “I couldn’t believe it, the guy came in like he owned the place, showed me a picture of myself, it was pretty invasive.” The birds say the picture was of Brian on the couch, playing computer poker, secretly taken by the laptops webcamera.

“I’ve used it in my bra and underwear, there’s been a few times checking my grades for school getting ready to get in the shower, I’m in my bra and underwear not thinking anyone is watching me, of course.” Computer Answers owner Paul Zaichenko explains this is just a taste of what he feels is a growing problem; our electronics turning against us. “Our privacy becomes a question. At what point and where do we have it where don’t we?”

Here are some steps you can take to protect yourself from your webcam:

First – enable your firewall.

Second – make sure you have good anti-virus software, and update it regularly.

Third – install a spyware detection program as well.

Anti-virus software alone may not be enough to fight spyware.

Installing a Webcam is a fun and worthwhile project, whether it’s for home security or to help you keep track of your kids or pets. You can securely view whatever the camera sees from anywhere in the world, as long as you have access to the Internet. And with a wireless Webcam, you’ll have even more flexibility, because you can install it farther away from your computer.

Wired or wireless? You can use most Webcams with either a wireless or a wired connection to your network. Wireless connections offer more flexibility, but wired connections are simpler to set up. In fact, as part of the steps toward wireless setup, you’ll set up a temporary wired connection first. If you run into trouble setting up the wireless connection, you can always fall back on the wired connection. Assuming that you do want to use wireless, consider using an 802.11g or 802.11n networking technology, as opposed to the older 802.11a or 802.11b ones.

Webcam features :

•Compatibility with your wireless protocol (that is, 802.11g or 802.11n)
•Support for the wireless security you use, if any (that is, WEP or WPA)
•Built-in Web server (to connect to the Internet without a computer)
•Support for audio and built-in microphone
•Ability for tabletop or wall-mounted use

Network information :

In addition to equipment, during setup you’ll need information about your wireless network, available from the administration screens for your router (for details, refer to the documentation that came with your router):

•Network name or Service Set Identifier (SSID)
•The type of security the network uses, like WEP (Wired Equivalency Protocol) or WPA (WiFi Protected Access)
•For WEP networks, the key length (64-bit or 128-bit)
•For WPA networks, the encryption algorithm (TKIP or AES)
•The shared encryption key or passphrase

Set up the webcam :

Once you have everything together, you’re ready for setup. Of course, the first thing you need to do is decide where to place the Webcam (make sure there’s a nearby power outlet). If, in the Webcam’s permanent place, the network cable doesn’t reach the router, you’ll need to bring the Webcam closer to the router during setup, and then move it back later. For detailed steps, follow the setup instructions that come with the Webcam, but here are the basic steps :

•Connect the Webcam to the router with a network cable, plug it into a wall outlet, and then power up the camera.

Note: Installation instructions may tell you to connect or power up the camera at a specific time during setup; be sure to follow these and any other manufacturer’s instructions.

•Using a computer on the same network as the Webcam, launch the setup software that comes with the camera, which usually provides a user-friendly wizard to guide you through the process.

Note: If you are prompted to set up an administrator username and password for the camera, be sure to use a strong password, so the camera is secure over the Internet.

•Enter your wireless network information into the setup software. If you are asked to choose between Infrastructure mode and Ad-Hoc mode, select Infrastructure. Note: During setup, you’ll be provided with the camera’s IP address. Write it down; you’ll need it later to access the camera.
•Name the camera. (Use a name that’s easy to remember and keep in mind that you may add more cameras later.)
•Once the setup wizard is finished, power down the camera and disconnect the network cable from the router.
Test the camera : Now is the moment you’ve been waiting for. With the camera’s network cable still unplugged, power up the camera. On a computer on the same network as the camera, enter the IP address you wrote down during setup into the address bar of your browser, and then press Enter on your keyboard. If all goes well, you’ll see the picture from your camera.

If you want to make the camera available from outside your network (over the Internet), you’ll probably need to enter an IP address that is unique all over the world (called a Public IP address), not just on your network. If your Webcam has this capability, refer to its documentation for setup instructions.

Troubleshooting steps, just in case :

If you have trouble setting up or connecting to the Webcam over your network, try these steps before calling the manufacturer’s technical support:

•Anti-virus and firewall software (including the built-in firewall in Microsoft Windows) may interfere with setup; try disabling them. To be on the safe side, first disconnect from the Internet.
•Make sure your browser is compatible with the Webcam. (Check the documentation that came with the camera.)
•Make sure the Channel setting on the camera’s wireless setup screens matches that on your router.
•If the camera’s wireless setup software provides an option to change the transmission rate (the speed that data flows between the camera and router), try different settings, starting with the lowest options first.
•If the wireless connection still doesn’t work, power down the camera, connect it to the router using the network cable, and then retest it in your browser.
•If all else fails, consider hiring help. Many consumer electronics retail chains now have in-house services that specialize in helping their customers with equipment setup and configuration.

Shop now at ShopWebcam

Web cameras make it easy to keep in touch with far away friends and family. If you have a web cam on your home computer, laptop or even your cell phone, a hacker can be lurking, just waiting for a chance to gain control.

Right now, hackers are spying on innocent users via their web cam and microphones. It starts with a simple email, link or program sent to you. “The bad guys go out there and find vulnerabilities in different applications and programs,” says Michael Gregg, COO of Superior Solutions Inc.

Once you click on it, your computer is overrun by the hacker’s program. “When the hackers find a problem before its fixed, its called a Zero-Day or IE-Exploit,” says Gregg. The exploit programs can remotely turn on your web cam, watch what you’re looking at online; even listen to what you are saying. Even worse, the longer these programs are available to hackers, the easier they are to use. “Anyone with very little technical stills or knowledge can actually launch these attacks,” adds Gregg.

Charles Tendell is a certified ethical hacker. He set up two laptops to explain how it works. One is the “victim” computer, the other is the “spy.” The two computers look identical, but as I type on the “victim” PC, every key I type and every word I say is picked up by the “spy.” “I can capture audio, I can capture web cams and I can capture the screen of what they are looking at,” says Tendell.

It’s like a door left open for hackers. And it’s all available via loopholes in Microsoft’s program and Internet Explorer. Experts say most PC users don’t even know this type of hack exists. “It’s kind of crazy what people can do and how simple it seems to be to do that,” says web cam user Mark Ventura. Network security web cameras are a popular way for people to keep an eye on their home and business when they are away. “What people don’t realize, if those devices are a network device someone can very easily search for them on the web,” adds Tendell.

All a hacker needs to know is the type of camera you are using, do a special “inurl” search, and your unprotected web cam image is available for anyone to see – web cams on business, backyards, even baby rooms. It’s a loophole in security that may never be fixed. “It’s the one element of computer security that no one will ever be able to close that’s the human element,” Tendell says. we asked Microsoft to comment on the issue of web cam spies, but they did not have an answer.

However, their a few things you can do to keep your computer protected :

1. Make sure your anti-virus is up to date.

2. Pay attention to the links you click on. If you don’t know where the link is coming from, don’t click on it.

3. If you link up to a network web cam, make sure it is password protected.

4. If you suspect your computer may be infected, there are free tolls like such as Malware Bytes and Avast you can use to scan your PC.

5. Make sure the little led near your webcam is On when you use it. You can check it on test my cam

The thousands who crammed New York’s Fifth Avenue cheered when doors opened at Apple’s flagship store at 9am. It was a carnival atmosphere as Apple employees handed out soft drinks and yelled, “Let’s go iPad!”

Some shoppers booted up their new gadgets and sent out Twitter messages before even leaving the store. Thousands who had pre-ordered the tablets flooded Apple’s 200 US stores to pick them up. Many had queued overnight in New York to make sure they were among the first in the world to boot up their very own iPad.

Tourists travelled from the Netherlands, Hungary, the UK and Australia to be part of the moment. “It’s slim, beautiful. I really want to get it home and play with it,” said Adi Thomas, 38, who flew in from Australia. 

The tablet acts as a cross between an iPhone and a laptop, letting users read books, play games and listen to music on a slick portable device. Since its launch in January, Apple has been promoting it as a revolutionary media force. The iPad retails in the US from $US499 ($542.50) and goes on sale in the world in late April. Analysts predict up to seven million sales in its first year.

Some critics have panned the iPad because it is not as sophisticated as a laptop and has no webcam, and some have complained that its touchscreen keyboard is hard to use. But its fans relish the chance to surf the web, check emails and share photos on an attractive, lightweight gadget.

The great thing about having a computer is that you have so many tools available to you. While some you may not know how to take advantage of, (hacking into someone’s computer, creating botnets, etc), there are some you can. How about using your computer’s webcam to monitor what is happening in your house, perhaps making sure your dog walker is doing their job? Ordinary people might just take a regular old video, use Skype or something else. But a much easier option is to use Vitamin D, a program that identifies moving subjects to create a highlight video of all the activity occuring in your home.

Close scrutiny of the iPad which Steve Jobs presented at Apple’s special event last week shows what may be webcam, tucked away in the black screen bezel just like it is on the MacBook Pro.

A screen-grab from the official video of the event shows nothing but a small dot above the screen, opposite the home button. Taken alone, this isn’t much, but compare this with the picture of the iPad leaked just hours before the event (below). If you remember, these showed an iPad locked down in a security frame, and you could clearly see the camera in the bezel. I even pointed out the cutout in the frame that let us see the webcam.

Still not convinced? What about this screenshot from the iPad emulator in the new SDK (software development kit)?

That sure looks like the iPad thinks it has a camera. Up until now, this is what any good TV lawyer would call circumstantial evidence. The last, and oddest, piece of the puzzle comes from Mac and iPod repair company Mission Repair. The company has, somewhat strangely, already received replacement parts for fixing iPads. On the company’s blog, employee Ryan Arter has posted pictures which show a spot for a camera in the main iPad frame.

This is accompanied by a shot of the frame alongside the camera from a MacBook. It’s a perfect fit. The only thing that seems weird on this last point is that Apple is already sending out parts. Why so soon?

So why didn’t Steve Jobs announce the camera already? Perhaps the hardware is there, but asI previously wrote, Apple is leaving it out to meet the rather severe price restrictions it has set for the product line. Jobs was most likely using a prototype on stage, just like he did when the iPhone was first revealed. A prototype would be likely to have the camera intact.

Even if these clues all add up, we’d guess that the first generation iPad will still ship without a camera. Or perhaps not. Perhaps Apple will pull a “one more thing” closer to the launch date. One thing we do know for sure, though: camera or not, there one thing that Apple will certainly not be adding to the iPad: Flash : Flash Webcam

Hemlock Dam Webcam

Hemlock dam on Trout Creek, the Wind Rivers most important spawning tributary is finally coming down this summer. Now with a web cam from the University of Washington and the US forest Service you can track the progress of this exciting project. See the webcam here. You need the latest version of Java to view the cam.

See More Webcam in the United States: USA Webcam

Live Webcam Online

Webcams give you the ability to view action that is going on in a particular location through your computer with an internet connection. This feature is a great method that people use for business, safety, and entertainment. A live webcam involves a continuous feed that allows individuals to view it in real time.

You can set up your own live webcams or choose to view those set up by others. Some reasons that individuals set up live webcams are to monitor the activities taking place in their home, especially if they are leaving their children at home with a child care provider. It is also a great option for those adults with medical issues but who wish to continue living on their own.

Many businesses use live webcams to supervise work activities such as cash register operations. Many high profile jobs contain them such a banks. Most security systems now involve live webcams such as those used in businesses, detention centers, prisons, and shopping malls. These live webcams all the activities of individuals to been seen on many different screens all at one time. Those in the control center can focus in on particular webcam activities should they see anything that appears to be out of the ordinary.

Las Vegas is well known for the dedication to security, and you will find some of the top live webcam services and systems installed in the various casinos. Not only are they designed to keep the environment safe, they use them to catch employees and customers cheating or stealing funds.

Millions of people use the internet everyday and people have found offering live webcam shows to be very profitable. There are sites where you can watch people undress or engage in sexual activities while you watch them do it. In some cases you even get to request what you want them to perform over the webcam for you.

Webcams are also used to entice you to visit a particular attraction. For example you can log on to some amusement parks and view those who are enjoying the activities there. This will encourage others to come check out the activity on their own. Live webcams offer a new way to connect with others over the internet.