Do you have family and friends who live a long distance from you? I have children and grandchildren who live 2-6 hours away from us. We don’t get to see these family members very often. Today’s technology offers us a means of seeing them often over our computers. I don’t have one yet, but will in the near future. As I am researching this for myself, I will share my findings with you. I hope those of you who already have this technology in place will let me know some of your expriences so that those of us who do not can learn from your experience.
This is what I know thus far: Webcams (web cameras) are small cameras whose images can be accessed using the World Wide Web, instant messaging, or a PC video conferencing application. It sounds like something out of the movies but you can see your family or friends and talk to them live from anywhere in the world. I had a friend in Houston, TX, with an only son and grandson in California. She got to see her new grandson regularly.
Now, for a little history. It all started in 1991, when the first such camera, called the CoffeeCam, was switched on in the computer science department of Cambridge University. FogCam has been running continuously at the San Francisco State University since 1994. Around 1996, webcam software and related technology was born for general public use. Companies and corporations discovered the benefit of communicating instantly via the internet live in real time. As broadband and high speed DSL connections became available software was being developed making it easier for people at home to use the technology. Today we have TrafficCams to monitor traffic, Metrocams which provide panoramic views of cities, and even VolcanoCams which monitor volcanoes. Live video communication over the internet has now reached millions of mainstream PC users worldwide.
Finally, all we need to do is purchase a web cam. I will not make an effort to advise you on which one to purchase. I have several links where you can explore the possibilities and select the right web cam for you. CompUsa, TigerDirect, and Windows Marketplace each have a wide selection with prices beginning as low as $9.99. Then, we need only plug our web cam into our computers, find a web host or server to carry the live feed and we will be videoconferencing with our loved ones and more.
1 comment:
My husband and I met over the internet. At the time that we met, we lived a few hours apart from each other. We used our web cams to see each other between visits. Talking on the phone is great, but seeing that smile is worth millions.
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