“Peek-a-boo I see you.” “Grandma, look at me!” The sounds of Christmas we enjoy as much as the songs and sleigh bells. Watching wrapping paper fly, and new toys sliding along the floor entertains us for hours. But what if we can’t make that trip to the children this year? How about their birthdays? Wouldn’t it be nice to participate in the party even if we can’t be there in person? It would be extra special to see a child’s first steps or the first words spoken.
Families are scattered all over the country now and sometimes, scheduling, cost or physical limitations make impossible for us to physically attend these special events. Some of us even have to work and that really interferes with our free time. Maybe our computers can offer a solution for the next best thing to being there.
A few years ago, Webcams were just starting to appear and were priced in the stratosphere. Today they are easily within the reach of almost everyone or even built in to almost every laptop, cell phone and tablet. Additionally, for those bordering on technological befuddlement, the installation and set up is almost automatic. About the only thing we need to do is plug it in, maybe run a cdrom, (although even that is rapidly fading) and make sure we have a broadband Internet connection.
Webcams have truly come a long way. Businesses now use webcams for corporate communication; daycares use them to allow parents to keep an eye on their children; universities hold classes via webcam all over the world. Dog kennels allow remote viewing of the precious little barker. I even have a webcam in the garage so I can ask and show what I am trying to do to my friends who can then help me restore my truck. If there is something that you would like to monitor remotely, a Webcam makes it easy.
The key to using a webcam for communication is an instant messaging program. There are many IM programs available but usually both ends of a Webcam need to use the same program. I use Skype just because almost everyone has it, it is a Microsoft product and it is FREE (love that word, Martha) and is readily available to anyone running Windows or a Mac. However, there is AOL’s Instant Messenger (AIM), Yahoo Messenger, Logitech Messenger, Windows Messenger and many more. They all work well, but again to communicate both webcams, yours and the one at the grandkids house should be using the same program.
Let’s set up a webcam. First we need to purchase one. A quick run through the local big box store found webcams from $10 to $70. Of course if the kids don’t have one, you may need two. Price determines the features available on the camera. Example: The $10 unit has a picture resolution of 100 kilo pixel while the $25 unit has things like pixel resolution at 640 x 480 and frames per second at 30 FPS. Most webcams on the market can capture still photos in addition to video. Check a webcam’s snapshot resolution. Higher-end models can capture photos at many megapixels. Webcams often have built in microphones or a separate headset and microphone to help us experience a true video call and add our voice to a chat session. Many webcams offer some cool extra features such as a quick call button that will activate a call to a land line although calls to land lines cost extra while a video call from computer to computer is still FREE. Can’t sit still? Turn on face tracking. This is a feature that allows the webcam to automatically follow your face.
Next get an IM client. Unlike webcams, most of them are free. If you’re running Windows or Mac Skype works well: a lot of people use it, it’s compatible with nearly every webcam made, and it allows you to connect with friends who are using Messenger or Yahoo! Messenger. To install Skype, go to the website (Skype.com) and follow the instructions to create an account and download the latest version.
Once you’ve got Skype up and running, all you need is to sign into you Skype account and start chatting. Now connect the webcam to a computer via a USB slot. Most webcams requires a driver to run it. (The driver is typically included on the installation CD that comes with the webcam, or you can download a driver from the manufacturer's website.) Follow these steps to start your webcam. Open Skype, sign in with your username and password, click on the Tools menu and then click Audio and Video setup. Follow the prompts and if you see a video feed streaming from your webcam, you’re done with the onetime set up. Now you can communicate just like the video phones promised us at the 1964 Worlds Fair.
Now where is my flying car?
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