An Eclectic Mind

iSight being replaced with a USB camera.

Some of you may have noticed that my Webcam disappeared right around the same time I upgraded to an iMac computer. The reason is going to sound pretty lame, but it’s true: The FireWire cable from the camera to my computer just wasn’t long enough to reach my window and I couldn’t get a FireWire hub to work properly. So I took the camera offline.

I sold the iSight on eBay and got a whopping $150 for it. That’s more than the darn thing’s list price when it was brand new. (Okay, so only by a dollar, but it is more.) So I have some ready cash to buy a replacement camera.

After some minimal research, I settled on an Ecamm Network iMage USB Webcam for Mac and Windows v 2.0. It’ll give me a reasonably-sized image and doesn’t require any special drivers. It even has screw holes in the mount so I can attach it to the window frame, nice and high for the best view.

I’m just hoping it doesn’t interfere with the iMac’s built-in iSight camera, which I still want to use for Skype, iChat, and other stuff.

Because the proceeds from the iSight sale were burning a hole in my pocket, I also sprung for the relatively inexpensive Macally Portable Goose Neck USB Video Web Cam - ICECAM. This is a toy I can use when I’m on the road to bring Webcam images from wherever I happen to be. Tune in next month; I’ll try to display images of my audience (if there’s more than just one person!) while I’m doing my presentation at the Peachpit booth.

I really like having Webcams and have had one, off and on, for at least six years. You can find one of my Webcams at the KBSZ-AM radio studios near downtown Wickenburg. Here’s the current image; maybe Pete Peterson, station owner, is in the shot. This image (as well as my personal Webcam, when it’s up and running) appears on wickenburg-az.com.

I’ve also written about setting up a Webcam on a Mac. The most recent piece is “Creating Timelapse WebCam Movies on a Mac” on the Peachpit Press Web site.

Both new cameras should arrive right after Christmas. I’ll write more when I’ve had a chance to play with them.