Wireless Webcam Review

A wireless webcam is basically a camera that uses radio signals to broadcast photos or video to a computer or a network. Often these cameras come bundled with software that allows you to transfer the photos or video to an Internet site.

The price of a wireless webcam can vary from very cheap (and cheaply built) to very expensive. A cheap wireless webcam will have plastic lenses, low frame rates, low resolution, and short broadcast range. The more expensive wireless webcam will have glass lenses, high frame rates, high resolution, and longer broadcast range.

A high quality wireless webcam will have features like pan and tilt controls, remote administration via a password protected website, brightness controls, low light capabilities, and automatic alerts via text messaging, email, and pre-recorded telephone calls to multiple numbers.

History of Webcams

The first webcam dates from 1991 and was pointed at a coffee pot in at the University of Cambridge computer lab. It was operational from November 1991 (connected to the Internet in 1993) to August 2001.

The longest functioning webcam is the Fogcam located at San Francisco State University. It has been in continuous operation since 1994. Neither of these were a wireless webcam though since the technology hadn’t been perfected at that time.

People have used webcams to broadcast weddings, funerals, graduations, and any number of other life events. Sadly, there have even been suicides that were broadcast on webcams.

Today’s Use of the Wireless Webcam

Thousands of webcams on the Internet are listed by aggregator sites. Many state transportation departments operate webcams that allow viewers to see the traffic on various heavily traveled highways and interstates in real time.

Most people use a wireless webcam for video telephony, video conferencing, and security. Services like Skype have accelerated their use. For video telephony and conferencing, a wireless webcam has the advantage of a broader field of vision. That way you are able to get several people (or maybe a whiteboard) into the picture. For security purposes, a wireless webcam can be used for surveillance of outlying areas that are difficult to run wires to and so would be impossible to surveil otherwise.