Web Cameras

A more recently invented addition to the cyber world of computers is the web camera, also called web cam. Web cameras are usually real-time cameras that are used in conjunction with PCs and the Internet. Web cams can usually be streamed over or accessed through the World Wide Web.

They are most often used for video calling applications or web cam chats.

Web cameras can also be used as video recording devices. This is not a recommended practice though since web cams do not have a very high resolution.

Sometimes if you buy a PC there is a free web cam included and you do not need to buy one separate. But since web cams now are so cheap, available under 10 or 20 dollars for a average version it is not that big of a deal to buy a web cam. Any web cam can connect to any other web cam with the right web cam software. Windows for example has a program called Windows Messenger that gives you the possibility to have a video conversation. Another way instead of suing a messenger sort of program is a web cam chat room. Free web cam chat rooms are available all over the Internet. It opens the possibility for face-to-face chat with other people. Free web cam chat is also an easy way of chatting with people if you are not quite fast in typing words into a chat window or maybe you have a disability that prevents that otherwise. Web cam chats and web cam videoconferences can be useful in several different aspects. Families that are apart from each other, may it be through military duty, married or working abroad, school or business trips, have the possibility to see their family member up close in the camera and also see facial expressions not just hear the feelings.

Companies use web cams and web cam videoconferences for business meetings with employees and even customers.

Live web cams usually use a digital camera that uploads video stream to a web server. The uploaded stream can be continuously or in intervals. Most web cams are attached to a PC or special hardware for the purpose of being a live cam. Almost all major cities now offer free live web cams in more than one spot of the city. The army even has a few live web cams from Baghdad, which are mostly dedicated to serving the soldiers. They are a possibility for the soldiers to communicate with their families and loved ones face-to-face and not just in mail or the occasional phone call. Free web cam sites such as city cams can be found online and usually on the cities home pages.