Tag Archives: webcam

Nekoze For Mac Monitors Your Posture & Alerts When You Start To Slouch

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Keeping a good posture while using a computer is very important to avoid issues like RSI, but for many of us, sitting upright and making sure our elbows are level with the table takes a backseat to slouching in our chair and getting comfortable. Ergonomic work setups can significantly help, but the fact is that unless you force your self to stop slumping, there is no chair comfortable (or uncomfortable) enough to get you to straighten your spine. In all fairness, we’re so used to slumping in our chairs that we often forget what we’re doing to our spines. Nekoze is a free health and fitness Mac app that takes a somewhat different approach to helping you maintain a good posture while you work. It connects with your webcam and detects when you start to slump in your chair. An on-screen and audio notification alerts you to sit up. You can customize how lenient or strict the app is in its assessment of your sitting posture. Read More

Quickly Capture, Edit & Upload Screenshots & Webcam Images With EzSnap

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Yet another day, yet another screenshot tool and like always, it comes with a new function. We have covered a lot of screenshot tools in the past, many of them offering something unique to the users. While some, like Screen Sniper, allow you to capture and paste screenshots in bulk, while others, such as Free ShareShot, offer options for editing and optimizing the screenshots for direct printing and uploading. You can even capture screenshots of a remote PC without having physical access to it. EzSnap is another handy tool that allows you to quickly capture screenshots as well as photos using your webcam. You can also edit and upload the captured images, and view as well as sync your entire history and statistics in an online account, allowing you to access to all the images you capture from anywhere, at any time. Read More

Flutter Ported To Windows, Lets You Use Hand Gestures To Resume/Pause Media Playback

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Plugins and third party support for media players comes out almost every other day to enhance the overall media experience. Some plugins add better library options, some provide hotkeys, while others bring support for a wide range of audio and video codecs etc. Most advance users rely on third party extensions to extend the native functionality of the media player. For instance, lyrics plugin for Windows Media Player and Winamp lets users automatically download lyrics of the songs and embed them into tracks' ID3 tags. Similarly, tag organization add-ins are programmed to download the album art and other missing tag information, like year of release, artist name, original track number, album name etc. A few months ago, we covered Flutter for Mac, an application that allows users to control iTunes and Spotify using hand gestures. It has recently been ported to Windows, with support for additional media players, including Windows Media Player and Winamp. As of now, it can only play and pause the media file, but the developer will add more gestures for track navigation and changing playlist shuffle mode in the next iterations. Flutter requires nothing except a webcam to detect and read the hand gestures. When it reads the pre-defined (play/pause) hand gesture, it immediately plays/pauses the current track and displays an on-screen indicator. Read More

NPointer: Use Hand Or Head Gestures To Control Mouse Pointer

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Computer mouse is arguably the most fundamental element that let us interact with our PCs. It’s been with us  for several years now, and we heavily rely on it to perform everyday computer tasks. Similar to the fact how tech led us to use computer mice or touchpads to control curser movement, it has also introduced a handful of other techniques to perform the said operation. For instance, some computer applications can use your webcam to recognize hand movements to move the curser across the display. One such application that crossed my way is NPointer. It’s a gestural computer control software that records hand or head movements through a webcam, and translate them into mouse pointer movement. It’s an extremely handy tool for disabled folks who are unable to use a mouse. I have stumbled upon a few similar tools in the past, and to my astonishment, this one worked really well, in contrast to almost all those that we'd previously seen. It also provides an on-screen menu to perform key actions, such as mouse clicks, double-click, scroll wheel or drag. Keep reading for more details about NPointer. Read More

WebCamEffects: Spice Up Your Video Chats For Good

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Ever wanted to hide the background while video-chatting? You may want a suitable disguise just for fun to let the other know that you are different in a surprising way. Well, WebCamEffects is a fun application equipped with a wide range of filters, backgrounds, face masks, frames, text, time & date, static and dynamic objects to mention a few. Moreover, you can record your video conversation for the record. Organized into useful tabs like Effects, Sources, Snapshot, Options and YouTube Upload, using your webcam to customize yourself in popular IMs like Skype, Windows Live Messenger, ICQ, AOL IM, etc., would never have been this easy. Read More

Worldscope Webcams 4.0 For Android Brings Holo UI, Tablet Support & Time-Lapse Recording

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Worldscope Webcams is popular multilingual Android app that lets you view virtually any part of the world in real-time with the help of thousands of live webcams that are installed at various locations in some of the most scenic regions around us. Be it streaming High Quality views of Niagara Falls in Canada, Eiffel Tower in Paris or live traffic camera view of the roads of Melbourne, Worldscope Webcams has you covered. Not just that; the app also lets you keep an eye on the weekly weather forecasts of selected locations, discover new webcams from all across the globe, set a favorite webcam view as your live wallpaper, bookmark favorite locations under various groups, enjoy breathtaking time-lapse videos of some of the most revered locations on Earth (from various perspectives), explore amenities near the selected locations, and search for, as well as share, your favorite locations with your mates, all from your Android. If you’re already impressed by the app’s set of features, let us inform you that a totally revamped beta version (4.0) of Worldscope Webcams has just hit the Play Store, which is designed in accordance with the latest Android (ICS) standards. Apart from the much-needed facelift, the latest update also brings several handy features, including customized time-lapse recording of your favorite live webcam views, optimized layout for Android tablets and Google TV, and plenty of bug fixes. Read More

Sentry Vision Security: Remote Webcam Surveillance & SMS/Email Security Alerts

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Security and surveillance are usually ensured at home by setting up expensive technology in the form of cameras or processing and alarming systems. Addressing these concerns, Sentry Vision Security achieves the very same results with your webcam attached to your system. With advanced features organized in a simple interface, it enables you to set alerts and responses in case of any unwanted activity. So, when you leave your room, just activate your webcam with this software running in the background. It will automatically detect any movement in your room and send you a time-stamped SMS, e-mail or sets off an alarm in order to ensure security. The activity video and audio can then be reviewed whenever needed, from the recordings folder. Moreover, remote access and broadcasting features enable you to control the actions and observations from virtually anywhere. Read More

Create And Automate Timelapse Videos Using Webcam Timelapse

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Many of us have been left awestruck after watching time-lapse videos where the flow of time can be accelerated in order to give us a better view of changes in areas of interest over time. Now, creating, modifying and processing time-lapse videos through your webcam has been simplified and made accessible through the Webcam Timelapse tool. Although this utility appears simple, it equips you with advanced functionality through features including Daily SelfPic, Adjustable delay, Avi video creator, reverse video mode, manual capture mode and the like, making it relevant for time-lapse and stop motion applications. If you want to see yourself grow in age over the years, you don’t need to consistently record all your activities anymore, just use the Daily SelfPic feature, which takes your picture at a specified time every day, so that it can be compiled for a final video time-lapse all through your webcam. Read More

faceMe Opens Files & Apps Using Your Webcam & Face Detection [Mac]

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Controlling your devices via simple gestures that are read through your webcam might seem a futuristic idea, but as recently covered app Flutter showed (read full review here), it isn’t that far away any more. If you think waving your hand infront of your webcam to trigger iTunes was cool, you’re going to love faceMe. It’s a Mac app worth $1.99, and is, literally, worth every penny you pay. Like Flutter, it too is triggered by what the webcam sees; only, instead of being limited to a single app, faceMe lets you launch an audio file, a video or an app, quit an open app, open a file or speak predefined text when it detects a face. More on this marvellous app after the break. Read More

SplitCam: Split Video Source Between Multiple Apps & Apply 3D Effects

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Back in 2009, we reviewed SplitCam, an application that let you connect multiple IM applications such as ICQ, Yahoo Messenger, MSN Messenger, Skype, Camfrog, AOL, AIM, Pal Talk etc., to a single video capture source. Now, in about three or so years, it has been improved and updated in a lot of ways. It offers a number of new options and features, which were not available in the original version. Various filters and background effects have been added to it that can be applied in video chats with your friends, family and coworkers. You can use a variety of 3D funny objects, such Spiderman, monkey or pumpkin to replace your head or face, although it may sound rather towards the silly side. The webcam software allows you to do live streaming to popular streaming websites like Livestream, Ustream, Justin.tv etc. Other key features include support for HD 1080p and upwards resolutions, streaming from sources other than webcam, for example, video file, slide shows and even desktop to get help from your friends in case you’re confused about something and much much more. Read More

Flutter: Play/Pause iTunes Or Spotify With Hand Gestures & Webcam [Mac]

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Whether you’re crazy about technology or not, you may probably know that sending commands to your computer via brain signals is quite possibly the coolest thing to do (in addition to owning a flying car). While that isn’t possible just yet, what you can do is send signals to your Mac by simple hand gestures that are read through your webcam. Flutter is a free Mac app that lets you just that. Don’t confuse these hand gestures with the same ones you use to swipe through desktop spaces or access mission control. Flutter reads your actions via your webcam. For now, it only lets you pause and play iTunes or Spotify by simply holding up your hand to the camera. Read More

iSentry: Motion Detection App Uses Webcam & Saves To Local Drive [Mac]

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We’ve covered several apps that allow you to use your webcam as a small scale security camera. iSentry is a Mac app that is similar in functionality, but diverse; in addition to detecting motion in the camera’s view, it lets you capture it as either a video or as a series photos. The videos and photos can be saved to your local drive, or uploaded to iSentry’s web service. You can select a sensitivity level for the app, and if any movement in the camera’s view exceeds that sensitivity limit, it will sound an alarm, take photos and/or record a video of the activity. The app can also send you email alerts whenever it detects too much movement. Read More

Motion FX Augments Your Movies & Pictures With 5 Effects [Mac]

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Webcams have become pretty much of an everyday accessory/feature in computers, whether you buy them separately or they come built in to your systems, they are as common now as speakers. Under the premise that most people have a webcam and have Skyped with friends and family and even trolled a few people on ChatRoulette, there is always the desire to do more with a webcam. Motion FX is a Mac app that allows you to add effects when recording or snapping pictures via webcam. As opposed to substituting your head with that of an alien, it detects movements and adds color effects, warps images and more. Read More

QR Journal: Scan QR Codes Using Your Webcam [Mac]

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QR code readers are more of an Android thing. Sure, you can scan them on an iPhone, but they made their mark on Android long before debuting on anything from Apple. Regardless of the ‘whose idea was it first’ debate, QR codes are now widely used. QR Journal is an app for Mac, allowing you to scan QR codes directly from a web page via your webcam, and store them. The app lets you export your library of codes and scan them by simply dragging & dropping them from a webpage or file onto the app’s interface. Read More

My Webcam Broadcaster Snaps Periodic Pictures & Archives Them [Mac]

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Security is nothing anyone takes lightly; whether you think an alien attack is imminent or you’ve had just one too many domestic disturbances in your neighborhood, caution is always a safe course of action. For those of you who aren’t about to go out and install a military level surveillance system in your home, but would like to go to work or spend a night out without worrying, My Webcam Broadcaster is a Mac app that uses your webcam to capture images periodically. The  screenshots are archived at the EyeSpyFX website (service provider), and can be accessed on the web only from the app. Depending on the frequency of images taken, you can save images for 24 hours up to one week. Read More

SimpleRetro: Add Retro Filters To Facebook, Twitter & Webcam Photos [Web]

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Want to give your Facebook, Twitter or webcam photos some unique retro effects? SimpleRetro is a nifty web app that adds some amazing effects to your photos, and lets you quickly share with your friends on Facebook or Twitter. There are many photo editing web apps out there, but SimpleRetro brings to the table an additional feature called 'snap' that lets you instantly take pictures with your webcam, and add effects to them. You may sign up in a few easy steps, or you can utilize your Facebook or Twitter accounts. More after the break. Read More

Capture And Share Elements Of App Windows & Webcam Images With JShot

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We have previously covered a number of screenshot taking tools, GreenShot, Shotty, WebKut, just to name a few. Recently, we came across another feature-rich screenshot taking application, called JShot. It is a cross-platform application that provides many robust screenshot taking options. It enables grabbing screenshots of the whole desktop, current window and widgets (specific area of a window), as well as from the webcam (Windows only). You can also edit screenshots, assign custom hotkeys (in Windows and Linux) and upload screenshots to FTP Server and configured Dropbox, Twitter, Picasa, ImageShack, Skype and Minus accounts. Read More

WebCamImageSave: Capture Still Images Periodically From Webcam

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Ever wanted to keep an eye on valuables in your room via Webcam? WebCamImageSave is a portable application from Nirsoft, that lets you capture still images from Webcam after defined number of seconds and save them at any local or network location. The utility supports JPG, BMP and PNG image format and overlays current date and time stamp on captured images. You can choose to add custom label text to images, define label font family, and font size and style. WebCamImageSave is, by default, set to capture Webcam images after every 60 seconds in JPEG format. However, you can change the time duration or manually capture an image from within the application. Read More

Simpper Video Mail: Easily Record And Send Video Messages With A Click

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Just as a picture is worth a thousand words, a video is worth a thousand pictures. Akin to the fact that a picture provides a static idea of the situation, video makes the experience more flourished, proving everything in motion. Wouldn't it be quite awesome if you could send video messages to your friends and family, in case you both have different schedules. Consider your wish granted, as now you can easily send video messages and pictures to your friends and family with Simpper Video Mail. It has quite an intuitive interface, with an ability to begin recording with a single click, and allowing you to directly share it with your Gmail and Facebook friends. If you don't want to send the email to anyone, the application allows saving it to your PC only, as well. There is also an option for video chat through a Facebook web app for video chat with your Facebook friends. More details after the jump. Read More

Rotate Wallpaper, Take Screenshots And Capture Webcam With Wallch

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We have previously covered a few Windows 7 style wallpaper changers for Ubuntu, which are, DesktopNova and Desktop Drapes. Just recently, I came across another wallpaper rotator for Ubuntu which has even better options. Wallch is a Wallpaper Changer for Linux based operating system of the Gnome desktop, which provides the additional option to take screenshots and to quickly grab a webcam image for keeping it as a desktop wallpaper. Read More