Terrapin Gardens Farm » isight http://www.terrapin-gardens.net Navajo-Churro Sheep & Fiber Sat, 24 Dec 2011 20:24:38 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 iSpy with my little “i”… http://www.terrapin-gardens.net/ispy-with-my-little-i/ http://www.terrapin-gardens.net/ispy-with-my-little-i/#comments Sat, 15 Nov 2003 18:46:38 +0000 Sarah http://www.terrapin-gardens.net/blog/?p=54 I’ve never been a fan of webcams or video conferencing. It’s not that I’m against the idea of video cameras, I’ve just never quite understood the appeal. What’s so great about seeing a friend just after they’ve woken up in the morning? I’d rather wait until the person’s had a chance to comb their hair and wipe the crud out of their eyes. And I’ve always been frustrated by the refresh rates for webcams. It seems that more often than not, you end up looking at the side of someone’s head, or up their nose, or at their backside as they get up to walk away. What’s so interesting? And why would I want to share my most unattractive/stupidest candid faces with the world? Up until now, I’ve been stumped.

But yesterday, I changed my mind. Yesterday, we got an iSight.

If you’re not familiar with this cute gizmo from Apple, it may surprise you. It has many features that most other video conferencing and web cameras don’t, including: a camera that automatically changes it’s focus and light meter settings to get the best picture; a built-in microphone system that really cuts down on background noise; and a built-in lens cap that allows you to turn the camera on and off with a twist. Most importantly, the iSight integrates seamlessly with Apple’s iChat software, and in that environment the video refresh rate is spectacular. Instead of a jerky, choppy picture, you feel like you’re watching a regular videotape of the person you are chatting with.

Granted, the iSight really requires one to have a Mac and a broadband internet connection to get the kind of results I’m talking about. But if you already have this setup, I highly recommend adding an iSight to your workstation. Heck, even if you can’t play with all the cool chat features with your PC-using friends, you can still use the iSight as a video camera that will record Quicktime movies live to your hard drive.

Plus, you could video chat with us.

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