The Little Web Cam Book

by Parker, Elisabeth; Grimes, John

• ISBN13: 9780201354201
• ISBN10: 0201354209
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1999-04-01
• Publisher: Pearson P T R

Summary

With today's low-cost digital video cameras, it's easy, cheap, and fun to record your family's special occasions and everyday antics--and keep in touch with those who can't be there to share them with you in person. It's no wonder these tiny cameras are so popular: They retail in the$50-to-$200 range, connect easily to PCs and Macs, and offer endless possibilities.Whether you're a new or prospective owner, The Little Web Cam Book will help you unlock the potential of these versatile digital tools. Follow the simple instructions in the book, and you'll learn how to choose the best camera, post your footage on the Web, and even create your own personal videoconference with family, friends, and colleagues around the globe. The Little Web Cam Book not only gives you sound technical advice on setting up and getting started, it also offers a wealth of fun project ideas.

Table of Contents

Read Me First	xiii
Part One Getting Acquainted with Your Cam
Before You Begin	3	(22)
What's a Cam?	4	(1)
What You Need to Get Started	5	(2)
Attention iMac Users	7	(1)
Finding Hardware and System Information	8	(2)
What's My CPU?	10	(1)
Shareware and Freeware on the Web	11	(2)
Downloading Files from the Web	13	(1)
Where to Get Shareware and Freeware	14	(1)
Decompression Utilities: Why You Need 'Em	15	(1)
Getting WinZip	16	(1)
Unzipping Files with WinZip	17	(1)
Zipping Files with WinZip	18	(1)
Stufflt Expander	18	(3)
Creating an Alias	21	(1)
Unstuffing Files with Stufflt Expander	22	(1)
Stuffing Files with Stufflt Deluxe	22	(3)
Setting Up Your Cam	25	(24)
What's Available?	26	(1)
Unpacking Your Cam	27	(2)
Cams and USB Ports	29	(1)
Cams and Parallel Ports for Windows	30	(2)
Cams and Modem/Printer Ports on Macs	32	(1)
Got a Video Camera?	33	(1)
Connecting Your Video Camera	33	(3)
When Things Go Wrong	36	(1)
Where to Buy Hardware	37	(1)
Starting Up Your Cam	37	(1)
Image and Video Basics	38	(1)
Picture and Movie Size	39	(1)
Color Depth	40	(1)
Brightness/Contrast	41	(1)
Hue/Saturation	42	(1)
Special Effects	42	(1)
Video Frame Rates	42	(1)
Compression	43	(1)
Zoom	43	(1)
Taking Pictures and Recording Movies	44	(1)
Some Programs to Try	44	(1)
Keeping Track of Your Stuff	45	(4)
Part Two Beautifying Your Desktop
Creating Your Own Screen Savers	49	(22)
Getting the Software	50	(1)
Recipe for a Screen Saver	50	(2)
Got After Dark and QuickCam?	52	(1)
Introducing A+ Screensaver Creator	53	(1)
Downloading and Setting Up	53	(1)
Turning On the A+ Control Panel	54	(1)
Creating a Picture List	55	(1)
Picture Settings and Special Effects	56	(1)
Adding Sound Files	57	(1)
Action! Running Your Screen Saver	58	(1)
Trashing A+ Screensaver Creator	59	(1)
Introducing Photos4us	60	(1)
Downloading and Setting Up	61	(1)
Activating Photos4us	62	(1)
Creating a Picture List	63	(1)
Adding Sound Files	63	(1)
Action! Previewing Your Screen Saver	64	(1)
Settings and Special Effects	65	(2)
Editing Your Screen Saver	67	(1)
Disabling Your Screen Saver	67	(1)
Trashing Photos4us	67	(1)
Grab It! Getting Images from the Web	68	(3)
Designing the Picture-Perfect Desktop	71	(32)
Putting a Photo on Your Desktop	72	(1)
Using Patterned Backgrounds	73	(1)
Making a Desktop in Windows	74	(1)
Making a Desktop on the Macintosh	75	(1)
Creating Your Own Icons	76	(1)
Getting Started with MicroAngelo	77	(1)
MicroAngelo's Components	78	(1)
Changing MicroAngelo Display Settings	79	(2)
Converting Pictures to Icons	81	(2)
Creating Your Icon Library	83	(2)
Installing Your Icons	85	(1)
Changing File Type and Application Icons	86	(1)
Removing MicroAngelo	87	(1)
Using Icon Mania!	87	(1)
Getting Started with Icon Mania!	88	(2)
Working with Icon Libraries	90	(2)
Changing Your Icons	92	(1)
Editing and Drawing Icons	92	(2)
Exiting Icon Mania!	94	(1)
Creating Your Own Startup Screen	94	(3)
Going Whole Hog	97	(6)
Part Three Instant Multimedia
Making GIF Animations	103	(14)
What's a GIF Animation?	104	(1)
Downloading a GIF Animation Program	104	(1)
Starting Your GIF Animation Program	105	(1)
Building the Animation	106	(2)
Mapping Pictures to a Color Palette	108	(1)
Frame Rates and Looping	108	(2)
Special Effects and Transitions	110	(2)
Previewing Your Animation	112	(1)
Saving Your Animation	112	(1)
Animated Greetings!	112	(5)
Roll'em! Creating and Editing Movies	117	(16)
Getting QuickEditor	118	(1)
Starting Up QuickEditor	118	(1)
Getting Acquainted with QuickEditor	119	(1)
Opening a Movie	120	(1)
Opening an Image, Movie, or Audio Clip	121	(1)
Moving Through a Movie or Clip	122	(1)
Creating a New Movie	122	(1)
Editing a Movie	122	(1)
Selecting Frames	123	(2)
Adding a Clip to a Movie	125	(1)
Deleting Frames from a Movie	126	(1)
Transitions	126	(2)
Applying Video Effects	128	(1)
Compressing Your Movie	129	(1)
Saving Your Movie	129	(1)
Showing Off Your Movies	130	(3)
Putting Pictures and Movies on Web Pages	133	(20)
Why Use a Web Page?	134	(1)
Got a Web Site Yet?	134	(1)
HTML and Web Page Editors	135	(1)
Recommended Web Authoring Programs	136	(1)
What's Suitable for the Web?	137	(1)
Pictures on Your Web Page	137	(3)
The HTML Source Code	140	(1)
``Low-Res'' Images	141	(1)
Are My Pages Too Fat?	142	(1)
Making Links to Pictures and Movies	142	(2)
The Importance of Filename Extensions	144	(1)
Embedding a Movie	145	(1)
Movie Properties	145	(1)
Embedding a Movie with HTML	146	(1)
Creating a Web Page Slide Show	147	(1)
Fun with DHTML	148	(1)
Getting Your Stuff onto a Web Server	148	(5)
Part Four Web Cams
Web Cams: Examples, Ideas, and Inspiration	153	(16)
Find Your Inspiration	154	(1)
Look Up Some Cams	154	(2)
Outdoor Scenes	156	(2)
Pets and Animals	158	(3)
Home and Work	161	(3)
Inanimate Objects	164	(1)
Other Web Cam Ideas	165	(4)
Setting Up a Web Cam	169	(30)
Steps to Setting Up a Web Cam	170	(1)
Getting Web Cam Software	170	(2)
Launching ISpy for Windows	172	(1)
Launching SiteCam for Macintosh	173	(2)
Previewing Your Pictures	175	(3)
Picture Size and Color Depth	178	(2)
Contrast, Brightness, and Color	180	(2)
Saving Pictures to Your Computer	182	(2)
Image Quality	184	(1)
Updating Your Pictures	184	(2)
Uploading Pictures to Your Server	186	(5)
Testing Your Web Cam	191	(1)
Activating Your Cam	192	(1)
Timestamping Your Pictures	192	(2)
Creating a Picture History	194	(2)
Creating Your Cam Web Page	196	(1)
Advanced Web Camming	196	(1)
Want To Run Your Own Server?	197	(2)
How Do They Do It? Interviews with Web Cammers	199	(18)
Terry Weissman	200	(4)
Other Netscape Cammers	204	(1)
Brad Lowe and the Bay Bridge Cams	205	(4)
Lisa Violet	209	(8)
Part Five Cams and Videoconferencing
Videoconferencing with White Pine CU-SeeMe	217	(44)
Why White Pine Cu-SeeMe?	218	(1)
Let's Get Started	219	(2)
Purchasing CU-SeeMe	221	(2)
Setting Up CU-SeeMe	223	(4)
Launching CU-SeeMe	227	(1)
Videoconference Types	228	(1)
Making Your First Call	228	(1)
Joining a Group Conference	229	(2)
Reflector Etiquette	231	(1)
What's In a Conference Room?	232	(1)
Text Chat	233	(1)
Using Text Chat	234	(2)
Sending and Receiving Audio	236	(2)
Sending and Receiving Video	238	(1)
Who's There?	238	(1)
The Participant List	239	(2)
Point-to-Point Conferencing	241	(1)
What's My IP Address?	242	(2)
Rendezvous with ICQ	244	(1)
Receiving a Call	245	(1)
Calling Through an ILS	246	(2)
Listing Yourself on an ILS Server	248	(1)
Managing Your Contacts	249	(2)
Organizing Contacts	251	(1)
Customizing Your Settings	252	(2)
Your Own Contact Card	254	(1)
Changing Your Default ILS	255	(1)
More Cool Stuff	256	(5)
Videoconferencing Freebies	261	(28)
Video Chat Basics	262	(1)
Types of Videoconferences	262	(1)
Video Windows	263	(1)
Audio Chat	263	(1)
Text Chat	264	(1)
Participants List	264	(1)
Contacts List	265	(1)
Shared Whiteboard	265	(1)
Application Sharing	266	(1)
Cross-Platform Considerations	266	(1)
Coping with IP Addresses	266	(1)
ILS Servers	267	(1)
Listing Yourself with an ILS	267	(1)
Giving Information to an ILS	268	(2)
Other Videoconferencing Software	270	(1)
Chatting with iVisit	270	(2)
Making a Call with iVisit	272	(1)
Using iVisit Bookmarks	273	(1)
IVisit's Video Windows	274	(1)
Local Video Window	274	(1)
Remote Video Windows	275	(1)
Remote Video Windows	276	(1)
iVisit's Chat Window	277	(1)
Taking NetMeeting for a Spin	277	(1)
Getting NetMeeting	278	(1)
Setting Up NetMeeting	278	(1)
Making a NetMeeting Call	279	(2)
Conferencing with NetMeeting	281	(1)
SpeedDialing with NetMeeting	282	(1)
Freeware CU-SeeMe	283	(3)
Free with Your Cam	286	(3)
Troubleshooting, Online Help, and Fun Stuff	289	(16)
Troubleshooting	290	(1)
Connection Problems	290	(3)
My Video Won't Display	293	(1)
Reflector/Browser Problems	294	(2)
Behind the Firewall	296	(1)
I Don't Have a Cam!	296	(1)
Online Help and Resources	297	(4)
Other Stuff You'll Need	301	(4)
Cams and Audio	305	(16)
Audio 101	306	(1)
Types of Sound Files	306	(1)
What You Need	306	(2)
Audio Codecs	308	(2)
Sound Quality Levels	310	(2)
Adjusting Your Cam's Audio	312	(2)
Exporting Audio from a Movie	314	(1)
Recording Sounds	314	(4)
Free Sounds from the Web	318	(3)
Appendix A: Web Camming Resources	321	(1)
Cam Products	322	(1)
Video Cards, Adapters, Etc	323	(6)
Shareware Web Sites	329	(1)
Cool Web Cams	330	(4)
Videoconferencing Resources	334	(1)
Free Goodies	335	(1)
Miscellaneous Web Sites	336	(1)
Recommended Reading	337	(2)
Glossary	339	(10)
Index	349