Webcams and iPhones: A Rundown

I previously complained about how UStream won't work on iPhones.  (Well, it will, but only "featured" or "popular" webcams, so my babycam is out of luck.)  Thus I have embarked on a quest for free webcam software that will allow me to stream to the web and also to Yelena's iPod touch.  Curious?  Read on.

Yawcam

Beautiful little piece of software.  Simple, feature-rich, VERY easy to use . . . and free.  It runs as a server on my laptop, which requires me to open port forwarding in my router and maybe even get a dynamic DNS service.  Not a problem; to me that's just a little extra fiddling.  But iPhone app.  Next!

UStream

Very easy to set up and use.  All web-based; don't need to install anything on your computer, which is really nice.  Lots of cool features, like connection with Facebook.  They even have an iPhone app . . . but it won't display my babycam, which is why we're here.  Boo!  Next!

WebcamXP

Very powerful software with a slimmed-down free version for people like me.  Works fine, but the web interface is a little funky and the free version is a little hamstrung.  There's a third-party app for the iPhone but you have to pay for it.  This would work, but I'm looking for something better.

EyeSpyFX

Yet another free webcam app.  The interface is a little funky and the documentation is a little lacking.  Their web interface is also clunky, but it works, and they have an iPhone app.  Unfortunately, they expect $5 for the iPhone app.  Not terribly unreasonable, but more than I'm willing to spend.  (They also have a Blackberry app, which is even cooler, but they expect money for that too.)  Moving along . . .

Yoics

Yoics is more than just a webcam program - it's a full "access your computer and all your files when you're away from your desk" thing.  It's very powerful, and free (although they have a "Pro" version that offers even more).  Very impressive stuff.  And yes, it will share my webcam.  And yes, it works with the iPhone.  The problem: if you want to see the webcam, you have to register with Yoics--unless I pay for a pro account.  Hmm.  If it weren't for that requirement, this might be the perfect software.  They've got a beta version that promises public webcam viewing, but it's still a work in progress (not functional yet).  As it is, this may be the best option anyway.

The Verdict: Yawcam

Remember how I said there's no iPhone app for Yawcam?  That's because you don't need one.  Just point Safari to the Yawcam location and it works.  Cool.

This is more amazing than it seems.  It wasn't too long ago that flash, javascript, or streaming video of any kind was a distant dream on mobile devices.  Then iPhone came along with the biggest screen and the fastest processor anyone had ever seen, and made it happen.  I like to dismiss the iPhone as a toy--and it is--but it's a damn nice toy.  A trailblazing toy.  In the tech world we call such things "disruptive" and the reason is obvious.  Enabling streaming video on a mobile phone is like walking on the moon.  It's been done.  We're there.  We have that now.

One final rant about free software.  I've been using Linux for so long that I expect software to be free.  To be honest I don't care as much whether it's open source; I understand the difference between "free as in freedom" and "free as in free beer," but frankly I use a lot of "free" software on Linux that is called "non-free" because of its restrictive license.  Large corporations like HP and even Microsoft release software that is "free" and that is good enough for me.  However, just like free beer, I do not expect to pay for it.  There is a large, vibrant FOSS community filled with individuals and companies that have worked long and hard to support the concept of "free" software (in whatever form) that it somehow seems disrespectful to pay for essentially the same thing.  Kind of like living on a co-op farm and buying vegetables at Safeway.  It's not like the for-profit people don't deserve the money, but this is a new way of doing things.  Want to support Yawcam?  Go to their website and make a donation--whatever you think their service is worth.

Yes, the babycam is up and running right now.  Just like before, there's a password.  Want the password?  Just ask.

J<