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by Kathy Ceceri
Webcam sites are so addictive they should come with a warning label. When used properly, they’ll suck up hours of your valuable time. Don’t believe me? Right now it’s six in the morning, and I’ve already checked on the bunnies in England (none out, though it is nice and sunny); looked to see if anyone is visiting the Sterlet family in the Netherlands (just their car parked by the front door); and glimpsed the panda still snoozing at the National Zoo in Washington. The teenage ospreys nesting in Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge in Western New York are up and at ‘em (thank goodness they reattached the video cable after the muskrats chewed through it); and the baby in the squirrel box is fidgeting around its mom, making weird little squeaking noises. A little later, I’ll be able to try chasing Paul Mathis’ cat in Texas with a camera-equipped remote control car, and I’ll scope out the jellyfish at the Oregon Coast Aquarium. Hey, they put out the carrots on the bunnycam! Where are the rabbits? NO! Must finish column! Minimize web browser! There. See what I mean? Webcams are video cameras hooked up to computers that can stream live images you can view on websites. Some belong to tech-savvy people with too much time on their hands. Others are set up by companies or by government agencies — for education, to drum up business, or just to have fun. With webcams, you can scan the boardwalk at the Jersey Shore or the beach in Hawai’i, zoom in on Harvard Square or pan the Manhattan skyline, see the world from an ant colony or from outer space. You can even keep an eye out for the Loch Ness Monster or a spooky “lady in grey” at the Willard Library in Indiana. That said, of all the amazing things you can do online, surfing for webcams may be one of the most treacherous. There are a lot of pictures posted on the Internet you wouldn’t want your children exposed to. And many links turn out to be duds. But if you accept that webcam hunting is a sport still in its infancy and do a little prescreening before you call the kids over to the monitor, your family can have a blast. Here are a few hazards to avoid: • Portals aren’t perfect. Even the best collections of webcam sites that claim to be family-friendly, like Webcam Central. (www.camcentral.com) and www.earthcamforkids.com, may lead you to some unexpected images or ads. Proceed with caution, or start with reputable sites belonging to news outlets (newspapers, television stations) or tourism groups, and go from there. • The “wow” factor varies. Some webcams send new images every second or two and are almost like watching TV. The squirrel box and a scene of tourist boats punting on the Thames are particularly smooth. Others update only every few minutes, although you can sometimes speed that along by hitting the site’s “Refresh” button (or “Reload” on your browser toolbar). • Where’d they go? Webcams seem to go down a lot, either because their owners run out of funds or because of technical difficulties. Then they may show only old “archived” stills. Also, don’t forget the time difference — it’s nighttime in Europe when it’s suppertime here, and dark at the South Pole in July. Cams focused on seasonal activities like ski slopes or animal nests may not operate all year. • One last tip: If your Internet connection is too slow, try taking your (pre-screened) webcam addresses to the library’s high-speed computer. Now, where’s that bunny? Check these out: —The Bunnycam: www.bbc.co.uk/cambridgeshire/webcams/bunnycam.html —Punting on the Thames: www.joh.cam.ac.uk/webcam/Cam320x240MJPG.html —Ghost hunting: www.libraryghost.com —Drive the RC car: www.drivemeinsane.com —Squirrels, ospreys and more: newyorkwildlife.org —Times Square: www.earthcam.com/usa/newyork/timessquare/index.html All sites were reviewed as of this writing, but play it safe and check them again before sharing with your family
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