You don’t need expensive software or a new camera to keep an eye on things at home. Whether you’re looking after your dog or trying to catch burglars in the act, you can put together a home security system with a regular webcam and your PC. More »
Dear Lifehacker, I’ve set up a security camera that peers over the fence into the carport, taking & storing a picture every minute, as well as snapping a picture every time movement is detected in the area. During the day, it records us coming & going, as well as the occasional appearance by a postman or delivery person. A couple of days ago, one of our cars was opened and things were stolen, of no commercial value, but highly frustrating to have to replace. More »
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We’ve featured numerous home surveillance apps, as well as some details on how to make a pretty hardcore surveillance system. If you’re looking for something simpler, though, how-to weblog Tinkernut shows us how to do it in just a few steps. More »
Windows only: Face recognition software Blink lets you log in to Windows through your webcam-enabled computer. It also grabs a shot of everyone who successfully logs in, by face or by keyboard, so you know who’s been up to what. More »
Webcams are optimised for things like video conferencing, not close focus. If you’re trying to use your webcam to record things close up — awesome stop-motion Lego combat, electronics tutorials, etc — you can hack the focus with cheap reading glasses. More »
Windows: Desktop Eye is a small sidebar gadget that puts security camera monitoring in an unobstrusive widget and saves you from running a bulky separate application that may not always be in focus where you can see it. More »
Vitamin D, the Windows/Mac remote webcam monitoring software that we liked for customisable accuracy, and which one reader used to nab proof of a derelict dog walker, has hit a 1.0 release and announced its pricing. More »
Ed. note: We publish tips every day with hopes at least a few will find a useful place in our readers’ lives, and occasionally we hear back about how things turned out. Here’s how today’s tip tester used previously mentioned Vitamin D. More »
