Popular iCam app gets a big brother with a lot more features
I've really enjoyed using the iCam app (US$4.99) over the years. It lets me remotely view the webcams in my house, helping me keep track of my parrot and make sure no one is breaking in.
The old iCam is still for sale, but it now has a sibling in the form of iCam Pro (free, but a subscription will most likely be needed). It adds a lot of features, like support for wide aspect ratio cameras, improved quality and frame rate, and sound detection and recording, as well as auto network detection for setting it up.
You can automatically start a recording on the detection of motion or sound, or start recording manually. The iOS iCam Pro app is universal.
The downside is that you need to have a monthly or lifetime subscription if you want to access the cameras away from your own network. The prices aren't that steep; $0.99 a month or $9.99 for a lifetime subscription, which seems the better deal.
As with the original iCam, you need to have server software running on your Mac or Windows home computer. That software, called iCamSourcePro, is free. The developers have a handy chart that compares iCam to iCam Pro.
In my experience, the iCam and iCamPro software can connect to almost any webcam. I can easily see my D-Link and Linksys wireless webcams, and also get a connection to the Logitech webcam attached to my desktop Mac. It's also possible to connect to built-in webcams on Windows and Mac computers.
Support from the iCam people has always been quick and helpful for those needing it. I'm happy to report that the non-subscription iCam app will not be killed off for those wanting to keep using what they have.
This new iCam Pro app is very full-featured and works as advertised. It requires iOS 7 or later, and the iCamSource Pro software needs to run on Windows 7 or later or Mac OS X 10.7 or later.
