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Dream Capture 2.2 released
Those of you who like to use your iSight cameras to record and upload video to YouTube or other video sharing Web sites will be happy to know that Dream Apps has released version 2.2 of Dream Capture.Dream Capture is designed especially for both internal and external iSight cameras, although it works with other cameras as well. The 2.2 release now features auto-focusing technology derived from Apple's Shake software, metadata support for iTunes 8 imports, and H.264 video encoding. Dream Apps also added their audio compression technology, DreamSync, to Dream Capture 2.2. A new audio-only recording mode is available for those who wish to use Dream Capture to record audio podcasts or lectures.This is a free update for existing Dream Capture owners. Interested readers can download a trial version of Dream Capture (click begins download), and then purchase the application for US$9.95 if it fits your needs. A Mac running OS X 10.4 or later is required.
Rumor: New Cinema displays at Macworld '09?
MacRumors speculates on the possibility of Apple releasing updated Cinema displays at next year's Macworld Expo. According to the post, the new displays could incorporate the LED backlight technology that Apple has started building into their 15" MacBook Pros. MacRumors notes that LED backlit displays going into the 30" range tend to be more expensive than Apple's current 30" Cinema display. However, if this is true, it would be a nice change from Apple's 2004 design of the current Cinema displays. There is no word yet on if the new displays would include the iSight camera.
Logitech releases Mac-only webcam; cats, dogs reported living together
Apologies to Dr. Peter Venkman, but it's hard to believe that it's taken this long for a webcam vendor to encroach on the vacuum left by the discontinued iSight, even though we have hints that a new model of the Apple camera might be on the HD horizon. Logitech has now announced the QuickCam Vision Pro for Mac, featuring "premium autofocus technology and Carl Zeiss® optics." No word on whether the camera will feature fine Corinthian leather or Posi-traction, but there's hope.Seriously, though, the camera does offer a voice coil motor for autofocus, RightLight exposure technology and a 2 megapixel sensor; this should allow for VGA-quality (640x480) videoconferencing and 720p HD (960x720) local video recording. Snazzy! Logitech expects to ship the unit in July for an SRP of $130.Update: Commenters point out that the product is quite similar to the QuickCam Pro 9000, which isn't billed as Mac-compatible but actually works just fine with Mac OS X 10.4 and 10.5; it's also list-priced $30 cheaper. Hrm.[via Engadget]
Mac Automation: take and sync pictures to Apple TV
Parties can sometimes be boring, but with a Mac with an iSight and an Apple TV, you can liven up any party! In this how-to, I am going to show you how to create an Automator workflow that will take pictures at specified times and sync them over to your Apple TV, all without you ever lifting a finger. This Automator workflow is fantastic when you have people over for a party they can head over to your Mac, take a crazy picture of themselves and have it synced over to the Apple TV in the living room. Continue reading to learn how to make this Automator workflow.
Back to My Mac saves a stolen laptop
A clever Mac user helped police recover a stolen laptop using Back to My Mac's screen-sharing feature. After her apartment was burglarized, the victim received a call from a friend while she was at work (conveniently enough, at the Apple Store in Westchester, NY). The friend noticed her stolen computer was online. The victim then quickly used another Mac to connect to the stolen laptop. The article doesn't mention the technical details, but I reckon she activated screen sharing, and started Photo Booth (or another app that activates the laptop's built-in iSight camera). After a while, the perps showed up, and the victim's roommate recognized one of them as an acquaintance who had attended a party at their apartment some weeks before. Armed with names and photos of the alleged thieves, police quickly arrested two men, who were in possession of most of the property stolen in the burglary. If that isn't worth her year's subscription to .Mac, I don't know what is. (Update: The New York Times has a story with some more details. She used Photo Booth, too. Who called it, baby?) Thanks to everyone who sent this in!
Mac Automation: create a Mail-triggered "spy cam"
Have you ever been away from your Mac, then come back only to find that your co-worker has stolen your favorite Apple pen? Well, I am going to show you how to catch them in the act by creating a Mac "spy cam." For this how-to, you will need to create an Automator workflow, AppleScript, and some Mail rules. So, cue the James Bond music, and let's begin. You do need an iSight or a newer Mac with a built-in camera. (Yes, I know there are some tools prebuilt to do this -- but what's the fun in that?)Continue reading to learn how to create the Mac spy cam.
iGlasses 2.1: improved stability and more application compatibility
It's always seemed to me that the image that comes from the built-in camera on my MacBook Pro should be more adjustable. We've previously mentioned iGlasses, a webcam utility (from the makers of the handy Call Recorder for Skype) which provides all of those missing controls. The utility recently updated to version 2.1, and adds a zoom button, stability improvements and compatibility with more applications. iGlasses 2.1 lets you control color, exposure, zooming and cropping of your iSight (or one of several other webcams). It also provides several color adjustment "effects", if you're into that, and it's AppleScript-able so you can automate settings. Personally, I'm mostly interested in zooming and controlling lighting/color settings, which it handles quite well. Once the free, 7-day demo is installed, the adjustment palette shows up in most applications that use the iSight: iChat, Skype, Skitch, Pixelmator, Photo Booth and about 60 others. iGlasses will set you back $9.95 and a free demo is available. The demo can be easily uninstalled by running the installer and clicking the "Uninstall" button.
Mocked-up Cinema display taunts us with an update
Are we going to see new Cinema displays by the end of the month? If so, they might look like this-- it's a nice-looking mockup posted by Ben over on the redrant forums. It is interesting that Cinema displays are almost starting to match up to the Beatles as the one thing we hope to get from Apple but never do. For years now, people have been hoping for an update to these things-- an installed iSight (that one's actually been "a lock" for years) and even a touchscreen display. But Apple hasn't budged-- the last time they updated the Cinemas, it was to drop the prices two years ago.Yup, it's been since then that a Cinema update has seemed to be just around the corner. You can only think of so many ways to update monitors, but it seems that Apple hasn't, so far, liked any of the ideas enough to put them on sale.Thanks, Jacob!
Timelapse of iSight wakeup captures
A few months back, we wrote about reader Dylan's iSight autocapture project-- he rigged up the code to have his iSight on his MacBook Pro snap a photo every time the lid was opened (and even released all of his work as open source). At the time, he mentioned eventually combining all of the photos together into a timelapse video, and seven months later, here it is.Unfortunately, he says the Sleepwatcher daemon he was using doesn't work as of 10.4.10, so the project is over until it gets updated, if ever. But he did share with us how he compiled the images together into a timelapse-- he punched out a Perl script (which is reprinted after the jump) to rename all of the pictures into sequenced filenames, and then squished them together with Quicktime's "image sequence" feature. Very nice.
Found Footage: $2 multitouch screen, made with iSight
Multitouch is all the rage lately, but one of the drawbacks is that it's still pretty expensive. Enter this ingenious device-- it's a bag with dye colored water in it. That bag is then laid flat on a glass table, an iSight camera is placed underneath, the computer is coded (it appears, anyway) to look for fingertips pressing through the dye, and just like that, you've got a multitouch interface.Really incredible. Of course, it's hard to figure out how this could be used for something like the iPhone-- instead of a camera, you'd have to have some kind of light sensors behind the dye, and you'd have to figure out a way to have the dye-colored water stay spread even throughout the bag. In fact, come to think of it, I'm not really sure how most multitouch interfaces work-- maybe this is closer to the real thing than I imagine. Even if not, very cool idea, and I'm almost surprised to see it really works so well.[via Waxy]Update: Looks like the video is a little old-- this was posted back in early June, even before the iPhone was released. But it is still really cool, and it's the first I've seen it.
iGlasses goes 2.0
If you want to customize your iSight output for chatting or video recording, there's a quick and cheap way to do it: iGlasses from ecamm network, only $9.95 for a whole kit bag of adjustments, colorizations, exposure controls and pan/zoom options. The 2.0 version was released earlier today (a free upgrade for previous licensees) and adds exposure lock for the built-in iSight camera among other new features.I find myself using the exposure control a lot to manage iChat video in poor lighting conditions; you can check it out for yourself by downloading the demo here.Thanks Glen & Ken
Rumor mill: August 7 iMac announcements... likely NOT true
[Update 1:15 pm -- And this is why we don't often post product rumors... indications are that this is coming from someone posing as our "reputable source," and other sites have received and debunked the rumor. We tried to reach the source for verification but were not able to do so. Our apologies if this turns out to be complete bunk. -Ed.]We don't often post product rumors hereabouts, although we're certainly not above reporting on them and linking to them; it's just not the regular beat. That said, when an email comes in from a reputable source (thanks, Mr. X) with supposed details on Tuesday's product announcement... well, we gotta let you all know. Pile on the disclaimers (this is a rumor!) and here we go. Our source says that there are plenty of new products coming on Tuesday:Two new iMacs, with 20 and 24 inch screens, and entirely covered in brushed metal (!) plus the previously hinted new keyboard design and a slightly slimmer enclosure. Even more surprising, our source says the iMacs are shipping with a 2.4GHz Intel Penryn chip. Intel's first 45-nm CPU was originally slated to ship at the end of the year, and it's not clear that Apple could get enough parts to actually build these puppies before October, so take this with a grain of salt. The machines might ship with the dual-core Conroe part instead.Three new Apple Displays at 20, 24, and 32 inches. These are supposed to have an iSight camera built in.The Mac Pro will get a speed bump as the Xeon/Woodcrest chips are swapped out for Penryn chips, running at a brisk 2.4, 3.0, and 3.33GHZ.Lastly, the long-expected end of life for the Mac Mini may finally come around as the machine is expected to be dropped from the product matrix. *sniffle*Again, this is all unconfirmed. We'll know for sure on Tuesday!
Apple slides 1.3-megapixel iSight into new MacBook Pro
We'll admit, Apple's tightly integrated webcam sure gets more attention than most, but the latest blurb about the iSight has less to do with movie stars or underground storage facilities and more with sheer utility. Apparently, the latest round of MacBook Pros have been equipped with an entirely new camera, and after seeing an all new USB Product ID code, a couple of curious onlookers had to find out more. By testing an older unit and then flocking to a retail Apple store to try out a shiny new machine, it was realized that the sensor in the iSight had indeed been upgraded to 1.3-megapixels; 'course, it certainly won't revolutionize subway snapping, but hey, if you needed one more reason to pull the trigger on a new MacBook Pro, you're welcome.[Via TUAW]
MacBook Pros feature a 1.3MP camera sensor
Ken at Mac Daddy World confirmed an interesting discovery with a friend recently. Namely, the Santa Rosa MacBook Pros don't feature the same iSight as the previous MBP modelPictured at right is a snapshot from System Profiler on my own MBP (a 2.0 GHz Core Duo), above, and Ken's (a Santa Rosa model), below. As you can see, the manufacturer has been changed from "Micron" to "Apple, Inc." Plus, the product ID has changed from "0x8501" to "0x8502."But wait, there's more. While Ken was able to produce a VGA (640×480) image with an "older" MacBook Pro featuring the original iSight, the Santa Rosa model produced a much larger 1.3 MP (1280×1024) image (you can see both images at Mac Daddy World). Pretty cool.Thanks, Ken!
Bruce Willis: iChat user, forum troll
What do you when you've got millions of dollars, no steady day job, and plenty of vocal critics that do their best to berate you knowing full well that they could never do your job if given the chance? We might just ask Bruce Willis that very question, but thankfully for all us, he's already responded. Apparently, Mr. Willis not only finds his way around internet message boards that focus on his films, but he doesn't hesitate to join in on the oftentimes testy conversations and give users his platinum-laced two cents. In a recent go 'round in regard to Die Hard 4, Bruce was caught mouthing off to disbelievers and carpers alike, and while a select few were adamant that this so-called Walter B. was little more than an overzealous fanboy, Bruce did the honorary thing and offered to prove it. The actor actually requested that a fellow iChat / Mac user hit him up for a momentary video chat in order to show his face, and sure enough, the most vocal doubter was indeed put in place rather quickly. Big fan of the ego, Bruce.[Via Switched]
10.4.9 Adds USB Camera Support for iChat; Xbox Camera Works
Here's a nice, easily overlooked tidbit from the release notes to the 10.4.9 update that we mentioned before: Apple has added support for USB Video Class cameras in iChat without the need of a third party driver a la iChatUSBCam from ecamm. A user in the MacRumors forums reports that the the Xbox Live Vision Camera (~$40) now works natively with the Mac. This should presumably be the case with other USB Video Class cameras as well, and while I would probably prefer a model from Logitech, the Xbox camera is widely available and relatively inexpensive. With iSights now unavailable this lends credence to the rumor of some sort of USB iSight replacements (or maybe Apple is just going to stay out of the webcam business altogether, given that iSights are built-into so many models now).[Via Digg]Thanks to those who sent this in!Update: Be sure to note that iChat in 10.4.9 only works natively with USB Video Class, not every USB webcam is Video Class.
Substitute for pricey iSight: the StealthFire
As David just posted, the iSight is enjoying a dramatic aftermarket boost, with specimens going for 2x original retail (or more) on eBay. Despite the obvious profit potential -- I have mine sitting in a drawer at home somewhere -- this strikes me as a bit weird, since there are plenty of affordable FireWire cameras to be had for quite a bit less. You may not get the slick mounting hardware, but you'll get a serviceable, iChat/Skype compatible device.While the Unibrain Fire-i appears to be out of stock (they indicate a pending refresh of the product and a late-February ship date), the GlobalMedia iRez is shipping for $130 and comes with a snazzy tripod. The true budget choice, however, is the GlobalMedia 1394 StealthFire camera; it's on closeout pricing at $50, a deal and a half. Granted, it's got the 'basic black' aesthetic flavor of an early-2000 IBM laptop (or an early 20th century Ford Model-T), but it should get the job done. Update: As noted by readers, the StealthFire does not have an onboard microphone, so you'd have to go with your built-in or add a USB mic to complete the suite (Logitech sells one for $30 but if you hunt around you can do better).Meanwhile, for a true FireHose of data on all kinds of FireWire cams, including obscure and expensive industrial units, check out Damien Douxchamps's dauntingly extensive list of 800 models. C'est bon!
iSight prices on eBay skyrocket - will there be an encore?
Apple's stand-alone FireWire iSight may have recently gone end-of-life, but people's interest in the devices is still going strong, so sayeth eBay. While the iSight's retail price was $129, I'm seeing actual bids ranging from $152 all the way up to $280 as of this writing, with Buy It Now sellers bringing on the greed with prices in the range of $289 up through $500+. Even more astonishing are the completed listings - items that have actually sold (barring any fraudulent activity, of course) - which top out at $610 for a new, in-box iSight. As before, we're still just as curious as you are as to whether there will be a stand-alone iSight 2.0. With most of Apple's lineup now sporting built-in iSights, and rumors of the Cinema Display line not being far behind, it's questionable as to whether we should hold our breath. Thanks Austin!
Smile. You're on "candid laptop"
TUAW reader Dylan O'Donnell has set up his Macbook Pro to snap a picture using the built-in iSight whenever its lid opens. He put together a simple command line capture utility and triggered it with Bernard Bahr's SleepWatcher. Then he added automatic uploads via FTP and displayed the results with the open source BolGallery. "I initially did this as an anti-theft measure as the script will upload the photos to any FTP site for you, and the PHP gallery will autothumb and display the photos. Apart from the nauseating effect of seeing my ugly mug repeating, the result is good and I hope to maybe do a time lapse in quicktime sometime down the track!" It's a cute idea, completely open source, and an excellent example of ingenuity in action. It's also a good example of the completely self-conscious reasons that I do not personally own a webcam. Me, in the morning, before I've woken up and had my caffeine? Not a pretty picture.
New Get A Mac Ad surfaces online
Apple has released a new, online only (at this moment), Get A Mac ad. This time PC is being upgraded with a webcam and assures the Mac that one day he'll be as high tech as the PC. The tech installing the web cam points out that iMac and MacBooks come with a built in iSight much to the PC's consternation.Thanks to everyone who sent this in.
