Episode #134
I would like to know what would be a good web cam for a apple mini, to do a video chat on yahoo messenger. and if its ok for an apple com to interac with a pc on these types of messengers. Thanks for the wonderful tips and facqs on the show. Please dont ever stop your shows.
William, Edmonton, AB
Any DV camera will work with your Mac over the firewire port. Many, but not all, USB cams will also work with the Mac. You can get an open-source driver called Macam that works with a lot of USB cams. It’s available from Sourcefogre: http://webcam-osx.sourceforge.net/
Sean’s note: One of the best cams you use is one that Apple has discontinued — the original iSight camera. If you can find a functional one for a reasonable price it may be worth picking up used. Unfortunately, it seems to have become a bit of a collector’s item on eBay, with these old cameras fetching upwards of $200. Ow. If you can’t find one cheap and don’t want to spring for one, there are a few options. Logitech has released Mac drivers for some of its USB cameras, so that’s a good place to start if you want to buy a third-party camera. It’s also generally possible to use a MiniDV video camera as your web cam too, though there are a few instances where this doesn’t work.
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Air Date: January 16, 2008
TranscriptCaller Questions
- William, Edmonton, AB
- John, Whitby, ON
- Jan, Valencia, CA
Sean's Shinies
- Shure Music Phone Adapter + SE210 headphones
$40 + $180
The design of the iPhone means you can’t use your own headphones with it, thanks to a recessed headphone jack. The Shure Music Phone Adapter not only fits into that recessed slot, allowing you to use your own headphones, but it also adds a microphone, allowing you to use your headphones as part of a hands-free headset. The clip on it is terrible — it’ll break almost instantly — but otherwise it does the job. Just be aware that there’s no special noise cancellation in the microphone so if you’re in a noisy environment it might be hard for people ot hear you. Shure’s SE210 isolating headphones make for a great partner here — they sound awesome, isolate noise in the local area, and have interchangeable eartips…a bit pricey but they’re worth it.
Shiny
- adapter: use your own headphones
- adapter: add voice capability
- headphones: very good quality
- headphones: interchangeable tips
Dull
- adapter: clip is not so good
- adapter: no noise cancellation
- headphones: expensiveMusic Phone Adapter
ShureSE210 headphones
Shure
Kate’s Tips
- Photonhead.com
Photonhead offers quick and easy photography tips for beginners, and intermediate theory and tutorials that provide food for growth. It has never been easier to take a good photograph, but the world of digital photography seems to be getting more complex. Drawing from experience, Photonhead.com is an ongoing and very opinionated effort to help beginners cut through the noise with tips, tutorials, and advanced learning tools.