Worried about your home’s security after a
string of break-ins in your neighborhood? Maybe you want to keep an eye on your
domestic help or nanny. What you need is a security camera. But setting up a home
surveillance system might be quite costly. If you are looking for a cheap way
to make sure someone does not intrude at your home or office, there are free
apps that can turn your PC’s webcam into a spy camera.
To set up a cost-effective security camera,
you will need at least one webcam, or several IP cameras if your home is large.
Free software can capture motion by an intruder, and alert you by emailing you
a live feed or high-resolution photos. Some programs will also let you view
activity remotely from another computer or your mobile phone.
Below is a list of applications that will turn
your laptop into a surveillance device. All are free and easy to configure.
1. iSpy
A free, open-source application, iSpy lets you
monitor your workplace or home remotely. The software program provides several
ways to notify you if it detects an intruder, including an alarm system, a
recording system, and sending screengrabs to your PC or mobile phone.
iSpy can connect to multiple IP cameras and
microphones. It automatically starts recording whenever it captures motion.
However, to enable live remote viewing from any PC, you will need to spend
between $7 and $49 per month to unlock this feature.
Setting up iSpy is easy. All you need is a PC
webcam and a long USB cable. The software program connects with your camera and
records any motion the camera captures. You can set specific areas to monitor,
and configure motion capture settings for automatic recording. Have an extra
webcam? Connect it to iSpy and set up a mini home security system right away!
2. Yaw Cam
A free software program, Yaw Cam lets you set
up a mini home surveillance system through your laptop’s web camera. The
software is very easy to set up, and has a lot of features for a free
application.
You can configure Yaw Cam so that it tracks
and captures motion, either within a specified area of your home or workplace,
or in the entire area within the webcam’s field of view.
The app notifies you of any intrusion by
sending hi-resolution photos of the motion capture via email or a File Transfer
Protocol (FTP) site. You can set your photo notifications with your Yahoo or
Gmail email address and get instant live alerts on your mobile phone or
computer.
Before installing this software, make sure you
install Java Virtual Machine.
3. Yoics
This remote desktop application can easily
turn your webcam into a spy camera. All you need to do is connect your webcam
to the app and set up a connection with your Gmail, YouTube or Twitter account,
for instant text, photo, or video notifications of any intrusion. This free
software program supports motion capture. However, the lengthy setup may not
appeal to the average user.
In addition to monitoring your webcam, the
application lets you view your desktop remotely and access your computer's
folders. You can view and download any folder on your PC right from your mobile
phone or web browser.
4. Vitamin D
Vitamin D is another ideal remote monitoring
software program for home and office. Once connected to your webcam, the app
detects motion. Its state-of-the-art capabilities easily distinguish moving
people from moving objects. It tracks and captures motion, streams it live for
remote viewing, and records it for future review. You can filter out a long
video capture to show only important moments. A detailed guide can be found in
the official site’s “support” section.
The app is easy to configure and won’t take
too much time to set up so that you can receive real-time alerts from your
webcam. The free version supports only one webcam; you will need to spend money
to get multi-cam support. Still, even the free version has some amazing
features....read more
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