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(Multiplatform) ROUNDUP & TUTORIAL: Web Camera Applications

Not all notebooks or desktop computers have a built-in web camera. With desktop PC’s, this isn’t that big an issue: as you don’t carry them around, you can just buy an inexpensive, clip-on USB camera and you’re set. Not so with notebooks, UMPC’s or Tablet PC’s – with them, purchasing (and carrying!) a cabled solution might be overly suboptimal. Then, just using your camera-equipped smartphone may turn out to be the best solution; preferably over a wireless connection like Bluetooth. This way, you can avoid having to carry around a separate webcamera. It’s indeed big help!
Setting them up is exactly the same as with setting up traditional USB cameras. This means they’re really easy to use. In general, you just run the installer EXE file on the desktop you’d like to use your phone connected to. Some of the desktop-side (let’s call them server) apps ask for being started at boot-up time. If you aren’t afraid of the additional memory (and possible CPU) use, you can safely allow this; if you are, just untick the checkbox.
1.1 Starting the server on the desktop
After this, whenever you want to use your phone as your webcamera, start the given server on your desktop. That is, start (in the order of discussion), in Start/Programs, start
WebCamera Plus/ WebCamera Plus
Mobiola Web Camera for Windows Mobile / Mobiola Web Camera for Windows Mobile
Mobiola Web Camera for S60 / Mobiola Web Camera for S60
wwigo/ wwigo
SmartCam/Smartcam
After this, most of the apps start waiting and you can directly start the client on your phone and initiate the connection. The exceptions are:
* Mobiola Web Camera for S60, where you may also need to set the connection method:
{
"lightbox_close": "Close",
"lightbox_next": "Next",
"lightbox_previous": "Previous",
"lightbox_error": "The requested content cannot be loaded. Please try again later.",
"lightbox_start_slideshow": "Start slideshow",
"lightbox_stop_slideshow": "Stop slideshow",
"lightbox_full_screen": "Full screen",
"lightbox_thumbnails": "Thumbnails",
"lightbox_download": "Download",
"lightbox_share": "Share",
"lightbox_zoom": "Zoom",
"lightbox_new_window": "New window",
"lightbox_toggle_sidebar": "Toggle sidebar"
}
Note that these radio buttons are completely missing from the Windows Mobile version as it supports fewer ways of connection
* Wwigo, where you need to click the leftmost button, "wwigo video" for the server to be able to receive connection requests:
If you plan to connect via USB cable (and not some kind of wireless connection), you’ll also need to connect and wait for ActiveSync (Windows Mobile) or Nokia PC Suite (S60) to be activated. (This also means that, on S60 phones, you’ll need to select the standard suite transfer mode.)
1.2 Starting the client on the phone
On the phone (the client), you will need to do the following in order to start the connection (in the order of further discussion; first, Windows Mobile titles and, then, Symbian ones):
1.2.1 Windows Mobile
1.2.1.1 WebCamera Plus
In Menu / Source, switch to Front Sensor if you want to use the front camera as your camera. Otherwise, use Camera to switch to the back camera. It’s also here that you can en/disable sound capture (using which isn’t recommended if you already have a mike built-in into your desktop because, at least in my case, the transferred sound was much choppier than with using the built-in mike of my TC1100):
In Menu / Settings / Camera, you can set a lot of goodies like saturation, rotation, mirror, resolution, quality:

If you plan to use WebCamera Plus via USB or Bluetooth (both via an active ActiveSync, previusly-started connection), there isn’t anything else to do – just click Start. If, on the other hand, you use a wireless TCP/IP connection (either BT PAN – if your phone supports it at all –, Wi-Fi p2p or even long-distance TCP/IP connections like GPRS), you will need to set the (local network) IP address of your desktop. You can do this in Menu / Settings / Network:
1.2.1.2 Mobiola Web Camera for Windows Mobile
Start the server and, then, the client. Go to Menu / Connect / ActiveSync to connect via either USB or Bluetooth or Menu / Connect / Wi-Fi if connecting via a Wi-Fi p2p network:
1.2.2 Symbian
1.2.2.1 Mobiola Web Camera for S60
After starting the server (and selecting the connection method in it), start the client (after connecting it to USB and waiting for Nokia PC Suite to be activated if you want to go the cabled route) and go to Options / Connect. There, select the connection method (which, again, must match the desktop setting):
When connecting via Bluetooth, you’ll be offered the standard Bluetooth device selection screen:
Note that you’ll also need to use the left/right cursor keys to switch between front/back cameras (and screens, if you want to transfer your screen content only).

1.2.2.2 WWigo
Start the server (and click leftmost "wwigo video" button). On the client, you can, as is explained HERE, safely cancel the initial access point request screen (which would only download ads to be displayed) with a right softkey (cancel). Then, go to Options / Settings and select Camera1 if you want to use the front (and not the back) camera:
(Unfortunately, this setting isn’t permanent.) Then, go to Options / Connect and select your already-paired desktop in the standard Bluetooth selector dialog:
1.2.2.3 SmartCam
After starting the server and the client, on the latter, go to Options / Start:
Select your desktop and you’re set.
1.3 Configuring desktop applications to make use of the connection
You will also need to configure the desktop (for example video-capable messenger) apps to use the (new) video (or even audio) source one-by-one. Here, I show the example of Live Messenger, as you may already know this – after all, this is done in entirely the same way as with setting up a standard USB camera.
Go to Tools / Audio and Video Setup. Click Next two times to get to the audio input dialog. Here, if if you use Ateksoft WebCamera Plus on Windows Mobile, you’ll be able to switch to it as is depicted in the following screenshot:

Otherwise, just press Next to select the camera. The following screenshot shows my tablet PC with all the reviewed clients installed:
Here, you’ll need to select the right source. As these are named after the name of the given application, they’re very easy to recognize.
2. Available camera applications
Fortunately, there are several solutions for all major mobile operating systems of which, here, I cover three: Windows Mobile, Symbian S60 and BlackBerry. Let’s start with the first.
2.1 Windows Mobile
For Windows Mobile (WinMo), there are two solutions: Ateksoft WebCamera Plus and Warelex Mobiola Web Camera. Of the two, as the time being, I’d go with the first if you need front camera support – the latter doesn’t support front cameras on Windows Mobile (and has HUGE CPU and, consequentially, power usage when in foreground).
2.1.1 Ateksoft WebCamera Plus 2.0
I’ve already reviewed an earlier version of Ateksoft CoolCamera (a predecessor to WebCamera Plus). Version 2.0 of WebCamera Plus introduced a lot of goodies like audio capture (important for computers without a microphone).
Note that, today, CoolCamera is different from WebCamera Plus: it, on some select models, allows for taking videos at a much higher resolution than allowed by the built-in camera applications. (It’s, as opposed to CoolCapture (see below), doesn’t require a desktop component for video compression.) In this respect, it’s pretty much like the old, for seasoned Windows Mobile / Windows CE users, very well-known CECam. Finally, CoolCapture is a desktop-side video / screenshot capturer application.
This is the camera app I recommend the most for WinMo users.
2.1.2 Warelex Mobiola Web Camera 3.1.8
It’s a multiplatform (BlackBerry, Symbian S60v2/3, UIQ2/3; Windows Mobile) title.
Note that the license is attached to a desktop PC– and not a mobile phone. That is, if you’d like to use your phone with more than one PC’s, look for something else. Also see THIS for more info on this.
As with Ateksoft, they also have remote capture tools with image / video capture capabilities and IM support (for the screen only) - but "only" for the BlackBerry (for which, so far, I’ve used a free alternative) and Symbian S60v3/UIQ3; the latest version also working over Wi-Fi. Note that Ateksoft WebCamera Plus is also able to send over the phone / PDA screen contents themselves.
On Windows Mobile, it’s clearly weaker than Ateksoft WebCamera Plus because it, among other things, doesn’t support audio capture (should your desktop / notebook lack a built-in mike) and, even more importantly, front cameras.
2.2 Symbian
2.2.1 Warelex Mobiola Web Camera for S60 3.0.15
This is the one you may want to go for if you don’t mind the price: it’s stable, supports all kinds of connections (including USB) and consumes little power.
2.2.2 WWIGO (webcam wherever I go) beta 1.3
(also see THIS)
It’s a free product, all you need to do is registering on their homepage to access the download. Its support forum is HERE. It’s only able to use Bluetooth (no USB or Wi-Fi, unlike with Mobiola’s title). It didn’t work on either of my two MS BT stack (SP2/SP3) Windows XP’s - it always displayed Filter Initialization Failed – screenshot http://www.winmobiletech.com/072008Webcams/wwigoprob.png[/IMG]]HERE. This is a very common problem and is discussed HERE. Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the 1.0 version (for example, the link given HERE is long-dead). Under Vista Ultimate SP1, however, it worked flawlessly on exactly the same HP TC1100 Tablet PC where it refused to do the same under XP Tablet Edition SP3. That is, the benchmarks I’ve made are done under Vista.
The longest thread on it outside the official forums is HERE.
2.2.3 SmartCam 1.2 for S60v2/3
(download HERE)
This is an open-source, Java-based application capable of connecting via Bluetooth only. Unfortunately, while Java does have its merits, in this case it resulted in vastly (about 1.5 times more) increased power usage (because of the higher CPU usage). Furthermore, it just quit on my v21 Nokia N95 after about 30 seconds and is, consequently, pretty much useless. You, on the other hand, may find it stable.
3. Comparison chart
3.1 Windows Mobile
(original HTML table HERE)
3.2 Symbian
(original HTML table HERE)
All Nokia N95 power consumption figures include the about 0.12W power consumption of the backlight.

let's bump this so that it gets some (deserved) attention...

This can be done free on WM
This is in short how it works (and it is free):
Download mymobiler: http://www.mymobiler.com
Download VH screen capture driver: http://www.hmelyoff.com/index.php?section=8
Start mymobiler and activate your mobile camera
Grab the part of the screen you want with VH screen capture
Now you have a webcam stream which you can use in any program like skype, msn etc..
Look at this video as example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wveANUBUIJM
Instead of using the microsoft remote tool use mymobiler. It is much faster.
PS: You need active sync to communicate with mymobiler

HTC ...
webcam software works only in HTC Phone(imate "ultimate series" is not support!!!).

MyMobile work on my 838 Pro, but no video came.
The screen was displayed on my PC but when I activated the camera, no picture came from the camera. Just blackout (the camera indicatior & buttons are shown).
Any clue?

lordlugo said:
WM work on my 838 Pro,
The screen was displayed on my PC but when I activated the camera, no picture came from the camera. Juss blackout (the camera indicatior & buttons are shown).
Any clue?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you watching it via MyMobiler?

Menneisyys said:
Are you watching it via MyMobiler?
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
yes it is.
the 838pro camera program started and it shows everyting at the Phone screen. But there's nothing but the indicator at the PC screen (via My Mobiler).

I think I have the same issue with mymobiler showing only a blackscreen when my camera is active. Using Diamond2 here.
Also, I downloaded WebcameraPlus 2.0 but when I run it in Diamond2, the screen is very small on the top left corner and when I exit, it freezes my Diamond2 for 30 seconds and throw out an error report for Microsoft. I don't think it's compatible with Diamond2. I used the same WebCameraPlus on 818Pro and it's working perfectly. Any idea?

UPDATE (06/28/2009): The Mobola FAQ doesn’t mention this, so, I find it necessary to elaborate on it: I’ve tested the application under Windows 7 RC. It doesn’t run, not even with setting the main application executable, webcam.exe, to run in XP SP2/3 mode, with admin rights.
Fortunately, this all is very easy to fix: just download connapi.dll from HERE. Unzip the file to C:\Program Files\Mobiola Web Camera for S60\ and you’re set.
After this, camera worked just fine on my two Windows 7 notebooks (IBM Thinkpad t42p and HP TC1100 tablet) I’ve tested it on via Bluetooth, using my Nokia N95; works flawlessly.

Alas, doesn't run on the Acer Temp M900 device. Just hangs with the Busy icon when you try to enable the camera.

This works amazing. Even catch it over the internet, connecting to my home-domain.
But, to get ultimate awesomeness, I want to catch the stream with another program. What stream is sent out?
I have this new Sheevaplug installed at home running Linux.
I want to catch the stream with f.i. ffmpeg, and port it via uPNP (mediatomb, fuppes) to my home-tv.
So now, everywhere with a decent connection I can stream directly to my TV set

Also check out LiveCast:
bb.livecast.com

pafke said:
This is in short how it works (and it is free):
Download mymobiler: http://www.mymobiler.com
Download VH screen capture driver: http://www.hmelyoff.com/index.php?section=8
Start mymobiler and activate your mobile camera
Grab the part of the screen you want with VH screen capture
Now you have a webcam stream which you can use in any program like skype, msn etc..
Look at this video as example: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wveANUBUIJM
Instead of using the microsoft remote tool use mymobiler. It is much faster.
PS: You need active sync to communicate with mymobiler
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Thanks, works perfect for me!

I have problem w/ XV6800(Titan) camera software.Both the screencapture softwares are not able to get the correct video from the camera software on XV6800.I guess its because the camera software uses camera video as background(I can get everything except the background camera video...its just black)
imgur,com sQKS3.jpg
(sorry i cant post with external link)
Only black background,no actual view

Bluetooth printing to Canon Pixma ip100 using PrinterShare?

Anyone able to print to Canon Pixma ip100 from Xoom using PrinterShare? If so, which driver did you manually select? I tried several of the Pixma drivers as well as the generic postscript and PCL drivers but all I can get it to do is print a blank page.
Sent from my Xoom using XDA App

What type of document are you trying to print? Printer share will only render certain types of files.
Ja
Sent from my Xoom using Tapatalk

[Q] Displaying JPEGs in excel spreadsheets possible?

Soooooooooooooo, in the effort to travel light and still remain productive I would love to take my work on the go and not have to lug around my heavy-ass 18.4 Toshiba Qosmio desktop replacement laptop when I'm out on trips. But when dealing with excel spreadsheets, I have noticed neither Documents To Go, Quickoffice or any other office app out there for the android OS can display photos that are in excel spreadsheets. I'm facing this problem with my Samsung Galaxy S, not too sure if the android tablets have a fix for this solution? Would love to hear some of the comments from more experienced android users. Cheers!!

[Q] Printer for Xoom?

I know that this xoom has Bluetooth and wireless capability so would it be possible to purchase a printer that would allow me to print from my xoom?
Would I need to install drivers on my xoom?
Thanks

I have an hp wireless printer setup up on my home network. I installed the hp printer app from hp for my android devices, there is one in the playstore as well.
I can print with no issues using the app. I print pictures and all types of documents with no issues.....i can do this with my gnex and xoom.
Good luck.
Sent from my Galaxy Nexus

There's also a MotoPrint app, but I have no knowledge about it sorry.

There is also Google Cloud Print
There is also Google Cloud Print, where you can print to any printer attached to (or networked to) a computer running a Chrome browser. You just install Cloud Print and share your printer (with yourself). The printer driver used is the one installed on the computer. A bit more complex that WiFi direct like the HP, but will work with any printer.

Which Printer ?

What printer do you use to print from your smartphone ?
I'm looking for a good printer that I can use to print from my Note 4 and Note 3 (and also from desktop computers, laptops and tablets).
After checking out many printers, my first choice would be the Epson WF (Wide Format) 7620. I want to be able to scan, print, copy and fax, and also do wide format (mostly for Family History charts).
My price range is $600 or less.