History of Computers - Webcam

Webcam

A webcam is a video camera that feeds its image in real time to a computer or computer network.

Overview

The first real webcam was created in 1991 to stream live footage of a coffee pot in Cambridge so people could have constant coverage of the state of the coffee pot. The black and white Quickcam was the first commercial webcam released to the public in 1994. The Quickcam was created by a company named Connectix. The Quickcam had 320x240 pixel resolution and streamed at 60 frames per second. Since the Quickcam many webcams have been created for personal use and built-in webcams have started showing up on personal laptops. In recent years, cell phones are beginning to appear with video cameras on them.

Now webcams have a much higher pixel resolution, with the 2016 C922 Pro Stream Webcam recording in HD 1080p or 720p at 60fps. It can also separate people from their backgrounds, useful for streamers to overlay themselves with what they are streaming.

Significance

There are many different ways in which the Webcam is significant. Most people use it for fun in order to video chat with friends or to long distance call relatives. It can also be used in many professional settings. Some teachers use it in tutorials to learn how to work things. Businesses use them to hold conferences from far away and interviews can be done over the computer now with all the pluses of being there face to face. As of late, it has become increasingly prominent to block one's webcam, as many suspect the NSA or others have the ability to watch them through the webcam at any time.

References

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Webcam