MS Technology Vocabulary WebCam
Carson Peacock
January 2009
Computer 7-1
Webcams
The dictionary definition of webcam is: A digital camera capable of downloading images to a computer for transmission over the Internet or other network.
However, sometimes dictionary definitions can be a little hard to comprehend. Here’s an easy-to-understand definition: Webcams allow you to talk to people on your computer and see their face as you speak to them. This is a great way to keep in touch with family members of friends that are out of town, or friends that live far away. They are also a great way to study with a friend because you can talk straight to their face as you quiz them, or ask them a question. Or, you can merely chat face to face with a friend using a webcam. These webcams are a sweeping fad in this world of high- tech gadgets and gizmos, and they are also a great way of communicating.
It is rumored that the first ever use of a web cam was to watch levels of coffee in a coffee pot at Cambridge university. A scientist there hooked up a video camera to a computer and streamed images to his coworkers in 1992.[1]
