snowdeal.org > ex machina: the eric update - day 387: odin's new video baby monitor! and digital video recorder!

ex machina

the eric update - day 387: odin's new video baby monitor! and digital video recorder!

there's an old joke amongst software development types that every application eventually evolves to the point where it can be used to send email. but i wonder if it can be proven that every video capture device will eventually be used as an ad hoc baby monitor and general purpose "babyvision" platform.

which, of course, is an elaborate justification as to why i've been spending time thinking about how i can recruit my snazzy isight into pulling double duty as a video baby monitor ( sure, our old audio baby monitor is more than adequate, but still ) and digital video recorder.

the isight is a capable camera for video conferencing capturing an image in low-light napping conditions can be a little challenging even with it's light scavenging f/2.8 lens aperature, but luckily it appears that one can simply use iglasses application to get reasonable night vision capabilities.

and while the isight wasn't originally designed to be a digital video recorder there are several options available for recording captured video directly to disk in a format ready for imovie editing. snapzprox, ivezeen and btv all look like they have potential, but apparently the open source application ivideo can also meet the challenge for the low, low price of free!

so, who knows, maybe i'll actually throw in some video in the next installment of "the fourth that has somehow run into outrageous production and shooting delays :-)

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7/26/2005 08:54:00 PM 5 comments

5 Comments:

Eeeee! OdinCam!

By Anonymous, at 12:14 AM

As long as we're discussing cameras, etc., have you checked out the reviews of the d50? I'm in the market for a DSLR and am wavering between it and the d70... any thoughts? cari c

By Anonymous, at 9:32 AM

cari c: "As long as we're discussing cameras, etc., have you checked out the reviews of the d50? I'm in the market for a DSLR and am wavering between it and the d70... any thoughts?"

odin's auntie gina just recently got a d50 ( at the rate that family members are buying nikon digital cameras you'd think i could get some sort of commission :-) ) and i think she's quite happy with it. i've taken a few pictures with it and can't really see any difference in the photos when i use her camera and when i use mine. other differences are fairly minor and wouldn't really make a difference to me, which is a backwards way of saying that if my d70 broke ( gasp! ) i'd probably get a d50. check out the excellent ken rockwell d50 review that exhaustively compares the two cameras.

let me know what you decide!

By e3, at 10:11 AM

anonymous: "Eeeee! OdinCam!"

hmmmmmmmmm.....

By e3, at 10:12 AM

I have a (clunky by today's standards) Sony DSC-F717. It has a night vision mode that proved invaluable at capturing some great sleeping shots. My favorite was one of Mom rocking her sick baby in the dark.

There is also a night focus mode that uses the flash. You can usually snap a few flash shots without bothering a sleeping baby.

If someone has money to burn, it might be worthwhile to look at a used Sony.

By Anonymous, at 5:32 PM

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“"it is hard to be brave," said piglet, sniffing slightly, "when you're only a Very Small Animal." rabbit, who had begun to write very busily, looked up and said: "it is because you are a very small animal that you will be Useful in the adventure before us."”

the complete tales & poems of winnie the pooh

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this site chronicles the continuing adventures of my son, odin, who was unexpectedly born on the fourth of july at 25 weeks gestation, weighing 1 pound 7 ounces.

he's quite a fighter and you can always send him a postcard to the most current address listed here if you're inspired by his adventures. see the postcard project/google maps mashup to see a map of the postcards.

if you're new, you can browse the archives to catch up. and don't forget to watch a few movies that i made while we were in the neonatal intensive care unit. or if you want the abridged version and you can find a copy, you can read about his adventures in the november 2005 issue of parents magazine.

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