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A project uses open webcams to show how long you posed for that “perfect” Instagram photo

We’ve all seen those perfectly posed Instagram photos taken at various locations all over the world. But I believe that, like me, you’ve also witnessed while those were being staged. The super-focused face of a boyfriend or a bestie makes the scene kinda cute… And then the frozen unnatural pose of an “Instagram model” makes you cringe.

Artist Dries Depoorter recently launched a project titled The Follower, revealing precisely those cute yet cringe-worthy moments. Thanks to open webcams and AI, he finds your Instagram photoshoots in the street and shows the process behind them.

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Dad creates smart webcam to tell him when newborn is hungry

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It often makes me laugh when I see a news article about sleep deprivation tests. Typically the subjects cannot make it past about a week on less than 4 hours sleep a night. I laugh in their faces. “Try going 15 months of 4 hours sleep a night,” I say to myself, “a week? you’re weak!”.

And so would be echoed the world over by parents of new babies. One new dad, however, has taken his lack of sleep seriously and has hacked a webcam to analyze his sleeping baby and tell him when the baby is hungry. Where was this man 5 years ago when I needed him?

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Insta360 drags webcams into the 21st century with the new Insta360 Link

Webcams aren’t exactly a new thing. They’ve been around since the days of the parallel port and other than switching to USB, they’ve largely remained unchanged. Most of them still offer potato-quality images and very little has changed by way of their design. It’s not much of a surprise, though. With only a couple of companies actually making a name for themselves with webcams, there hasn’t really been a big push for innovation.

Well, that might be changing now as Insta360 announces its entry into the world of webcams with the Insta360 Link. Their webcam features a 4K resolution 1/2″ sensor, built-in 3-axis gimbal with AI tracking, smart gesture control, phase detection autofocus, HDR mode, dual noise-cancelling microphones and it can even switch to a vertical 9:16 orientation for streaming to social media.

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Apple to finally allow you to use your iPhone as a webcam

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When the pandemic began, everyone started offering software that turns your DLSR, mirrorless, or phone into a webcam. Apple has joined the 2-year-old trend and it will soon finally enable you to use your iPhone as a webcam. What do you mean, “improve the native Mac camera?” Nah, you can attach your phone to it for your Zoom meetings.

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Canon launches $90 starter kits that help turning your camera into a webcam

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If you’d like to turn your Canon DSLR or mirrorless into a webcam, it’s been possible for quite a while now. But to make it even easier, Canon has just launched starter kits that you need to connect your camera to the computer and use as an (overkill) webcam.

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The Sony ZV-1 now acts as a webcam without any extra software on PC or Mac

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Sony first announced back in June 2020 that the Sony ZV-1 vlogging camera would soon be able to act as a USB webcam. Just two months later, they delivered, adding support for not only the ZV-1 but 34 other Sony cameras as well. Now, though, a new firmware update lets you use the ZV-1 as a USB webcam without any other software at all.

The new update means all one has to do is connect their ZV-1 camera to a computer’s USB port and it gets detected as a video capture device just like any other webcam, allowing you to use it natively in applications like OBS, Skype, Zoom or… well, anything that uses a webcam, really. Taht means you won’t need to use Imaging Edge Webcam software anymore.

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The OM-D Webcam Beta software is back for Windows and Mac

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The Olympus OM-D Webcam Beta software that mysteriously stopped working on January 1st, just as the company completed transitioning its imaging business over to Japan Industrial Partners, has now returned with a new version, hosted on the Olympus Imaging website.

A reader on 43Rumors says that it’s the same download link as before, although the version’s been bumped up to v1.0.11 and has confirmed that it works with his E-M1 Mark II. As to whether or not there are any changes other than perhaps setting a new expiry date is unknown.

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Olympus OM-D Webcam Beta software stopped working on January 1st – Fix coming soon

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This is a strange one. Apparently, the Olympus OM-D Webcam Beta software that Olympus released to allow you to use your Olympus OM-D mirrorless camera as a USB webcam has ceased to function. As of January 1st, 2021, it just quit working without warning. And, sure, you can change your computer’s clock to trick it, but then that can potentially cause other issues if you want to actually use it.

Olympus has acknowledged the issue and says that their R&D team have identified the problem, with a new and fixed version of the software on the way “as soon as possible”. With the transition of “OM-D” from Olympus to Japan Industrial Partners (JIP), though, who knows how long this may take. And who even owns the rights to the software anymore?

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You can now use the Blackmagic Video Assist as a USB webcam for live streaming

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Well, this is interesting. With all the talk of cameras getting firmware updates this year in order to give them the capability to be used as a webcam, we’ve forgotten all about the other devices into which you can plug them. Devices like monitor recorders.

Blackmagic has released a new firmware update for its Video Assist monitors allowing you to use them as regular USB capture devices (like a webcam) over its Type-C connection. So, if you’ve got a Blackmagic Video Assist monitor, it doesn’t matter whether your camera has this feature or not anymore.

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Full version of Canon’s webcam software is now available for Windows and macOS

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Back in the spring, Canon introduced the Beta version of its EOS Webcam Utility Software for Windows and macOS. Now, the full version is available for both operating systems. There have been some improvements added, as well as more apps and cameras that you can use with the software.

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