Turning your cell phone into a webcam with a java program helps you to keep in touch with friends and family.
If you are on the road a lot and hate having to carry extra hardware with you then one simple way to lighten your load is to transform your mobile phone into a webcam. It can be done by installing a simple Java program onto your laptop and your cell phone. This way you can still keep in touch with your loved ones without having to carry another piece of equipment.
Instructions
1. Pick a Java webcam mobile application that is compatible with your phone. A few that you can choose from include Movino, Mobiscope, and MobCam. As of 2010, these programs can be downloaded for free.
2. Open your phone's Web browser and download the application to your phone. If your chosen software also has a computer client such as Mobiscope, download that to your computer.
3. Install your downloaded software's client on your phone. Click on the file to initiate the installation process and click "Next." Wait for the program to finish installing. If your application has a desktop client as well install the program on your computer by clicking on the downloaded file. Once complete, reboot your computer.
4. Go to "Menu" and "Applications" and open up the program that you just installed. Then open up your phone's video camera. If your downloaded Java application does not have a desktop client then you will see an input field containing a target URL of your stream. This is set by default by the software; do not change it. When you go to the target URL using a Web browser on your computer or other Internet device, you will be able to see a live stream of your mobile phone's video capture.
5. Run the desktop client if your software has one by clicking on the Start menu and looking for its icon under the "Programs" folder. Once opened, connect your computer to your mobile phone with a USB cable (you can also use Wi-fi and Bluetooth). Wait for your computer to recognize your phone.
6. Click on the camera icon in the software's control panel. This should initiate streaming your phone's video capture to the desktop client's window in your computer screen.
7. Setup your webcam to be used with a video chat application such as AOL or Skype. Begin by opening up the program then go to "Tools," select "Options" and then "Video Settings," then select your phone as the camera in the drop-down menu provided. You should now see the video stream in your application window.
Tags: your phone, your computer, desktop client, mobile phone, phone video, your mobile