Jake wants to start his own online business. He wants to get into drop shipping, but also use his webcam to make a living. Leo says it's a great opportunity now due to the quarantine, and people are going to discover new ways to get the things they need. If you have the luxury of time right now, there's no time like the present and technology is at the eye of the storm.
Joe does Zoom with his friends, but he can't see his video. Leo says to check the video settings and make sure it has the right camera selected. Make sure the camera is turned on and any shutters are open. Some webcams have one on the lid for privacy. Also, look in the settings to make sure your camera is actually enabled. The camera may be turned off as a security feature. Double-check in another camera app to see if it works to be sure.
Sal calls to let Leo know about WyzeCam's latest outdoor wireless cam, was just released. Leo says that's a cool design, but it's designed to be battery powered and only turns on with movement, to conserve battery life. So using it as a stecontinuous ady live stream would be problematic. But for a security camera, they will hangle up to 20 events a day for up to two months before recharging.
Fred has a friend who bought a Logitech webcam, but she can't get it to work. How can she set it up? Leo says the camera has no software to install, so the computer should see it as a webcam automatically. Then whatever video conferencing software you use will pick it up. If it's Zoom, click on the icon in the top right corner and go into the settings to make sure the camera is enabled. Skype will be audio and video settings.
Susan installed Zoom to handle her physical therapy sessions online. She discovered though, that her computer has no camera or microphone built-in. So what should she get? She doesn't want to spend a lot in a limited amount of time. Leo says if she doesn't have a laptop or a smartphone, then she needs to be looking to buy a webcam. Leo likes Logitech's webcams. The Logitech C922 or C910 is great. They have built-in microphones as well and plug into your USB port.
Ken needs an inexpensive camera/mic combo to work with his old HP laptop running Linux. Can he use a camera/mic on his iPhone 4s? There is software to do it with Apple and Windows, but Linux is a challenge. You can use it as an IP Internet camera using Linux, but it requires WiFi. Ken doesn't want WiFi. Leo says the Logitech C920 is very affordable and has the mic built into the camera. In most cases, even though the website doesn't support Linux, third party support can make it work. There's an app called CHEESE, which is a photobooth app.
Irwin's wife is using Zoom for attending class. But suddenly, they can't get a webcam delivered. Leo says that Amazon is prioritizing important things like TP and food delivery right now, so you may have to wait. But if you have a laptop with a camera, you can still chat. Or, you can connect your DSLR to your computer with a live HDMI cable and use it as your webcam. A camcorder will work as well. But if your computer doesn't have an HDMI IN option, then you may need to get an HDMI to USB adapter.
Dave is a YouTuber, and when he streams live, it works better using LTE and his smartphone than his webcam and desktop using Wi-Fi. Leo says that in theory, they should be the same. Leo says that his Logitech C930 webcam could be misconfigured. Or, he could consider better lighting. Better lighting is always an improvement and helps the camera to pick exposure, color saturation, etc. At the end of the day, though, his LG smartphone probably just has a better camera.
Ed bought a Wyze Cam, but he doesn't have a smartphone to control it. Leo says that he would need to get a cell phone or at least a tablet for it to work. eBay is a good place to get one for cheap. Can he run it from a computer using BSD? Leo says probably not. BSD is a good OS, but it's not used by very many people. Also, Wyze hasn't created a desktop app yet.
He could use an Android emulator like Bluestacks, but he may need Windows or Linux to run it.
Leon is a knife and armor blacksmith and makes videos on YouTube. He wants to improve the video quality over a webcam that he uses. He also needs a better microphone. Leo says webcams have a built in microphone that work close up, but from a distance, he'd really need an off camera mic. A USB microphone would work, since Leon uses a webcam. He would just need to configure it in the webcam software while capturing.
