The Icon Bar: First_Webcam_to_go_offline: The Icon Bar: First Webcam to go offline

As announced on Slashdot, The Register et al, the world's first Webcam - which got a head start by predating the Web - is to be switched off when the Cambridge computer lab that it's in is moved to a new facility.

As well as marking the passing of a piece of the Internet's history, it's also the passing of some Acorn history - the Webcam is powered by an old Archimedes. Anyone want to offer it a new home? :)

The cam's website is at http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/coffee/coffee.html, which now appears to be working again (albeit slowly)

First Webcam to go offline

(10:59 8/3/2001)
  Sendu Bala (12:10 8/3/2001)
    Richard Goodwin (14:15 8/3/2001)
      Michael Stubbs (01:49 10/3/2001)
        Sendu Bala (11:14 10/3/2001)
          mark quint (14:06 11/3/2001)
            Sendu Bala (18:49 11/3/2001)
              mark quint (20:02 11/3/2001)

Richard Goodwin

Message #88358, posted at 10:59, 8/3/2001

Unregistered user

At least I resisted posting an "all your base are belong to us" story...

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Sendu Bala

Message #88359, posted at 12:10, 8/3/2001, in reply to message #88358

Unregistered user

But they _do_ belong to us!

And if this stuff was around since 91, why has hacked-together webcam software only just appeared for the rest of us RO geeks?

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Richard Goodwin

Message #88360, posted at 14:15, 8/3/2001, in reply to message #88359

Unregistered user

Well of course I didn't get Internet access at home until about 1995, but back when the Archie first came out they were showing it on TV with the Watford monochrome digitiser to show how fast this new machine was.

Because the Watford card was so easy to program for my first RISC OS program was one to record, store and play back a sequence of frames. It was so long ago that much of the logic was written on my Electron at home and ported via a BBC B at college every morning (possibly the only video recorder with a plain-english parser because I couldn't check the mouse/icon interface at home;) So a monochrome webcam using this syem is no big thing.

Sadly I don't think this card works on RiscPCs, and the later digitisers (e.g. the HCCS one) come with little or no programming interface, so they're harder to write for, plus cheaper internet access (and by extension webcams) have only become really popular/possible recently.

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Michael Stubbs

Message #88361, posted at 01:49, 10/3/2001, in reply to message #88360

Unregistered user

I hope some of the Web developments going on include letting us use a USB webcam :-) BT Openworld (USB version) would be nice too. I can't wait until these things come to RISC OS. BT keeps reminding me I can have ADSL and get it installed free.

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Sendu Bala

Message #88362, posted at 11:14, 10/3/2001, in reply to message #88361

Unregistered user

I haven't looked into it properly, but I've seen a box of some kind of product that lets you use USB devices over a normal ethernet network. I'm thinking you could essentially use it as a USB to ethernet converter, so plug BTs whatever into a router via one of these devices, then connect the router to an Acorn with a network card installed.

Et Voila. Or am I oversimplifing?

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mark quint

Message #88363, posted at 14:06, 11/3/2001, in reply to message #88362

Unregistered user

If you're looking for a speedy DSL ISP, check out Tele2 (www.tele2.co.uk), as their Connection uses a standard Ethernet Card, which should mean that it will run fine on RiscOS. We have it running atm on a PC but we shall be soon buying a Network Card for our RPC so that they both have Internet Access.
Tele2 were offering a Trial "DSL @ Home" thingy, which for £10/month u got a 150K connection, but this ended in january i think :(
Since we've had it for about 5/6 weeks, it was pretty good for the first 2 weeks, then It went down for the next 2. When they eventually did fix it, it seemed that they whole network had been sped up, so we've been having above ADSL speeds recently :)

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Sendu Bala

Message #88364, posted at 18:49, 11/3/2001, in reply to message #88363

Unregistered user

Hmm, all I can find on their website is info on wireless dsl and symmetry for buisness: £35 and £65/month respectively.
The best deal I've been able to find is ntl cable, £20/month, ethernet, 512. Nothing asdl on net4nowt is listed for less than £40, except for one slow serial-port based system.

Are you still paying just £10? Lucky so and so!

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mark quint

Message #88365, posted at 20:02, 11/3/2001, in reply to message #88364

Unregistered user

hmmmm
I think this is because the trial ended in january, but as its only a trial i'd expect them to launch a full new service soon, as they've been quite a few upgrades to the system recently.
Something that I did hear of is that Tele2 are planning an additional thingy where you can get a faster, but still low cost service later on in the year, but i dont know any costs yet :(

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