Fun With Technology: LiveLine Camera, and a Mimo Monitor on the Side
We’ve taken a look at webcams, as well as IP cameras before, even those with a tilt-pan function controllable online. LiveLine, currently in beta, offered an interesting proposition- give away the camera for free, and sell the blades… er, monthly subscription. At $9.99, it’s an interesting idea, and aimed at folks needing a nanny cam or baby monitor, for pet watching or keeping an eye on elderly or disabled loved ones.
The LiveLine isn’t a serious security camera system, and oddly doesn’t come with any audio functions (one or two-way) currently, though we are told that it is simply a beta limitation and later production models will in fact offer audio. It does, however, come with decent night vision, via the built-in infrared bulbs. You’ll need a live internet connection to use the system, and nothing is stored locally on your computer. This may be good, if you don’t mind the relative security risk, and want data stored offsite for ease and flexibility. It can work with Macs and PCs, and allows for easy use of multiple cameras (though we didn’t try it).
The quality is nothing to get too excited about- rapid motion isn’t captured by the camera, and even the thumbnails look a bit grainy. You can sign up for email alerts, which is nice, and they’ll capture video of “events” and store them online in your account for easy access. No limitations were obvious or clear at press time, versus other systems that may restrict you to a certain number of events or saved videos. One issue- despite double-checking our email information, we didn’t receive any emails about the events. Also, you’ll need to hook up the camera via a wired connection at first; something that isn’t clear from the instructions. They also didn’t include a cord in our box, oddly. Once connected directly to ethernet and connected online via their web tools, you can then setup your wireless information (though the button is a bit inconspicuous). We liked the smooth controls on panning and tilting, event statistics, time/date stamping, and reasonably intuitive auto-control system. Their mobile browsing is decent as well, allowing you to check on your room while traveling. It shows only a still picture, but is truly simple to use. At a hair under $10 a month, we can see this being useful to some people, especially those who aren’t really technically savvy. But for those who want more control and features, you should probably consider buying an IP camera.
Either way, it’s a good thing to have a second monitor handy. Whether you are a gamer who simply wants to have access to email or TeamSpeak or other programs while in-game, or a day trader who needs more screen real estate, Mimo has you covered. They offer a few different models in different price ranges with different feature sets; we’ve been trying the Mimo 740 for the past few weeks. Not only does the 740 work as an easy, USB secondary monitor with an 800×480 resolution, it also has a built-in touchscreen, audio input and output, a microphone, and even a 1.3 megapixel webcam!
Compatible with Intel-based Macs and PCs, the touchscreen won’t serve as a replacement for, say, your tablet. But it does work pretty well, and in both landscape and portrait modes. We tried out various application, from tweeting to widgets, and enjoyed exploring the various options, though we were disappointed at the lack of Windows Sideshow support. They suggest using it with Photoshop to park some of your tools; we wish integration was a bit better and colors a little better. The contrast ratio isn’t great, so it isn’t made for, say, playing videos. And the detachable stand is pretty good, but the one on the 710 and 720 is definitely sleeker. We can see this becoming a sort of computing platform on it’s own, like Chumby and the netbook, as people develop neat ways to use them. It doesn’t have quite the feeling of an iPod Touch, but is much larger and in many ways easier to use thanks to it’s simple setup and instant use with Windows Vista or XP or Mac OSX. And the best part is the price- at $220, it’s a bargain for a touchscreen monitor- and the webcam and microphone work well in Skype and other VOIP software.
