You don't need expensive software or a new camera to keep an eye on things at home. Whether you're looking after your dog or trying to catch burglars in the act, you can put together a home security system with a regular webcam and your PC.
We've talked about home security software a few times before, but after seeing the above video on Boing Boing—in which a woman is able to detect, call the police on, and apprehend two men robbing her house—we thought it would be a good idea to give a more definitive answer on which software we thought was the best. We tried a number of different programs out, and here are the two we think are most worth your time.
Previously mentioned iCam is undoubtedly the simplest of the bunch, and at only $5, it's a steal for how many features it gives you. Set up iCam with any webcam and you can view an ongoing stream from your iPhone, Android phone, or even a web browser. It can also send a push notification to your phone whenever it detects motion, and take a number of quick snapshots so you can see what was moving around.
The best part about iCam is that it couldn't be simpler to set up. You just install the iCamSource app on your Windows PC or Mac, download the app to your iPhone or Android device, and select your camera from iCamSource's menu. Give it a username and password (so no one but you can access it), edit the motion detection sensitivity if need be, and get on with your day. You can even set up multiple cameras if you have a number of different areas to monitor. Check out the video above for a demonstration on how it works, and see our previous tutorial on iCam for more info on setting it up.
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