Greg Kettmann writes:
> In my never ending quest to play with new toys I've decided I want to
> install a web cam. In the Windows world that is fairly simple. There
> are dozens of USB cameras for less than $50. However, I seem to recall
> that Linux doesn't support USB yet. Also, the software is all for
> Windows.
>
> What options are available for a Linux Webcam (preferably under $50)?
Cut a hole in the guard over the power supply fan on the back
of you're computer. Glue a mirror to the center of the fan hub about
45 degrees out of plane with the surface of the hub (use pieces cut
from AOL or MSN get started free offer disks as shims, and for any
other simple structure materials). Hang another mirror from a duct
tape hinge above and behind the computer so that when it is swung back
a bit you can see the fan mirror in it from in front of the computer.
Attach a piece of string between this mirror and the heads in your
floppy drive so that when the floppy seeks the mirror is swung around
the useful angle. Wire a photo transistor from Radio Shack to the
input of your sound card, stealing power from a serial port pin.
Steal the lens from a disposable camera and mount it and the photo
transistor so that it "looks" into the axis of the fan. Put an LED,
similarly powered, to one side of the fan so that the photo transistor
will see it reflected in the fan mirror when the fan is at a certain
point in its rotation (used to synchronize to "fan scan" rate and
phase). Build light baffles such that the photo transistor can only
see light reflected in the fan mirror, and that only from the LED or
reflected in the seek controlled mirror.
The rest is only software. The perl hackers on the list can
probably do it for you in two lines.
Bill
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