My nephew is getting married in a few months, and his grandparents will not be able to attend. I have been asked to set up a webcast. The location of the wedding has high-speed Internet access. What equipment will I need?
A: In theory all you need is a low-cost PC video camera and an account with one of the various instant-messaging services that include video calls. Microsoft’s offering is at messenger.msn.com, and AOL offers video messages at aim.com. They work by having both the sender and the receiver acquire accounts, and they’re pretty good if you can accept the slightly jerky and smallish pictures.
Recently I reviewed a service from Sony and GlowPoint, a video-messaging company, called IVE, that is worth checking out. It worked well in my tests, and I was impressed when it was displayed as full-screen video on my monitor.
Downloads are free for a trial version; a $10-per-month add-on expands the service to include unlimited Internet calling anywhere in the world, and calls can include video messaging. The free version, which works only among people with the service, is all you need to connect viewers.
IVE users are given video phone numbers, and the service has an online “live video operator” who can assist in getting the link established. Details and downloads are at www.myive.com.
Be advised that these kinds of video calls are designed for close-ups rather than whole-room shots, so you will need to get very close to the action no matter which service you choose.
You might try attaching a camcorder to a laptop rather than using the low-cost video cams normally sold for the modest needs of messaging. Put the camcorder on a tripod close to the action and connect it to a laptop loaded with messaging software, and you’ll probably get higher quality. You can also record the service.
Q: There are times when I’m on a Web page and wish to click on the Back button, etc., and the mouse pointer behaves strangely. As I move the pointer toward the button, it appears to “jump back.” The closer I move the pointer to the button, the farther it jumps. This makes clicking on the button difficult. Is there a fix?
A: Your computer probably has become infected by a virus or worm download. If so, your best fix is to acquire anti-virus software, such as Norton AntiVirus at
Symantec.com, McAfee at McAfee.com, PC-cillin at TrendMicro.com or eTrust EZ at www.ca.com. Another alternative is to try one of the free offerings such as Clam Win at ClamWin.com.
There always is a chance that the track ball has picked up debris or the mouse is set wrong in the control panel. Check for debris by rolling your mouse’s track ball in your hand and looking closely.
To check the settings, click on Start and Control Panel and Mouse. The things to look for are scroll speed settings and customized pointer menus.
