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January 4, 2005 8:04 PM

Find 753 unsecured webcams in 0.09 seconds. Forum posters use this Google search to find cameras, mostly security cams, unintentionally publically broadcasting. Hurry before the cam's as hard to control as "Just Letters."
posted by NickDouglas (152 comments total)

interesting ritualistic things going on here
posted by moonbird at 8:15 PM on January 4, 2005

We've got cameras.
posted by joe lisboa at 8:18 PM on January 4, 2005

laundry..
posted by furiousxgeorge at 8:23 PM on January 4, 2005

Japanese tv broadcast in a beauty salon.
posted by orange clock at 8:26 PM on January 4, 2005

I'll come back to this thread when someone finds the camera that the nerds installed in the Pi-Delts house.
posted by Arch Stanton at 8:26 PM on January 4, 2005

This is fascinating, but I'm not geeky enough to understand what makes all these webcams unsecured. Surely the point of a webcam is to let anyone on the internet view it.

This looks like some kind of factory/sweatshop?
posted by Joh at 8:36 PM on January 4, 2005

There's many of those laundry-cams (look for 'netvolante' in the url) of the same chain of laundromats, apparently streaming from different locations around Japan.

Here's a downtown plaza and intersection in Macao?
posted by SenshiNeko at 8:36 PM on January 4, 2005

working
posted by moonbird at 8:37 PM on January 4, 2005

Populated Computer Lab
posted by ed at 8:38 PM on January 4, 2005

I love this.
posted by coelecanth at 8:43 PM on January 4, 2005

Lobby for this hotel.
posted by SPrintF at 8:47 PM on January 4, 2005

This is seriously the best thing I have ever seen.
posted by nev at 8:50 PM on January 4, 2005

(As a follow-up, make a note: white people look stupid in kimono.)
posted by SPrintF at 8:51 PM on January 4, 2005

Arrgh Matey! Giveth the gold dubloons!
posted by Dean Keaton at 8:53 PM on January 4, 2005

A "netkamera demo" in a Danish electronics store. Go ahead -- mess with someone's sales pitch (well, once the store opens in the morning).
posted by me3dia at 8:53 PM on January 4, 2005

joh, i think the point is that they've turned into normal webcams, but in actuality they are security cameras around the world that are on a network that isn't secured so it can be accessed by the public. a webcam would be one where people knowingly are putting themselves on the net... i think?
posted by mgkaelen at 8:54 PM on January 4, 2005

Also, on most of these you can control where the camera is pointing from your browser. That would seem 'unsecured'.
posted by jnthnjng at 8:56 PM on January 4, 2005

These should be a lot more fun in the (American time zones) morning.

Now all we need is one in the hotel room. The original post had some links taken down...gotta find those cams...
posted by NickDouglas at 8:58 PM on January 4, 2005

Pit 42, University of Queensland
posted by muckster at 9:02 PM on January 4, 2005

A rice paddy? Why?
posted by SPrintF at 9:07 PM on January 4, 2005

This could be anywhere in America. Except they drive on the left. It is a small world, after all!
posted by SPrintF at 9:13 PM on January 4, 2005

a japanese cafe
they were just playing 'eye of the tiger'. and a guy recognized that the camera was behaving strangely.
posted by heimchen at 9:13 PM on January 4, 2005

This is very cool, when the pages actually load, that is.

What fun! I like the Ocean Park best so far.

Until someone finds the change room cam at Victoria's Secret.
posted by fenriq at 9:14 PM on January 4, 2005

This one is really spectacular -- a bay somewhere in Japan with birds, mondo suspension bridge and docking facility.
posted by coelecanth at 9:16 PM on January 4, 2005

I wish we could speak to them! That would be the best ever!
posted by fenriq at 9:17 PM on January 4, 2005

Which button makes the camera explode, again?

Strangely, this brand of webcam seems to have penetrated the 'coin-op laundromat security' market well.
posted by id at 9:17 PM on January 4, 2005

There's only one explanation for something this cool: a viral marketing campaign for Halo 3.

I bet that within 24 hours, someone sees an alien on one of these webcams.
posted by hammurderer at 9:18 PM on January 4, 2005

Skiing!
posted by lasm at 9:19 PM on January 4, 2005

Holy crap! They've got SOUND?!
posted by coelecanth at 9:22 PM on January 4, 2005

Damn, this is about the coolest damned thing ever! Superb post!
posted by fenriq at 9:23 PM on January 4, 2005

I hate to sound repetitive but this is freaking amazing... the camera doesn't physically move... does it?
posted by RobertFrost at 9:26 PM on January 4, 2005

Only 900!? Make that about 2000 cameras. Use This Link instead
posted by fourstar at 9:27 PM on January 4, 2005

Any idea which make/model of camera this is?
posted by basicchannel at 9:28 PM on January 4, 2005

Woohoo!
posted by carter at 9:29 PM on January 4, 2005

Hmm... This page says it's a Toshiba?
posted by basicchannel at 9:30 PM on January 4, 2005

Doh! I meant Panasonic.. sorry :(.
posted by basicchannel at 9:30 PM on January 4, 2005

At least there aren't any remote controlled sentry guns hooked up to the internet... yet...
posted by bobo123 at 9:32 PM on January 4, 2005

This is fun! Great post!

Someone's pet...
posted by whatideserve at 9:35 PM on January 4, 2005

Come on come all...inside Kel's Christmas home!!!
posted by RobertFrost at 9:37 PM on January 4, 2005

The University of Queensland on is so smooth, maybe its just because im in australia but all the others had quite low frame rates.
posted by phyle at 9:37 PM on January 4, 2005

The ones with sound are amazing! I wish we could talk to them too.
posted by johnj at 9:37 PM on January 4, 2005

At some point you might be able to watch the watchmen.
posted by cmonkey at 9:37 PM on January 4, 2005

What I find intriguing about this is the fact that security cameras are apparently so damn prevalent. How often are we filmed without having a clue? (I'm not getting all privacy-wonkish -- this is entertaining as hell -- but it made me think.)
posted by damn yankee at 9:37 PM on January 4, 2005

Change language=1 to language=2 in the URLs for English.
posted by meehawl at 9:42 PM on January 4, 2005

This is wild. I just went to one and as it loaded, I realized that someone somewhere else was manipulating the camera I was just about to manipulate.

Also, the scenes of a Japanese woman washing dishes alone in a cafe and the empty card tables somewhere else were kind of heartbreaking.
posted by mothershock at 9:43 PM on January 4, 2005

But bobo, there's already internet deer hunting.
posted by NickDouglas at 9:44 PM on January 4, 2005

This is SO FREAKING COOL.

I saw some Japanese cooks um... cooking. Or chopping. Something.
posted by sugarfish at 9:45 PM on January 4, 2005

Fascinating.

Hmm... The White Stripes followed by "99 Luftballoons". Japan makes it funny.
posted by VanRoosta at 9:46 PM on January 4, 2005

Oh my god, I am watching people fishtail around a snowy parking lot. In Japan. And they're doing it RIGHT NOW AS I TYPE. IN JAPAN.

Did somebody just give me the keys to the Master Control Program or some shit?

I second - the coolest thing I have ever seen on the Internet
posted by bingbangbong at 9:48 PM on January 4, 2005

The same thing works for AXIS network cameras, too.
posted by adamsc at 9:51 PM on January 4, 2005

This is neat, but somehow unsatisfying. I keep waiting for someone to hit the motherlode and peek into a secret government cabal meeting or something.

The linked article mentions that you can use Google to print things out on unprotected printers. Anyone have any idea on how to do that? Not that I want to cause havoc or anything... I'm just... curious....
posted by painquale at 9:57 PM on January 4, 2005

I got to watch someone take a header into the snow on the skiing cam from above!

Nice extra link, adamsc!
posted by fenriq at 9:58 PM on January 4, 2005

Gibson was so right man. There's nothing more powerful than the voyeuristic urge.

This is cool.

Yes I looked. I just had to.
posted by nixerman at 10:06 PM on January 4, 2005

At least there aren't any remote controlled sentry guns hooked up to the internet... yet...

Where have you been?

A controversial Web site already offers target practice with a .22 caliber rifle and could soon let hunters shoot at deer, antelope and wild pigs, site creator John Underwood said on Tuesday.
Texas officials are not quite sure what to make of Underwood's Web site, but may tweak existing laws to make sure Internet hunting does not get out of hand.

We are currently working on a very comfortable, ADA compliant blind which will house the LIVE-SHOT shooting system. Once this and the perimeter fencing are completed, will we be able to offer a unique computer assisted hunting opportunity. Disabled and handicapped hunters, as well as others who would like to try this type of hunting, will be able to use our system.

The Daily Show had quite an amusing skit on this a while back.
posted by meehawl at 10:09 PM on January 4, 2005

Man, I can't get any of these to load. Stupid other people on the internet.
posted by designbot at 10:10 PM on January 4, 2005

But bobo, there's already internet deer hunting.

Ah sweet engadget. Nothing like a third-hand link to a link to a news story about a website.
posted by meehawl at 10:11 PM on January 4, 2005

this is incredibly neat. incredibly, incredibly neat.
posted by The God Complex at 10:16 PM on January 4, 2005

> a japanese cafe
> they were just playing 'eye of the tiger'. and a guy recognized that the
> camera was behaving strangely.

Preset button #3 is labeled `Deepfrieddog.'
posted by NewBornHippy at 10:17 PM on January 4, 2005

This one seems to have small animals (I saw a dog, and what looked like a small sheep) wandering through someone's house.
posted by luriete at 10:19 PM on January 4, 2005

I sense a late night ahead.
posted by fenriq at 10:29 PM on January 4, 2005

Man, I can't get any of these to load. Stupid other people on the internet.

The Queensland help page says that it requires ActiveX to work. I'm not sure but I'm guessing that leaves us mac users out in the cold.
posted by kamus at 10:30 PM on January 4, 2005

So that's why 1984 won't be like 1984.
posted by designbot at 10:40 PM on January 4, 2005

One of the best moments of my short life! This is like being John Malkovich, without the weird love triangle.

Incredible Post. You deserve knighthood or something.
posted by phrontist at 10:45 PM on January 4, 2005

Works fine on mac OS X 10.3.7 with Firefox! Most of them work, at least. A few have no controls to move around and say I need to download and manually install the Sun Java SDK but other than that, most work.
posted by luriete at 10:51 PM on January 4, 2005

One of the early joys of the web was that site that allowed the visitor to move around a robotic arm, blow at sand, and find hidden treasures. This reminds me of that. Thanks.
posted by gluechunk at 11:21 PM on January 4, 2005

Japanese Ostrich Farm?
posted by Guy Smiley at 11:33 PM on January 4, 2005

Hooooooooooly Shit! Hoooooooooooly Shit!

I want to tell the lady cleaning the kitchen: You have friends now! An unknown number of people are watching you at 230 Am EST! (At least here in New York.)

Hooooooooooly Shit!
posted by goodglovin77 at 11:39 PM on January 4, 2005

Heh...it took me a minute to figure out that I wasn't making the camera go nuts, I was just trying to adjust it at the same time as some other voyeur. This is great!
posted by LeeJay at 12:15 AM on January 5, 2005

I see dead people...

Oh no, wait, they're just moving very slowly.
posted by Darkman at 12:17 AM on January 5, 2005

Yep. I was checking out this office scene for a while, then somebody came along and started zooming around, so for a while I was just sitting here peeking at them peeking.
posted by taz at 12:17 AM on January 5, 2005

This is the most beautiful so far.

Great find .. hours of God like viewing
posted by vodkadin at 12:22 AM on January 5, 2005

Heh. That's one of you guys, isn't it?
posted by taz at 12:23 AM on January 5, 2005

This seriously satisfies the peeper in me. I've wasted far too much time at this.....
posted by codeofconduct at 12:25 AM on January 5, 2005

BEST. POST. EVER.
posted by Civil_Disobedient at 12:25 AM on January 5, 2005

vodkakin, that's definitely my favorite out of the ones I've seen.
posted by LeeJay at 12:27 AM on January 5, 2005

People preparing food.
posted by NickO at 12:28 AM on January 5, 2005

Ah, sorry for messing up your username vodkadin.
posted by LeeJay at 12:28 AM on January 5, 2005

I just saw a gut with a tray in a hotel. While I ate italian chicken with rice and vegetables. IN MY LOUNGE ROOM.

This is absolutely insane. But really good.
posted by Bdave at 12:28 AM on January 5, 2005

I think I can die happy now.
posted by MikeKD at 12:40 AM on January 5, 2005

This one is like looking into the future.

This is so awesome.
posted by NickO at 12:47 AM on January 5, 2005

Japanese preschool?
posted by LeeJay at 12:49 AM on January 5, 2005

Church is in session.
posted by cmyk at 12:55 AM on January 5, 2005

Mac users: Safari doesn't support the streaming JPEG frame technique most of these cameras use (it tries to download the entire thing before displaying it); Firefox works great.
posted by adamsc at 12:57 AM on January 5, 2005

Izakaya bar.
posted by dydecker at 12:59 AM on January 5, 2005

This is the best thing ever. If someone could fetch all the working ones and list them on one page...

I so want one of those cameras now. I'm sure no one would mind peering into my girls' only dorm hall.
posted by sian at 1:08 AM on January 5, 2005

This is just awesome. Even though I've barely found anything overly interesting with this I'm still having an absolute blast.
posted by Stunt at 1:16 AM on January 5, 2005

I can't wait to witness a murder, get sucked into a dangerous game of political (and hopefully erotic) intrigue, and save freedom: all because of one of these cameras.
posted by mokujin at 1:25 AM on January 5, 2005

Oh man. Not only have I not gotten any sleep and my day is about to begin ... I won't get a damn thing done today thanks to this.

So cool. I can't stop clicking links and watching!
posted by Orb at 1:26 AM on January 5, 2005

This made my night.
posted by jkilg at 1:26 AM on January 5, 2005

I'm surprised this hasn't generated any WebCam Haiku in this thread. Come on, everyody...

Evening laundry
Oh no! Coin jam in machine.
See tears from Japan
* *
Zoom in. Zoom out. Whoops.
Scaring strangers long distance
My bad; bathe in peace.
* *
Hooves and paws indoors
Perchance are you raising a
Quadriped army?
* *

-Kato
posted by Kato at 1:27 AM on January 5, 2005

Gah. Drat. I stumbled across this about a year or so ago when someone told me about it in IRC. I wish I'd posted it back then and got all this 'Best Post Ever' fellatio. Feh, well, you live and learn.
posted by metaxa at 1:32 AM on January 5, 2005

This is just completely freaky. I even added presets at one, and called them "Hi" and "YouToo". NickDouglas, you have brought the MeFia thousands of hours of deliciously useless, slightly sordid fun. I applaud you!
posted by taz at 2:00 AM on January 5, 2005

Uh, not much luck here, so far.

It keeps asking me to download what is apparently a plug-in from Panasonic Communications. I suppose that's the camera driver software?

What do you guys reckon? Is it safe to install that stuff? Can you all see it without installing anything? Does it work on Firefox without an additional plug-in?
posted by sour cream at 2:04 AM on January 5, 2005

I'm using firefox, and didn't have to download anything.
posted by taz at 2:07 AM on January 5, 2005

metaxa, you're no NickDouglas but you're not so bad.

Still awake. Still looking. Help me.
posted by nixerman at 2:10 AM on January 5, 2005

Some many webcams, so few Co-eds!
posted by X-00 at 2:15 AM on January 5, 2005

Check this out: preset 5 is called "OMGWTFPENIS" (Not my work). Six is called "weCANallSEEyou".
posted by taz at 2:18 AM on January 5, 2005

[fuckin' a cool]
posted by squirrel at 3:49 AM on January 5, 2005

dydecker: Thanks for the izakaya link.
I managed to zoom in onto one of the signs behind the counter. Turns out they have a web site, which tells us that we are looking into the Showa Shokudo (eatery) in Seto City (near Nagoya).
posted by sour cream at 4:01 AM on January 5, 2005

This. This. This. Is what makes MetaFilter great.

Man, ain't the internet marvellous?
posted by armoured-ant at 5:20 AM on January 5, 2005

seriously, this is the greatest link ever ! after posting this link to IRC, I now have at least 6 different offices in the UK and 10 offices in the US doing absolutely no work and all out cam hunting :) I second the emotion for a page to submit working ones to...anyone wanna make a quick form for this? I'd host it, I just suck (dont know how to) make form pages Thanks to the folks at proxy2.de for making php/mysql goodies so people like me can quickly set things up we otherwise wouldn't be able to.

I setup a guestbook as a way of letting us post working netcam links...this is *not* linked from anything on my site (since I generally think guestbooks are silly) its just an easy way for us to share. Post your working NetCam links here. HTML is disabled, but AGCode is on.


Mad propz to Smartypus McGnome and NickDouglas for bringing this to us !

I am also really interested to see what the google link for unsecured network printers is...I uhm, wanna test my own office...or something...
posted by gren at 5:57 AM on January 5, 2005

an axolotl?
posted by nonemoreblack at 6:18 AM on January 5, 2005

sorry sorry sorry sorry double selfpost, It should be Post your working NetCam links here. sorry sorry sorry sorry
posted by gren at 6:23 AM on January 5, 2005

Thanks, gren - and don't worry! Self posting related information in comments is okey-dokey
posted by taz at 6:40 AM on January 5, 2005

ok we are going to need to take turns on the japanese cafe one, i was fighting over panning control of the camera with someone and this guy sitting under the camera got uncomfortable and left...

ive never cared to watch a webcam that someone was -offerring-, its when they -didnt- offer it... mmm hmm hmm, yes
posted by GleepGlop at 7:13 AM on January 5, 2005

This is amazing, many thanks!
posted by odinsdream at 7:32 AM on January 5, 2005

sour cream, yes its something to do with the camera. i installed them and nothing happened to me.

i found out on the japanese preschool one (with sound) that panning makes a lot of robotic noise, cause it was nighttime. so like, time your pans for when your target coughs or drops something... ha
posted by GleepGlop at 7:34 AM on January 5, 2005

that printer control one will take you down the shadowy path to becoming a hacker. use your points wisely...
posted by GleepGlop at 7:37 AM on January 5, 2005

At the risk of repeating myself: This is somewhat the bomb.

Props to joe lisboa for the obligatory NortonDC reference (though I'm pretty sure it's "We have," not "We've got"... anybody?) - and not just for the "cameras" part, but for that community sense of getting away with something while the getting away with it is good. And, of course, this, is, in fact, good.
posted by soyjoy at 7:40 AM on January 5, 2005

Windy, desolate beachfront road in (Michigan?). Reverse DNS of the ip seems to suggest it. Looks like MI to me.
posted by guanxi at 7:40 AM on January 5, 2005

From gren's guestbook: extremely secure fish
posted by bugbread at 7:49 AM on January 5, 2005

[This is fucking good.]
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 7:51 AM on January 5, 2005

Doggies

A lazy train track meanders through the pristine Alps mountains...or does it?!?
posted by bugbread at 7:58 AM on January 5, 2005

bugbread - that model railroad one rocks.
posted by codger at 8:16 AM on January 5, 2005

On the printing angle: Most current network capable printers have the ability to print jobs sent to their IP address. And this ability is usually enabled by default (at least on HPs and Xeroxes). So if a company just plugs a printer into an insecure network without configuring it to only accept their jobs anyone in the world can print jobs off on it.

I don't know what string you'd google for though.
posted by Mitheral at 8:19 AM on January 5, 2005

now what would be really good is if you can watch your print job on the webcam and wait for someone to come over and read it, muhaha
posted by GleepGlop at 8:48 AM on January 5, 2005

For those of you who followed adamsc's link to unsecured axis cameras, the default login info is root:pass

Enjoy.
posted by tirebouchon at 8:55 AM on January 5, 2005

So, who peeped all night long?

I was not able to, my son slept through the night so I was allowed to as well.

Truly great fun though!

Now about that Google Printer hack........
posted by fenriq at 9:36 AM on January 5, 2005

I declare this to be the first and worst procastination and productivity destruction fest of 2005 !

Would somebody pleas think about the productivity ! The productivity ! The poor little companies !!!!!!!!!!!
posted by elpapacito at 9:36 AM on January 5, 2005

Oh and thanks to tirebuchon and adamsc too !
posted by elpapacito at 9:38 AM on January 5, 2005

Posted this to gren's page, but I'm curious as to whether or not this is actually a wormhole. ;) Archived image here in case it changes.
posted by sysinfo at 9:48 AM on January 5, 2005

Also, the most complete query so far would be this, which combines the three types and gives you 4,570 cameras to peep through. Thanks to all involved for finding the URL strings that have ensured that I never do real work again.
posted by sysinfo at 9:56 AM on January 5, 2005

Searching "inurl:printer/configu.html" turns up about 16 Brother laser printers...

I just went searching for printer manuals on google, and this one happened to have a screenshot of the config page.
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 10:07 AM on January 5, 2005

Very "Ghost in the Shell".

So far I've looked at a ski hill, a fish store, a deserted street in a pedestrian shopping district, a harbour at night, a beautiful lake in Michigan, some crappy industrial park in Ontario, a front door of a business that has many clocks on the wall, an australian Formula SAE car workshop, and about ten peoples' back yards.

The key to good viewing is changing the URL for Mode=Motion, language=0, size=320x240, quality=motion. Then pan side to side, pan up and down, and check out what's going on...

Of course the loud camera noise during panning gives the game away, I must be leaving a sea of suspicious cam owners in my wake.

Thanks, Metafilter.
posted by anthill at 10:22 AM on January 5, 2005

Woof!
posted by anthill at 10:25 AM on January 5, 2005

Hungry boys at the innovation lab.

Terrific!
posted by tcp at 10:39 AM on January 5, 2005

Moonbird, that was a Japanese funeral home.

This post is deeply thrilling.
posted by of strange foe at 10:45 AM on January 5, 2005

Texas looks colder than I had imagined.
posted by EmoChild at 10:59 AM on January 5, 2005

This looks downright creepy. What is it?
posted by EmoChild at 11:01 AM on January 5, 2005

This is just awesome. I havent felt any futureshock in quite some time. I blogged some of the good ones I've found here.
posted by skallas at 11:08 AM on January 5, 2005

My favorite (dono why)
posted by EmoChild at 11:15 AM on January 5, 2005

Maybe I shouldn't have just printed a document that says "hi" to a bio lab at PITT....

Oh well, too late now.
posted by Lazlo Hollyfeld at 11:19 AM on January 5, 2005

Thanks Taz, I wasn't 100% sure. Again, I invite everyone to go post your finds at the NetCam link...just please dont put the links in the homepage area...it cuts them off !!! Use the AGCode [url=http://foo.bar]YourText[/url] style.
posted by gren at 11:23 AM on January 5, 2005

Anyone want to spy on China?

I searched for inurl:".gov" as well :)

Also, Insane.
posted by joecacti at 11:53 AM on January 5, 2005

What do you have to do to hear the sound that comes along with some of these? I've visited several that are reported to have sound and can't hear a thing.

Lazlo Hollyfeld - Love your username :)
posted by LeeJay at 12:22 PM on January 5, 2005

its pretty rare that ive been so thrilled by a post....thanks to everyone who has contributed...now i wish i had started that essay this evening...
posted by Flamingoroad at 12:30 PM on January 5, 2005

Potentially hours of wasted time for me in this thread. This simply rocks.
posted by DakotaPaul at 1:25 PM on January 5, 2005

I LOVE this link--thank you. It reminds me of a This American Life Segement, aired a few weeks ago, about a guy in Canada, I think, who becomes obsessed with a view of an empty lobby and a woman he mysteriously finds on a cable channel when he programs his VCR--one of the best TAL segments I've ever heard. Does anyone know that segment?
posted by ParisParamus at 1:46 PM on January 5, 2005

Spies Like Us [Real Audio] is the name of the show that segment appeared on. It was a good piece even if fictitious.
posted by trey at 1:49 PM on January 5, 2005

There's a funeral going on at the Japanese funeral home.
posted by ori at 5:28 PM on January 5, 2005

ParisParamus, I heard the segment. It was amazing. Did you catch that it was a work of fiction? Good art. Here's the page for the episode, titled Spies Like Us.
posted by tomharpel at 6:06 PM on January 5, 2005

Paris listens to NPR????

Huh?
posted by item at 7:30 PM on January 5, 2005

One day we will have random webcam access like this for lunar self-replicating He3 mining robots gone rogue or hacked.

I predict some excellent games of demolition derby. That extra 2.5 second will really add some zest to the controls...
posted by meehawl at 8:54 PM on January 5, 2005

My current favourite is somebody's apartment with 4 cats lying on the bed

Most of these webcams are in Japan, so I find more of them are active at night here on the west coast.

I also found a pair of webcams, that give 2 different views of a snow covered harbor. The cameras seem to be top-of-the-line ones, with an incredible zoom range:
Cam1
Cam2
posted by Joh at 10:00 PM on January 5, 2005

ParisParamus, it's funny, and I thought of mentioning it earlier, but something like your American Life story happened here (except without the interesting bits): for several days we had a TV channel that was basically a security cam feed. It showed a hallway in what is either a hotel or an apartment building, with two doors visible. Most of the time it was just a dead scene, but every now and then you could see someone entering or leaving. It was quite eery, though I don't really know why.
posted by taz at 10:28 PM on January 5, 2005

Wondering why so many cameras are on miemasu:

From Babelfish of miemasu.net:

Don't you think? dynamic DNS (pay network service) it is visible, the ? and the service Presented by Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. corporation You can attach to the simple monitoring "camera name by way of Internet!" "IP address unnecessary of fixing!" The former way global address of fixing is not acquired in the one for network camera and also the ? becomes, the name which is the taste which it is easy to remember in the network camera (domain name) attaching, (the register of first-come order), in the personal computer browser "http: / 0000 miemasu.net "the way it is possible by the fact that it inputs to access the network camera directly by way of Internet. Joining to this service, in order to utilize, the IP product of the Panasonic communication corporation (*) is necessary. In case of the payment which is by the credit card, month amount 1,029 Yen (tax removal 980 Yen), in case of the payment which is by the automatic transfer from account of the bank or the post office, month amount 1,575 Yen (tax removal 1,500 Yen) with you can utilize service charge. Joining method concerning details, please refer to "the joining procedure" of the menu of the left side. (*) The foam/home network camera, foam/home networks t Shaun, the network camera, naming generically camera control unit, it makes the IP product. Furthermore importance news * From 2004 December 1st "it is visible don't you think?, taking over from the Panasonic communication corporation, you offer the ? and service", from the Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd. corporation. Furthermore, it accompanies the modification of this purveyor of service, "don't you think? it is visible, because the service contents of the ? and service" and the modification of fee altogether it is not, about your time old patronage we ask may.
posted by calwatch at 10:31 PM on January 5, 2005

Background on the cat cam.
posted by calwatch at 10:34 PM on January 5, 2005

This one is of a science museum. You can watch all the little machines on the table move around and around... This is really cool!
posted by cmaxmagee at 4:16 AM on January 6, 2005

Human translation, for people unable to read Japanese or Babelfishese:

Dynamic DNS (Paid Network Service)
Miemasu Net Service
Presented by Matsushita Electric

Easy, Internet Based Monitoring
"I want to name the camera!" "I don't need a fixed IP address!"
Now you can assign (on a first come, first served basis) whatever easy to remember name you like (a domain name) to your network camera, without having to use a fixed global address. This allows you direct access to your network camera over the internet, just by entering the name into your browser, in the form of "http://oooo.miemasu.net".

The Panasonic Communications IP Product (*) is necessary in order to use this service.

For customers using credit cards for payment, this service costs 1,029 yen (980 yen before taxes) per month. For automatic bank or post office account transfers, this service costs 1,575 (1,500 before taxes) per month.

Refer to the "Application Procedures" at left for details about applying for use of this service.

(*) The "IP Product" refers to home network cameras, home network stations, network cameras, and camera control units.

Important Notice

From December 1, 2004, provision of the "Miemasu Net Service" will transfer from Panasonic Communications to Matsushita Electric.

Service contents and fees will not change due to this change of service providers. We look forward to your continued patronage.
posted by bugbread at 4:48 AM on January 6, 2005

Thanks calwatch! I can't read anything on the page, but I get the jist of it. I was watching when the camera-owner returned home and switched the cam off. Imagine my disappointment. Now I wait patiently for my daily fix.
posted by Joh at 11:55 AM on January 6, 2005

Has anybody noticed the similarity to Patrick Farley's "Spiders" comic?
http://www.e-sheep.com/spiders/
For example, this sequence:
http://www.e-sheep.com/spiders/02/
posted by myl at 7:08 AM on January 7, 2005

Here's a follow-up... Someone went and put a bunch of 'em together for yas.
posted by jaronson at 4:43 PM on January 11, 2005