This probably won’t work on your network, I asked, but was told no way, it’s too subversive to change your desk top! But some of you may use stand-alone laptops.

Basically, you can have static; but periodically updated web-cam images on your desktop. Some excellent images can be found at Global Desktop, I particularly like the Tokyo one.

Thanks to Terry Jones for the technique, it was new for me.

Instructions for Xp.

1. Right click on the desktop and choose properties.
2. Choose desktop and customise desktop.
3. In the dialogue box, make sure that Internet Explorer is checked.
4. Click web and then new.
5. In the dialogue box, paste the url of the web-cam page or image that you want to display on your desktop
6. Click OK, a new dialogue box will appear asking you if you wish the page to be viewable offline, click OK.
7. Click OK on the desktop dialogue box.
8. In the display properties box, click apply, and then ok.
9. The webcam will appear on your desktop as a window.
10. If you move the cursor to the top of the window a menu will appear, click on the arrow symbol and the menu will descend, choose cover desktop or split desktop with icons.

Bob’s your uncle…

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In a previous post I discussed how people may integrate static, but periodically updated webcams into their blogs using Google Gadgets.

Many geography educators now have blogs, where they could potentially integrate live-streaming Windows Media web-cams and set an associated task. 

Copyright issue.

Embedding the webcams into your blogs removes the possibility of students viewing inappropriate advertisements or being forwarded to adult content. The video though is copyrighted, which poses a problem, but I believe the safety of students in this case is more important. I’m happy to remove this post at request.

The Method.

The following technique works in Blogger. Wordpress users need to first disable their rich text editor, this can be found under users, your profile, then uncheck the box.

In order to embed the Windows Media live-streaming webcams, you need to find the location URL, as explained in the ‘Webcam Wall’ process.

When writing your post you need to choose HTML, then paste the following code

<object id=”MediaPlayer” width=320 height=286 classid=”CLSID:22D6f312-B0F6-11D0-94AB-0080C74C7E95″ standby=”Loading Windows Media Player components…” type=”application/x-oleobject” codebase=

“http://activex.microsoft.com/activex/controls/mplayer/en/nsmp2inf.cab#Version

=6,4,7,1112″>

<param name=”filename” value=

“URL location here“>
<param name=”Showcontrols” value=”True”>
<param name=”autoStart” value=”True”>

<embed type=”application/x-mplayer2″ src=

“URL location here” name=”MediaPlayer” width=320 height=240></embed>

</object>

You need to delete the the ‘URL location here’ highlighted in red and paste your chosen one.  Save and view post to see if this has worked, you may have to allow time for the video to buffer.

Repeat the process to embed additional webcams.

Any thoughts?

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As discussed in the previous post, some embedded web-cams can be enlarged to full-screen with the click of the image.

There are a number of brilliant live-streaming web-cams for surfers, Coastal Watch is a great source.

This webcam showing an image of Bondi can be enlarged. It is an embedded Windows Media player, if you right click on the image and choose zoom, a full screen version can be chosen.

Another little hint, is to right click on the video and choose properties

Copy the location and past into a new browser

If your browser is set-up appropriately (and on some networks it wont be!), this will in turn open Windows Media player, which is very helpful… more later

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Some live-streaming embedded web-cams you can enlarge by clicking the image, this has the advantage of producing a larger image, which can be used in the classroom; quality though is often lost.

This is one of my favourite webcams of New York.

By clicking on the image, a full screen version appears, some networks may block this feature.

Some live-streaming web-cams appear in pops-up (Another disadvantage if your network blocks these.), even using a projector the image is too small to effectively use, SMART software helps with an IWB, the image can be enlarged, alternatively if you have IE7( I love it ) you can enlarge the image without losing too much quality. Sadly we haven’t upgraded yet.

You need to copy the address from the pop-up browser

and past into a new browser.

You can then use the enlarge button on the bottom right of the browser to enlarge the image. Sadly, whilst writing this, the Niagara Falls live-streaming web-cam is not working.

The same technique can be used with static images which are periodically updated, if you wish to avoid any potentially embarrassing adverts around the sidebars. Right click on the image, and choose properties, copy the address, it will end in jpg.

This can then be pasted into a new browser to leave the image, without the adverts.

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