If you are looking for a webcam for your Mac these days and would specifically like an external webcam, then you will have to look somewhere other than Apple.com to get your need filled.  With Millions of Macs out there, it is odd that Apple has discontinued an item that is part of the A/V solution for the legacy systems out there.  More importantly though, the iSight was a much better product than most of the other webcam solutions out there.

The iSight could be easily adjusted independently of the computer screen, so the height of the sitting user wouldn’t have to be adjusted, rather it was a simple tilt of the camera.  It was easy to turn it off and on, with the turn of the lens.  Great interface, FIREWIRE, offering high speed video and audio with little to no latency.  Finally on my iMac, it sits there with a magnetic base, how easy is that.

So what of this vacuum?  If you have priced an iSight on eBay or Amazon.com, you will find that you can pay upwards of $300 to $500 for an unopened iSight.  A used one could easily fetch $200.

Check out this eBay link http://cgi.ebay.com/Apple-isight-camera-BRAND-NEW-firewire-webcam-G4-G5-Mac_W0QQitemZ170080944889QQihZ007QQcategoryZ80045QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

And here at Amazon.com http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/B0007KX4VU/sr=8-1/qid=1171453854/ref=pd_bbs_sr_olp_1/002-9036144-5739225?ie=UTF8&s=electronics

I know that auctions and prices fluctuate often, but you rarely see prices of electronics go up, normally they go down, so it looks as if Apple should consider getting the iSight II on the shelf, if one exists.  The price of the original iSight was $129, I believe, so if you have a few sitting on your shelf, time to make a few bucks.

Software Applications
1.  Bar-Code Reader (Like Delicious Library)
2.  Voice Recorder – PODCAST on the road
3.  Video Recorder – Video PODCAST on the road
4.  WiFi Finder
5.  Bluetooth Finder
6.  Play Music/Video wirelessly streamed to the iPhone.
7.  JAVA Apps
8.  Games
9.  Transfer non-DRM files between other iPhones and Mac/PCs
10.  Anti-theft protection (emails you automatically if the device is picked up and turned on)
11.  Emulate Palm OS (with ease)
12.  Run/view Office products (Gasp!)
13.  Financial planner
14.  Credit-Card/Checking Alert (Every time your card is used, get notified).

Hardware Add-ons

15.    GPS Interface
16.    Point of Sale Credit card System
17.    Driver License verification
18.     (check ages at a bar)
19.     (pull up police record data for law enforcement)
20.    Game controller
21.    Hands Free Carphone
22.    Bluetooth Keyboard Use
23.    Memory expansion unit
24.    Biometric verification (finger print scanner/reader)
25.    Automobile troubleshooting device/interface . (Diagnostic tool to Read/Scan Car Computers)
   
Widgets

26. Netflix Que
27. Cheap Gas
28. Book hotels/flights/cars
29. Trade stocks
 
Possible undisclosed features
30. Printing (Via WiFi/Bluetooth)
31. Filesharing
32. System partitioning/use as a boot device.

Hitting the work-week.  Here we go!  My current project is a browser review for the  Mac.  Just a hobby review of sorts, but just something to get some buzz going out there.

I’m looking at:

• Safari


• Firefox


• Camino


• Opera

I will probably comment on SeaMonkey, Netscape and Explorer.   But it’s a good project to work on at this time of convergence of online and offline applications.

-Judd