[see videos]

I usually don’t post about technological things but I figured I should make my contribution since I regularly take advantage of the wealth of information available on the net.

Since video chat is now the thing to do, I thought I should get in on the fun.  The only problem was that I have a Powerbook G4 and there aren’t too many good, cheap webcam options.  I searched the internet long and hard trying to find a consensus on a good solution but didn’t really find one.  After trying multiple cameras and settings this is the setup that worked well for me:

• Logitech QuickCam for Notebooks Deluxe ($20-$50)
• Macam USB Driver for Mac OS X (free)
• iUSBCam ($9.95)

I bought the camera from somebody on Craigslist for about $20.  It’s an older model but has a decent resolution and framerate.  It has good brightness too so you can be seen even without optimal lighting.

To get it working all you have to do is plug it in and install macam.  The installion info is in the mounted disk image.  After you install the QuickTime component open up the macam application.  Click the settings button (the icon with the horizontal sliders) and copy these settings:

Be sure to click “Save current Setting” in the Control menu. I found that these settings give the best results.  The compression setting is pretty critical.  If it’s set on anything else the video is choppy and/or dark.  You can play around with the others.

At this point the webcam will work with Skype (and other programs I assume).  Just make sure you have the camera plugged in before loading the program.  Getting it work with iChat, however, is a little quirky.

First, download and install iUSBCam (Free trial, $9.95 to buy).  After you’ve restarted iChat it should detect your camera and show the camera icon by your name and buddy icon.  Click that icon and your video preview will show up.  It’ll be choppy so close the window and re-open it.  This time it’ll be smoother.  You’ll have to open the video preview window at least once before chatting with anybody.

Now if all goes well you’ll be able to video chat away.  It’s quite possible you’ll run into connection problems (sorry).  Here is a list of links to help troubleshoot:

http://discussions.apple.com/message…sageID=1399740
http://discussions.apple.com/thread….hreadID=121845
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93208
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=93333
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=106439
http://forums.macrumors.com/archive/…/t-186585.html
http://www.ralphjohnsuk.dsl.pipex.com/index.html
http://www.panfluteforum.org/ubbthre…o=&fpart=1#563

I hope someone finds this helpful.

A lot of the time listening to music is only half that.  The other half is reliving the different memories of people and places associated with each song.  Here are a few of them:

Sufjan Stevens: Illinois. This takes me back to good ol’ Sparkman, Arkansas. There was really no reason for anyone to be in this town unless you knew someone there (but then why were they there?) Brandon O’Brien lived out there for a time and I would go visit every once in a while and we would talk music and literature. One of my best memories is sitting in the study listening to “Predatory Wasp of the Palisades Is out to Get Us!”, trying to figure out what it meant, all the while being swept away by its sheer beauty.

Chris Thile: Not All Who Wander are Lost.  Mark Hendrick let me borrow this CD on the flight to Germany for the Ouachita Singers/Wind Ensemble tour the summer after my freshman year.  I think I was smiling the entire time I listened to it.  Never had I heard melodies and harmonic progressions that were so near to perfection.

Jars of Clay: Much Afraid. I got this album for one of my birthdays (probably my 12th). We were at Applebee’s and my parents gave me this and I remember being a bit disappointed. I guess I was hoping for the newest dc Talk or Newsboys album. Now this is probably my favorite album of theirs.

Macy Gray: On How Life Is.  To get around New Zealand, Sammy and I rented a nifty camper van.  We didn’t have a cable to hook my iPod up to the stereo so we could only listen to CDs (of which we had none).  After a $5/gallon fill-up Sammy surprised me with this album.  I think we got through about 3 listens before we (or maybe just I) wanted to puncture the cones of the speakers.

This is fun.  I think I could write a book of all the different memories I have with music.  I’ll have to write part 2 sometime soon.