OMG! Okay, this isn’t exactly a beauty or a blogging trick, but it still blows me away.
Have you heard of Skype? It’s a free chat platform, among other things. People use it to audio/text/video chat with each other across time and space, LOL!
As if that’s not cool enough already, there’s a powerful feature sort of buried in the preferences that changes it from a chat program into a home surveillance tool/pet monitor!
It requires Skype (of course) and two different free accounts. They’re easy to create, just requiring a different email address for each one.
You’ll need two computers/laptops, each one with a webcam, speakers and a microphone (some webcams include mics).
Before leaving home for your trip, open the Skype program and log in with one of the two Skype accounts you created.
Check the boxes in the Skype preferences beside “Automatically receive video from” and “Start my video automatically.”
Leave your computer powered on while you’re gone (it needs to be turned on so you can connect to it remotely). You may also have to disable the power management settings on your computer to prevent it from shutting down after a period of inactivity (saves power but means you can’t connect to it while you’re away).
Now, from the road, you just log into Skype with your Account B, place a call to your Account A, and KAPOW! — instant pet monitor. Skype at home answers the call automatically.
I just checked on Tabs from Las Vegas using this trick, and it worked like a charm! With the computer speakers turned on, he heard my voice and meowed his reply. I feel better knowing what he’s up to while I’m gone… You never know with that cat. 🙂
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
OMG that is so creative! I don’t have a pet or kids, but I am sure a lot of parents would appreciate that so they could watch what is going on at home when babysitters are there. Wait, did I just sound like a super suspicious person? I’m not, but with all that you hear on the news these days, this tool could be very useful!
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Hi Kajal Couture,
Totally! And it doesn’t really cost that much extra. 🙂
OH MY GOD! This is brilliant, Karen! I’ve always wanted a kittycam for my cat, Bella, and now I rig this up!! This is especially useful since she had surgery this week and now I can check on her from work to ease my worries.
THANK YOU!
.-= Kristen’s last blog post… What I’m coveting =-.
Hi Kristen,
Oh no, is Bella okay? I hope her health is on the up and up.
OH MY GOD! This is brilliant, Karen! I’ve always wanted a kittycam for my cat, Bella, and now I rig this up!! This is especially useful since she had surgery this week and now I can check on her from work to ease my worries.
THANK YOU!
.-= Kristen’s last blog post… What I’m coveting =-.
LOL that is awesome I would never have thought to use skype as a kitty cam, but I would be worried that my kitty would jump on the computer keyboard and do something weird on the computer.
.-= amy’s last blog post… St Ives Olive Cleanser =-.
Hi Amy,
LOL! Tabs thankfully has never shown any interest in keyboards. 🙂
That is TOO cute Karen! I always wonder what my cats and dog are up to while I’m at work 🙂
Hi Kelly,
LOL, wouldn’t it be funny if you checked up on them and found out they were having a raging kegger!?
Oh, I so could have used this while I was in Vegas! I left my cat (also a tabby) Jade for four days with bowls full of food and her water fountain but worried that she’s be lonely. Thankfully my aunt came to visit her frequently, but now I know what to do on shorter trips!
Thank you!
Hi Lana,
Sure! I think your cat will like it… she’ll be comforted by the sound of your voice.
That is great!!!!
Hi Ames,
It’s pretty spiffy. 🙂
Is anyone else reminded of Angela’s nannycam on her cats on The Office?
(Husband and I always hire a sitter to stay with the cats while we’re gone. We can’t have them sleeping without a human to snuggle)
.-= Marley’s last blog post… The Fashion-Blogger Blues =-.
Hi Marley,
Oh, that’s cool! Do your cats snuggle with you guys every night?
I see the you like to spy on Tabs :P….what if he needed some privacy for a romantic date:P
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Hi Tavia,
LOL, I didn’t think about that. He *is* a player…
Haha I laughed at he meowing his reply? The place is looking good, Karen.
-meream
Hi Meream,
He totally did! 🙂
SWEET!!!
Hi AndreaMarie,
🙂 Happy to help!
Karen You ARE a genius !
Michele
Hi Michele,
🙂 Do you think you might try it? It’s pretty easy!
Great idea! I’ve used Skype before to chat with friends. Such a huge money saver for long distance costs.
.-= Christy’s last blog post… Chanel Venice Murano Quad Swatch & Review =-.
Hi Christy,
Skype is am amazing tool. I hope they never charge for the service!
Very smart!!!! Now I can check on my cat when I’m away. YAY!!!! Thanks Karen!! 😉
Hi Danni,
Sure thing! Now you can make sure that your kitty is behaving while you’re gone!
Hi Roberta,
Sure thing!
HI Mandaxleslie,
It’s pretty cool. Do you have a cat too?
Hey Karen! Well, we have 9 cats, so if they all piled on the bed, we’d drown in beasts…but I did wake up a few nights ago and counted 7 all snuggled around us. We have a few single guy friends who like house-sitting and don’t mind waking up with furry faces staring at them- it gives us great peace of mind to know they’re being taken care of. Cats are family, right?
.-= Marley’s last blog post… The Fashion-Blogger Blues =-.
Ha – that’s so funny, we just set up our doggy web cam yesterday! We use MSN messenger right now, but we’ll have to look into Skype. Thanks!
Aww, that’s so cute of him! That’s such a good idea. I always wonder what Aisha and Tigger are up to whenever I’m gone…