MAIN Technology Internet Webcams

Webcam, short for web camera, captures images in real-time across the Internet, and has become one of the Web's most popular features, allowing visitors access to parts of the world they might otherwise never see.

Like the Internet itself, web cameras began in their infancy in 1991 as the first webcam was pointed - just for laughs - at the Trojan room coffee machine in the computer science department of Cambridge University.

From there, the new technology was adopted by businesses and industry for live exchange of information via videoconferencing. Soon the tourism industry saw webcams as a compelling way to sell other exotic travel destinations. Today, a click of the mouse can result in live visual reports anywhere from the beach in Maui to the Eiffel Tower in Paris.

With the proliferation of personal web cameras, a webcam can be pointed at most anything and published online by anyone, with sometimes amusing (and sometimes bizarre) results.

The Webs Most Popular Webcam Destinations

EarthCam - Award-winning directory of webcams around the world including special events, extreme weather and Top Ten cams.

Dashboard of Best Webcams on the Net - Like it says, with instant access to beaches, major cities & tourist attractions, as well as the occasional odd fish tank, backyard chicken coop or local cafe webcam.

WebCam Central - A links list of popular webcams by category including beaches & other travel destinations, malls & shopping centers, animals & pets, city parks & town squares plus live special events, outer space, and strange & unusual webcams found around the Net.

Animal Webcams at the National Zoo - Raves from kids, parents & teachers make this a prime destination whenever baby animals are born at the zoo, along with views from cameras regularly pointed at the zoo's flamingos, gorillas, giant pandas, tigers and more.

Maui Hawaii Webcams - Use the interactive controls to zoom in or out of popular beaches all over the island including Kahului, Lahaina, Napili, the Upcountry and more.

Nola.com - Cams Central - New Orleans live, with regular webcam broadcast scheduled for Bourbon Street & French Quarter nightlife, but most popular for live streaming webcams during Mardi Gras.

Other Worldwide Webcam Destinations

Also see in Technology -> Videoconferencing

also see -> Leprechaun Trap | Hawaii Tourism

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