This is a combination written/video review because there is a lot to cover.  I felt that simply writing a review with static screenshots would not properly illustrate everything Mobiscope has to offer,  yet a video-only review could have easily turned into a small feature film!

What is Mobiscope?
Mobiscope allows you to watch webcam video on your mobile device (or any computer via the web).  The cameras can be simple webcams hooked up to your computer, or they can be network cameras (essentially anywhere!).  You can watch streaming live video of any of the cameras, or you can set motion detection with optional alerts via email.

Mobiscope works on Mac & PC, and the following smartphones: Android, Blackberry, Windows Mobile, iPhone, Palm and many Java-enabled phones.  Read on as we dive into the details!

The Desktop Application

Mobiscope Desktop is free, which is nice.  You can do a lot with just the desktop app, but believe me, you will want the other features too!  While I’m thinking about it, a reminder for Mac users – Mobiscope works on Intel-based Macs with Mac OS X 10.5 and higher.

The download for the Desktop version is kind of hidden – you need to go to the download section of the Mobiscope site and click on a mobile device first.  That will take you to the download for that mobile device as well as the Desktop version.

When Mobiscope installs, it will prompt you to register the computer, which assigns it a number.  That number is how you would remotely connect to view live or recorded video.  You will then assign a password for accessing that computer.  I’ve registered three PC’s in my house, and each has a unique computer number which allows me to connect and view the cameras connected to that PC.

If you are planning on viewing USB-connected webcams, ensure those are already plugged in and have the necessary drivers installed before you launch Mobiscope.  That way, once the app opens, it will auto-detect any cameras connected to the computer.  I’ve also observed that if you disconnect a camera from the PC for any reason, you will need to close Mobiscope and re-launch it for the camera(s) to be detected again.

Once you launch the app, you’ll see those cameras, plus UScreenCapture, which if chosen, will show your desktop screen in one of the 4 available camera positions.

I currently have two cameras connected to the PC that I am using for this review. One is right near my laptop where I am working, and the other is a view of the kitchen (one floor below me).  For that camera, I used a 15′ USB extension (the maximum length you can use without additional equipment) and ran it down through the wall to the top of my kitchen cabinet.

Network cameras can be added by clicking on the button seen here:

Then you simply complete the necessary information on this screen.

Here is a list of supported network cameras.

Once you have the cameras connected, you can do a variety of things via the desktop app:

• Manually start recording
• Set up motion detection
• Adjust camera settings
• Schedule recording times
• View recorded video

Manual recording is pretty straightforward – just click start or stop.

The Motion Detection is slick. You can choose areas of the camera view where you would like motion to be detected, and you can choose the sensitivity as well.  Then when there is activity in that area, Mobiscope will record the video to your hard drive.  By default, Mobiscope retains 7 days worth of video, but you can change that to your liking.  More on recording later.  Want an email notification when motion is detected? You can set that up too.  This is the part that ties in nicely with a mobile device.

Setting up Motion Detection areas

Here is an example of a motion detection email, both on desktop email (Gmail) and via my Android:

The Camera Settings feature allows you to adjust the brightness, contrast, saturation and other such settings to optimize the view for a camera.  I have found that nothing substitutes for a good quality camera left to the default settings.  I recently purchased two Logitech Quickcam Pro 9000 webcams and the quality is terrific. Check out the difference between the three cameras below.   The first camera is connected to my basement PC, and in the natural lighting, it is quite grainy, but if the lights are on in that room, the image is decent.  Still, the settings are best left to default, and I just deal with the inferior shot as compared to the far right. The Pro 9000 adjusts to bright and dim conditions wonderfully, providing a viewable shot 24/7.  That makes the kitchen cam a great security cam. More on setting up Mobiscope for security purposes later…

You can manually set recording times as well.  You can choose continuous recording or use a scheduled recording combined with motion detection.  Keep in mind that continuously recorded video will take up a sizeable amount of disk space.

Viewing recorded video is possible not only on the Desktop app, but via Mobiscope Web as well as mobile devices.

Here is a brief video of Mobiscope Desktop, to supplement this writeup:

Mobiscope Web

Mobiscope Web requires a license to view ($29.95 one-time fee or $5.95 for a monthly subscription).  Considering the capabilities Mobiscope provides, $30 isn’t a huge investment and is quite worth it.  With the Web license, you can access your cameras from any desktop, anywhere.  You can view live video, recorded video, manually set a camera to record, and add & remove cameras.  Also, a new feature just added to Mobiscope Web is the capability to hear sound from cameras equipped with microphones!  This feature is also available for the Mobiscope Client for Blackberry.

Here is a brief video of Mobiscope Web.

Mobiscope Client

There is a Mobiscope client for various smartphones (found here), with the unfortunate exception of Android devices.  At this time, accessing your cameras on an Android phone requires essentially connecting to Mobiscope Web (in an Android version – $19.95 one-time fee or $4.95 monthly).  I am told Shape Services is working toward developing a stand-alone  app for Android in the not-too-distant future.  I eagerly await that, as I was quite used to the Windows phone version, and now that I use an HTC EVO as my primary device, viewing my video is not as simple as opening an app.  To properly view cameras on Android, it is recommended to use Skyfire browser, which is cool – I use it all the time – but the web interface pales by comparison to the stand-alone apps.

Pricing varies on the clients. There is an iPhone version in the app store for 99 cents, but that will only allow you to connect and view network cameras, not home web cams.  Speaking of iPhone, here are some shots from an iPhone user who has connected literally dozens of IP cameras from numerous facility locations.  He did this for a net cost of 99 cents!

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The full version of the iPhone app is $9.99, which will allow you to connect to a computer with webcams.  Not surprisingly, the Windows phone app is $19.95, because in all honesty, Shape Services sells a fraction of apps to Windows phone owners as compared to what is sold in the Apple Store.  The Java phone version is $9.95 (after a 7-day trial version), the Palm version is $19.95 (again, no surprise, due to lack of volume), and the Blackberry version is $19.95 (a bit surprising, considering the proliferation of Blackberry owners out there, but hey, it does have sound capability).

Here is a video which demonstrates Mobiscope being used on four major devices – Android, Windows phone, Blackberry and iPhone.

Creative Uses

In the time I have been using Mobiscope, I’ve had several instances where having & accessing webcams has been both fun and practical.  On the fun side, my wife and I enjoy the various “pet cams” when we are away, and when I am having a bad day at work, it brings a smile to my face to see my wife and the pets when they pass through the kitchen.  Usually I’m not looking at live video, but just enjoying the snapshot which was sent to my device via email.

On the more practical side, I’ve had some situations where having remote video was quite handy.  Recently, I set up a camera to watch the front yard when utility workers were digging up and replacing gas lines.  I wanted to make sure they didn’t mess with my sidewalk, and kept an eye out with a live video stream to my device, all while at my desk at work!  Talk about turning heads – people at work were blown away!

I also set up a camera to watch a person build a deck on the back of our house (yes, he knew the camera was there!).  I just wanted to watch the progress throughout the day, and again, it was a head-turner at work!  Okay, so maybe that one was more fun than practical…!

On an even more serious note is the potential for simple home security using Mobiscope.  With properly placed cameras and the right setup, you could monitor your premises from anywhere.  And heaven forbid, if you were to have a burglary, you would have video footage of the incident and hopefully, a good shot of the subjects.  Now, you might be thinking, “What if the PC with the footage was stolen along with everything else?”.   That is where something like Carbonite or some other offsite backup would come in handy.  Set up the Recordings folder to be instantaneously backed up, and the files would be safe “in the cloud”.

Speaking of the Recordings folder, I’ve been asked how large the video files are, given that Mobiscope saves 7 days worth of recorded video by default.  In the instance of my HP laptop, which has two cameras set for 24/7 motion detection, I maintain about 1GB worth of video in the Recordings folder.  Not bad, considering it’s one week’s worth of video that is archived.

Conclusion

Shape Services has hit a home run with Mobiscope.  I consider it a must-have, not just for my desktop, but for the web and my mobile device. This is the kind of thing that truly brings power to a mobile device on a personal level.

I look forward to a dedicated Android app, and any enhanced features the developers bring to the desktop and web versions.  When speaking with Jeff (the iPhone user who is connected to those dozens of IP cameras), he expressed a desire to have some sort of exportable file which could be shared with others, which would populate their iPhone with the same cameras without having to painstakingly configure each one like he did.  These are the kind of features which will take Mobiscope to the next level, not just for individual use, but for enterprise use as well.

Give Mobiscope a try!

 

Tags: Apps, Mobiscope, remote, Video, webcam

This entry was posted on June 26, 2010 at 8:44 pm. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can skip to the end and leave a response. Pinging is currently not allowed.

Posted in Reviews Software by Matt Coddington No Comments Yet