My wife recently bought a MacBook Pro to replace her old PowerMac G4. It comes with a built-in Sight webcam. Cool huh? Not so fast, although it is an exceptional webcam, it has an Achilles’ heel. That is, the webcam only captures what is directly facing the screen (i.e. just you). This is a big problem if you want to record anything else.
After speaking with a local Mac dealer I was able to locate a fairly inexpensive solution to this problem. It’s called a Huckleberry. Essentially it’s two small mirrors attached to brackets that sits on the top of the MacBook and reflects the image from behind the screen toward the webcam.
The package in the mail came with two mirrors and two brackets on which to attach the mirrors. There was also a registration/download key for iGlasses, which is used to rotate the image since it will initially be upside down. The iGlasses software was easy to load and has a few options to help tweak the image (i.e. brightness, nightvision, etc.).
Overall this is a good, inexpensive alternative to an external webcam, but you get what you pay for. If you don’t need an external mic and don’t mind turning your Mac toward what you are intending to capture, then go for it!
What I Like:
- Low cost – $20-$30 cheap alternative to an external iSight
- Picture quality – internal iSight picture quality not affected
- Easy install – just assemble and install iGlasses
What I Dislike:
- No swivel head – must turn Mac toward object to capture
- Questionable durability – over time it may not hold up
- No external microphone – mic for MacBook Pro seems weak
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