Watch My Neighborhood

The webcam is broken (has been for quite some time). The heat from the sun through the window fried it. The picture isn't updating. Someday we'll fix it, but for now, it's dead. Rather see something that updates more often? See my screenshot page.

Through the magic of AppleScript, you can view my neighborhood here in Seattle, Washington, USA (Pacific Time zone, GMT-8) from wherever you may be right now. If the script is running, it will take a new photo every five minutes. Reload this page to see if it's changed. If it hasn't updated lately, it means one of these things:

• I am off-line and not running the script. Probably getting some well-needed sleep.
• I am being absent-minded and forgot to launch the webcam script.
• I needed a break. :) The webcam script ties up my mac for a while every time it runs. If it gets annoying, I shut the script off. I don't leave the script running all the time.
• It's dark out so you can't tell that the script has updated.

Frequently Asked Questions about this page:

What am I looking at?

Dunno. The camera is generally pointing out the window, and showing the weather in Seattle. But occasionally we might point it at something else -- the cats, the bulletin board, the radio, the neighbors' bedroom window (just kidding. Maybe). If you want to know more about Seattle weather, check the seattleweather.com.

How is this done?

We have an old Apple QuickTake digital camera, controlled by AppleScript, using a script adapted by Jason Simpson from the script that runs my screenshot page.

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This page © 1998 by Wendi Dunlap-Simpson, litlnemo@slumberland.seattle.wa.us. Last updated Mon 17 Jan 2000.