A little bit of everything, all of the time

As someone who has been chronically Very Online for many years1 this bit from Bo Burnham’s latest Netflix special really resonated with me. Both for the brilliant and spot-on “ha-ha” comedic description of the modern Internet and the terrifying spot-on oh-this-is-so-tragic synopsis of what the Internet has become and how it impacts us. I’ve watched it at least a dozen times. Content warning: NSFW language.2

via waxy

Using a smartphone as a webcam

I’ve been using my iPhone as a webcam for the last few months. I thought I’d share a few notes here on my experiences for others who might want to try this.

Why use a smartphone as a webcam? Because the “top pick” Logitech webcam on almost everyone’s list is terrible. In fact, in my experience, all webcams are terrible. Mostly because there isn’t much competition in this space so the generational improvements are small.

For example, the top recommended webcam by The Wirecutter up until October 2020 came out in 2012, the same year the iPhone 5 was released! Their latest recommended webcam is basically the same camera with very small hardware differences. The white balance is often off, focus is inconsistent, and the built-in microphones are of the most inexpensive quality you could imagine.3

Conversely, the camera(s) in your smartphone are great and get better every year. Phone manufacturers consistently tout the tech in the camera systems because that’s a huge selling point for these devices. More often than not your most used camera is your phone, right? You probably already have a smartphone too, so one less thing to buy.

So what is the catch? How do I do this magic? I use a free (as in beer) software called Reincubate Camo.4. I install their app on my smartphone. I install their companion app for my computer that runs in the background. It sits here ready to pass the video from my smartphone camera to whatever video chat software I’m using (Meet, Zoom, etc.). A few minutes before my call, I plugin in my phone, launch Camo on my phone and select it as my video input in my conferencing software du jour.

Pros:

  • Hands down the best picture I’ve seen (and I’ve used some top-of-the-line telepresence setups by Cisco).
  • Consistent, sharp focus on your face, not the bookshelf or wall behind you (I’ve perpetually had this issue with the Logitech).
  • Use a device you probably already have (instead of buying another webcam).
  • Higher dynamic range and more natural color (see the photos above. You can actually tell there are trees outside my window!).
  • You charge your phone while using it. 🙂

Cons:

  • Have to install an app on your computer and keep running in the background.
  • Need some way to hold phone up at a decent angle. I use Lego (see below).
  • Your phone is in use while you are in a call (If you use a 2FA app or something this could be problematic)
  • Mac and Windows only
  • If you want a resolution over 720p you need the Pro version (but in my opinion image quality is more important than image resolution).

I hope you find this interesting and maybe useful. I’d love to hear about your setup and what improvements you suggest in creating a nice virtual presence.

The Oasis by Shiro Miyake

Post-Dispatch Magazine article on the garden

There’s this historic house in my home city. Not the most culturally or historically significant, but old by US standards and a handsome specimen of its time. It sat catty-corner to the warehouse/mailroom my dad use to work from before he retired. In 2016 it was purchased and renovations began. My dad would watch the folks work and was curious about the house. We were able to find the completed National Register of Historic Places Registration Form online for the home and learned a lot about the house from the research work within.

About two years ago I started a draft article about the house for Wikipedia 5 and used that document as a foundation. At the urging of a fellow Wikimedian I attended an editing party last week and got the article in a good enough state to move to article namespace on English Wikipedia. It now lives at Dr. George Ashe Bronson House.

At the same time I applied for a library card through the Wikipedia Library to get access to newspapers.com. I wanted to see if I could find out more about the owner of the home, Dr. George A. Bronson, a predominate local dentist. I did, and added a few additional citations to the article.

Shiro Miyake’s Wash U Yearbook Photo

Along the way I found out about the history of the Japanese garden the doctor built on the premises. Called, “The Oasis”, it was designed by Shiro Miyake from Nio, Sanuki, Japan. 6

Miyake came to St. Louis as part of the Japanese exhibit for the 1904 World’s Fair. He was a dentistry student at Washington University and graduated in 1909. He worked with Dr. Bronson to build the garden as his “houseman”.

According to old records from Washington University he was the Sergeant at Arms during his time at the school and his favorite occupation was “grinning”. His favorite song? “Just Fill Them Up Again”.7 And his ideal [person] was “Battling Nelson“.

It appears he later lived in Denver at one point and, if this is him, died in California in 1952.

While Miyake himself is not notable enough for his own Wikipedia article, I like that I was able to find out a little more about him through online resources and include his contributions to this well-respected garden in the article.