Increase Your View By A Few Thousand Miles
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No one can deny that the advent of the world wide web and the technology of the internet has led to some exciting possibilities, but in my experience one in particular stands out head and shoulders above the rest. This is the web cam, or web camera, a small device which can cost as little as a keyboard, but which is capable of extraordinary things. With one of these devices, you can broadcast live video, of pretty good quality, across the internet for anyone whose interested to have a look. It’s possible to pick a country - even a specific location, anywhere in the world - and enjoy a live video image of that place within a few mouse clicks.
For those people who are pursuing the idea of investing overseas, there are a number of problems to face, most significantly of course is the country they choose to invest in. Although many people jump straight in to the more well known locations, including Spain, because they have been there on holiday themselves, or it is considered a safe bet, an increasing number are looking at less well known countries which are starting to look much more attractive offers. However, a glance through the smart websites and professional pamphlets will make you doubt the wonder that’s advertised, since the photos are professionally taken, and may have been ‘tarted up’ a little, or taken on a particularly scorching day.
The world it seems is getting smaller - with not just those looking in to the idea of investing in property abroad looking at far flung countries as though they were just a few blocks away. More and more people are looking in to holidaying in countries or locations they’ve never been to before, and even investors are starting to look into the possibilities that some countries are starting to offer, which wouldn’t otherwise have been considered. Cheap travel and the ease of booking online may have made the world seem small, but there is still always going to be the matter if mileage and distance to hamper our plans.
It is the technology of web cams which offers an incredible solution here, for both overseas property investors and those looking to take a holiday somewhere new. Although the glossy magazines and professional websites may make the location look very appealing, being able to see, at any time, live video of that location lets you make the judgement for yourself before you commit your time and money.
There is something to be said for being able to peer through the fog and gloom of a winter at home, or through the window at work, and then with just a couple of clicks, admire the warm sun and crashing waves of the place you’d rather be. Possibly you’ll be able to admire the very same view you saw on holiday yourself, or will be shortly, or it could even be the view from your very own property, if you own somewhere abroad yourself.
Web cams offer another very real advantage for those who have purchased property abroad and are planning to let it out for at least some of the time. Your customers may well be delighted with the wonderful photographs you can show them, but as with anyone, they may have doubts as to what it really is like. If you have a web cam, or access to a web cam that’s based nearby, you can simply allow your potential residents to check it out, and see exactly what the place and the climate is like, at any time of the day or night.
Yet another advantage, if you have a property abroad, is of course the aspect of security. Having a web cam that actually overlooks your property allows you to keep an eye on it at any time, and most cameras come with the option to take video only when movement is detected. Having internal web cams allows you to shows potential customers what the property is like, and allows you to keep an eye on the place when you’re away. Obviously you would have an issue with privacy, since residents would not like the idea of you spying on them - so these would have to be removed during occupation.
It still seems incredible to me now that, as I sit here with the wind buffeting my window, the rain half heartedly smearing my view of the grey skies, my monitor is happily displaying live video from Javea, with white topped waves chasing one another gaily across the golden sands that stretch for miles, watched over by the distant mountains and an endless sky which seems to challenge my idea of blue. With live video fed to me from anywhere in the world, and virtual tours of properties across the globe, what does the future of technology hold for us, to make the next continent just that little bit closer?
July 4, 2008 by Stewart M. Russell
Filed under Audio-Video Streaming



