Looks like there has been a lot of talk the last few days about the future of Hugh Hefner’s Playboy Enterprises Inc. After reporting a 4th quarter loss of $145.7 million, Jerry Kern ( Interim Chief Executive ) told investors that they would be open to offers of a buyout.  But a Playboy rep has also stated that “this is no change in policy. We’ve always been open to discussion.” and that  “The magazine is not for sale,” as reported by the NYT . 

Here is a great little tutorial on how you can light your home work enviroment with some pretty cheap lighting and improve the quality of your video stream. Incorrect lighting is one of the main reasons for a dark stream and for members leaving your private session. When a client is paying to watch you he expects to see you not some dark figure moving about the screen, so having your room properly lit is very important.

If you have any tips or tutorials of your own leave a comment or link.

Click Here to view the basic lighting tutorial!

Collegeboyslive.com has added a new member to their family, a robot webcam named “Snoopy”. He roams the voyeur house being controlled by paying members of their website. Members of the site get access to a control panel which allows them to manipulate the robots camera and movements live. The robot is fully equipped with a webcam and microphone and streams both live video and audio to the members while they are exploring the first floor of the voyeur house.

This is a first, at least I haven’t seen anyone else using a rover robot in a live streaming video and audio situation in adult. This brings a whole other level of control for the members, they get to sit down and control this robot any time they want and explore the voyeur house stumbling upon all different types of situations. As long as the voyeur house is lively I wouldn’t see any issues with offering this service to members.

I don’t think this technology would ever catch on for the at home model, static cams located within certain rooms would be all you need as you don’t always want a client “exploring” your home.

Check out Collegeboyslive video demo.

Recently I came across a post written on a cam model resource forum, by a model that goes by the handle Danigirl. The post contained some pretty good tips on how to keep up your health while being a chat host. As we all know it’s not the luxurious job that some people may think it is. After spending shift after shift on cam for a few yours, your body really can take a beating if you don’t take care of yourself. Here is the post she wrote take a moment to read through it.

Hello, all
I haven’t been on the forum in a while–been launching some web projects lately–and I see that there are many newbies. I posted this info in another thread, but it was kind of buried under a completely different topic, so I decided to make it easier to find in the hopes that it will benefit at least a few models. I think it would be great if other hosts would respond to this thread including tips on the topic of health and maybe even about staying motivated/keeping positive attitudes.

Brazilianskills, of http://www.bella-home.com/ made such a good point for all girls who work on cam or are thinking about it to consider. She mentioned how she became sick a few months after starting. This job can be extremely hard on the body. When i first started i also got physically ill. The ergonomics involved with typing while posing, arching and bending is terrible for the alignment of the spine and many different problems can develop easily (carpal tunnel, plugged ears, frozen shoulder, pain, etc.) It’s also easy to over stretch areas of the body (not to mention making your genitals sore if using toys for hours on end!)

My tips for anyone new to this or anyone finding it strenuous over time:

1: When not in a show (i.e. chatting in free room or just text or waiting for customers to enter, whatever) try to remain in sitting upright or standing positions as much as possible. When in free chat, if they want to see legs, butt, whatever, I may usually show them, but then go right back to my ergonomically correct positioning after.

2: Use audio! Give your body a break from typing all day. Of course, not all guys will have speakers to hear you, but most will. Customers will be generally happier and your spine/wrists will thank you.

3: Do not use the floor. A chair, a bed, even a thin mattress is better than using sheets on a floor. I was silly enough to start out using a comforter on a floor to do shows and the results after a couple of weeks were very painful. (Bad for knees and elbows.)

4: Alternate, alternate, alternate. For me, this is one of the most important things to remember. During a show some customers want you to do one activity for a long while. I make it a point to alternate which arm/hand I use every minute or so. This applies to toy use as well as keyboard usage. You don’t want to overstretch one side of your body; this throws off your alignment over time. I have a wireless keyboard and mouse and every two days I change the side of my bed I sit it on. This one simple technique stopped my ears from plugging up all the time. (This is actually a good tip for all computer users, on cam or not.)

5: Take stretching/walking breaks. I do quick stretching and self massage right after each show. I also stop to walk for 5 minutes or so around my home after every couple hours. If you don’t work from home, just walk in place.

6: Toy users: this may sound odd, but relax your vaginal muscles. I had the bad habit of squeezing my walls tightly on my toys like i was really having sex, LOL. I started getting so sore that I’d have to take days off because I was swollen too tight to insert a toy. If you tighten your muscles during sex, it’s hard to get used to not doing it in shows, but just try to remember to control it and relax; after all, the customer won’t know the difference, LOL (Applies to anal too, of course.)

7: Don’t be afraid to charge more. You may wonder what this has to do with health. Well, I just feel like if you’re gonna work your body, you should be getting the most buck for your bang, so to speak. If you’re any good at what you do and are available regularly, you’ll acquire repeat customers. It’s better to get regulars who pay well, than to get cheap ones. I charge 2.80-3.80 and give no discounts on a site where most girls charge 1.98 plus discounts, and I almost always have back to back traffic. The faster you reach your earnings goal, the less you’ll have to be online, the less the strain on your body.
Plus, I find that guys who are able to spend that kind of money stay in your room longer. They are also not as affected by economical ups and downs because they are usually professionals with high paying careers. The money is there, but if you don’t ask for it (setting your price higher) you won’t get it.

Other things to note: of course, have plenty of lube ready and don’t be afraid to use it. A yogurt a day is great to keep yeast infections away. Drink lots of water. Warm up before a long day. I sometimes put in 10hr shifts, and like any physically demanding activity, it’s good to get your blood going first so you don’t damage your muscles. It’s as simple as walking in place and breaking a light sweat.

Well, this is how I’m able to work on cam without making my TMJ symptoms flare up. I just wanted to put some advice out there for anyone who might be able to use it.
It’s good to work hard, but it’s much better to work smart and prevention is the best medicine. Whether you’re independent, working on a site, studio, whatever, stack that cash the best way that works for you; just remember to be good to your body as well as your wallet

Please reply with any tips of your own…

The original post can be found at Adult-Webcam-Faq

Lately 3d video technologies have been all the rage, with 3d commercials already being broadcast on television and 3d movies in theaters, the logical next step would be LIVE streaming 3d video. But would this technology really catch on and is it something we as models in this industry should be looking at?

Here is some information about the new Novo Minoru 3d Webcam.

“Meet Minoru, meaning ‘Reality’ in Japanese, the World’s first 3D webcam.

Connect Minoru to your PC and he will come alive, his eyes will light up and he will be looking at you in 3D.

Your friends and family can now see you in 3D over your favourite messaging program like Windows Live Messenger, Skype, AOL instant messenger, OoVoo and many others.

You can also take 3D photos or even shoot 3D videos and upload them to YouTube.

Minoru = Reality!

Minoru connects easily to your PC’s USB port just like any other webcam but that’s where the similarities end. The Minoru software has stereoscopic anaglyphic processing that lets you be seen in three dimensions. The red and cyan anaglyph image produced by Minoru can be viewed by anybody who is wearing commonly available red and cyan 3D glasses (five pairs included free with Minoru). Minoru can also be used as a standard 2D webcam for anyone who doesn’t have the 3D glasses at hand.

Minoru will appeal equally to the 3D novice and the stereoscopy enthusiast alike.

Minoru will be available from the Minoru online shop from December 19th 2008.

In early 2009 Minoru will be available from major electronics retailers in the UK, EU and USA.”

What do you think about this technology do you think it will be the next big thing, clients requesting to watch you do live shows in 3d?

Is this something you think the cam companies will pick up on?

This is my thinking, 3d streaming video sounds awesome and it could very well be the next big thing to the live chat industry but there’s on huge drawback, your clients need to have a pair of 3D glasses and the quality of the video could be off . I have not had the opportunity to view any of the 3d video that this camera has recorded as I don’t have a pair of glasses that works with this type of camera. I was kinda pissed because I had a pair of 3d glasses laying around from the super bowl ads and I threw them on thinking cool I’m going to get to see what this thing can actually do but unfortunately they did not seem to work with the pictures and videos I saw online that this camera produced. They lenses must be different on the glasses Novo provides you with.

Now if cam sites actually pick up on this technology and the quality is there for a good stream then it wouldn’t be a huge deal to send the clients a few pairs of 3d glasses, it could actually be a very good marketing strategy for these type of feeds.  A cam site gives a couple of these cams to their top models, throws their brand on the side of the glasses when the member signs up you send them a couple pairs of 3d glasses, they keep a pair give the rest away to their buddies and it’s great word of mouth advertising. I think people would eat it up as long as the quality of the cam stream was good and they had the option to watch in 3d or not to watch in 3d.

Peoples interest in 3d technology has really peaked since a lot of mainstream production studios are now creating content in 3d formats. Novo has basically set the bar so lets see who can come up with something better, at this point this is one of the more drastic advances in webcam technology we have seen in a while.

Interested in picking one up you can purchase the Novo Minoru 3d Webcam directly from Novo for around $90.

Thought I would share some really cool non-adult webcam feeds with everyone. Pretty spread out across the US but some really unique views of all sorts of locations. Just click one of the links below and start watching.

1. Cowboy Bill’s Bull Ride - Key West, FL
2. Appalachian Ski Mountain Slope Cam - Bowling Rock, NC
3. Mission Beach Surf Cams - SanDiego, CA
4. San Pedro Creek - Goleta, CA
5. Redoubt Volcano - Kenai, Alaska
6. ORCA Eye in The Sea Cam - Monterey Bay, California

I will add more to the list as I stumble upon them…

A gay porn website can continue filming from its Miami location, a federal judge has ruled.

If you have a Mac and use the built in cam you know how annoying it can be to change angles and get the cam in the position you want it. Enter Ecamm’s BT-1 it is a new wireless webcam solution for Mac that runs around $150. The idea and concept are great, a wireless bluetooth webcam that you can place just about anywhere within 30 feet of your MAC and can stream live video and audio to your computer and onto the web.

Features:

• 640×480 H.264 video and 48 kHz AAC stereo audio
• Compact 2″ x 2½” x 5/8″ design
• 4 hour talk time
• Wireless range of 10-30 feet
• Compatible with iChat, Skype and more
• Standard tripod mounting screw

I have not tested this product but as with most other wireless cams their biggest drawback is delay due to the data being transmitted by wireless. Bluetooth technically can transfer data at a gross rate of 1mbit/sec so it should be able to handle a video stream with no problem. Also your time on cam is restricted by the battery life of the wireless cam, the current “talk time” is 4 hours. When your relying on a webcam to support yourself having a choppy feed or a battery dieing can cause you to lose money.

This product is not available for purchase yet, but can be pre-ordered, it is shipping in March.