Update
Visit the Mowecam support forum to ask any questions.
What is it
Mowecam is a J2ME experiment with a camera enabled mobile phone and a publicly accessible web server.
The application takes periodical snapshots from the mobile phone camera and posts them to a web server.
The latest image is then avaible for inclusion in a web site, for example a web log (blog).
The usages are the same as for a standard web camera and can include security, watching a party progress, weather, baby monitor and many more.
Mowecam enjoys the freedom of not being dependent on a computer, nor any hard wired Internet connection. If you are within GSM network reach you can start broadcasting photos from your location.
Requirements
A modern Java enabled mobile phone with a camera.
The mobile phone needs to support the Mobile Media API (and being able to take snap shots which excludes SonyEricsson T610 and T630).
Mowecam has been developed and tested on SonyEricsson K750. There will be problems on other mobile phone models but many of them can be worked out if you let me know.
Usage
First of all download the application to your computer and install it as you normally do. This may be via infrared, Bluetooth or similar. Certain phones require both the jad and the jar file, others require the jar file only.
Due to tighter security in the new J2ME version, you will be asked to confirm when the application is about to take a snapshot and when it is trying to connect to the internet. Check the manual of your phone to find out how to change the permission settings for Mowecam to “ask once only” (or else it will not be able to send images without you confirming it can go online).
Go to the settings page and enter a unique key. This will later be used to identify your image when you retrieve it via a browser. An email address is often unique and I recommend to use just that. If you are worried about the email address ending up somewhere where you don’t want it (a spam data base), add a few letters or numbers to it. FYI, the unique keys are not stored anywhere, instead a hash is being used.
The other setting is URL endpoint which is where the mobile phone will post images. Use the provided URL: http://www.davidkaspar.com/mowecam/postimage.php (this is the default URL in the application). If you have your own web server you can instead upload the post image PHP script (below) to your own server and the postage images will stay there.
The refresh rate is in seconds. Please note that each image is around 5KB and will incur costs on your mobile bill unless you are on an unlimited data plan.
Use the following code to include the image in a HTML page: <img src=”http://www.davidkaspar.com/mowecam/getimage.php? email=[unique_key_here]”>. Replace [unique_key_here] with the unique key you have provided in the application settings.
License
This is the first version of the Mowecam and only binary code is provided (mainly due to the source code being in such a mess).
The code has been developed on Netbeans 4.1 and its excellent j2me development kit.
It is free to use and to distribute as long as this license notice is provided with the binary.
As always with free and beta software it is provide without any warranty and the developer(s) cannot be held responsible for any bad consequences of running the application.
Download latest version
Mowecam (This URL should also work for OTA, over the air, installation if you type in the URL in your XHTML capable mobile phone)
Mowecam: Post image PHP script v 1.0, released under GNU General Public License.
Credits
The application architecture is inspired by Midlog made by Rawsocket.
The application is using a hash algorithm from www.partow.net
The application is using Base64 code from kobjects.org
Skip to content
Online journal and ponderings about the Internet, gadgets and photography.
Hallo
What about you GPS Navigator application for J2ME mobile phones? Will be possible to install it on a Sony-Ericsson k750i?
Hi David,
Are you still planning on releasing your source code or not ? Thank your for this great application which could be used in a research project.
Hi David,
i am a student and i am developing a small software for k750. but is it possible to control the auto focus and the flash functions ? i just want to take a shot and send it to the computer by bluetooth.. i really need to get a sample code and the documentations are really bad.. please help me..urgently i need help..
I recently obtained the J2ME SDK and am starting to develop utilities for personal use. I’m a coder of many years, but this is my first foray into the (mini)Mobile area, is there any good reading you can recommend?
My Background is C/C++/VB/.Net
Regards
I’m a trail runner and I would like to be able to send a web streaming video on my computer at home, so they can follow my displacements. Were I run I cannot have access to a cell phone. Is there a system that is on the market to allow me to send via GPS a signal at home ?
Please respond at lvaive aaatt pcl dottt com
Thank’s
Luc
Sir,
We are BE students ,doing a similar project like your “MoweCam”.Can you please send me the source code of your project if it is ready by now, for reference.
I will be really grateful to you if you do send me the code.
Hi David, I’ve been always interested in these kind of app.
Unfortunately, in my country the network cost is high and I would have to limit my use of it.
Is it possible instead of sending the pics to a server, keep them in my mobile and later to a computer?
Thanks.
hi, brief one and only because I thought it would be a cheaper alternative.
it would be useful to have the option instead of uploading the image to send it via bluetooth to another computer. That way if you were at home, you could just send it to a machine in the house (which could then upload it) I saying this because this is what i do – was interested by your project because it allows the automation of the procedure for taking the pictures, currently my app just takes one and sends one (not flashy at all!)
great work best wishes
andrew
how can i put my photos in the g2 galley like u , i am have problems. do you have a gallery like me… can u help me
If you add the MIDlet-Permissions:
javax.microedition.io.Connector.file.read, javax.microedition.io.Connector.file.write
Will the saving in memory stick work on a K750?
Hi, can you teach me how to use byte array from getSnapshot operation for motion detection which relies only on RGB format. Thanks in advance.
hi David,
It is a good application.I have suggestion to you that you can make more this program more productive by enabling support with IM chatting applications such as Yahoo! messenger on pc with bluetooth interface
Hi David,
Great app! I’m trying to build a J2ME app myself that captures pictures from the camera, but can’t get it working on my K750i. So I’m really curious what your code looks like as MoweCam seems to work on my K750i! Could you please send me your source code (or the picture capturing part)? I would be really grateful!
installed on Nokia N80. set lowest image size 120x160and 60 secs refresh rate. I get 960KB/picture to upload. Any suggestion ro reduce picture size ? Thank You, regards, P
Hi, great sw! is it possible to send the full 2 mb image from k750 to the server? And is it possible to send it only on demand( instead of periodically, when the user clicks a button for instance?)
Thank you
Hi
Did You ever found a backup of your Mowecam source code? I’ve just got a new SE phone and thinking of using the old K750i as a surveillance camera with motion detection and SMS support. This could be a great and cheap way to install a GSM alarm at home. You had similar ideas, did You ever go on with it?
Great work
Regards Jens