With the exception of the Mac mini and the Mac Pro , iSights are nowde rigueuracross the Mac line . And applications like Photo Booth and iChat AV have made video recording not only a marquis feature of the platform but part of many Mac users ’ everyday live . But despite the age of iSight integrating , Apple still has n’t provided better controls for aline the iSight ’s image .
That ’s just fine with the phratry at Ecamm web . When last we visited their popular iGlasses software , the fledgling add - on for enhancing your iSight camera ’s figure had just leave the nest and ventured into the heavy broad domain . Almost three years later , Ecamm has at longsighted last launchediGlasses 2.0 (; $ 10 ) with new features as well as expand supporting for camera and applications . And to top it off , iGlasses 2 incorporate a aerodynamic new user interface that makes it easygoing and visceral to get at its myriad feature of speech .
Once you ’ve instal the program , you ’ll find a new “ iGlasses configurations ” entry under the File computer menu in most apps that support the iSight camera , such as iChat , PhotoBooth , or iMovie . This process iGlasses ’s fiddling float control window . In its default mode , iGlasses gives you the power to choose between stock video or one of a handful of preset persona adjustments , such as improved brightness , enhanced colour , smutty & bloodless , and Venetian red shade , as well as a aggregation of presets that you could define . These presets are probably all most people will ever need to get the most out of their cameras .
But you ’ll find the app ’s real major power when you slip open that ascendancy windowpane ’s bottom draftsman . There you ’ll find a second pop - up menu that gives you direct approach to image qualities such as brightness , dividing line , color balance , sharpness , saturation , white equipoise , and more . you may even rotate your camera ’s figure in 90 ° growth , in guinea pig you want to mount your external iSight on the side of your calculator ( or set your MacBook or MacBook Pro on its side ) , or mirror the camera image left - to - right in case you require to use something like the niftyHuckleberry mirrorthat Ecamm sell ( which itself comes with a copy of iGlasses ) . you could can adjust as many of these factor as you like , layering one change on top of another until you ’re happy with your image .
Once you ’ve tweaked the figure to your liking , you’re able to salve a custom preset encompassing all those changes . For exercise , you might want to adjust your white balance and brightness level options for the different types of lighting in different locations : one for your abode , another for your office . You could redeem a custom preset for each and easily pick the appropriate one when need . You might also decide that you want dissimilar background for different applications ; for exercise , video conferencing via iChat vs. scanning item into Delicious Library . iGlasses 2 also contribute the ability to rename and remove case-by-case presets .
Of all the new features in iGlasses 2 , though , my favorite might seem kind of silly , but it has its uses . By take the Zoom and Pan alternative , you could hold the frame of your iSight image , adjusting the zoom skidder and drag around the selection rectangle to show only the portion of your image that you decide . This could come in handy for stay - at - home workers , such as myself , who may occasionally have TV conferences in , shall we say , less than professionalsurroundings . By playing with Zoom and Pan , I can move the focus onto myself alternatively of my scope , and my chat partners will be none the wiser . Of course , this processing is done whole digitally : neither national nor extraneous iSight cameras have zoom lens system build in .
It ’s worth noting that iGlasses has different capacity depending on whether you ’re using an outside iSight , an internal iSight , or one of the other Webcams compatible with the broadcast , such as Ecamm ’s owniMage USBCam . For model , only the extraneous iSight supports the Macro Focus preset and the Shutter , Manual Focus , Edge Enhancement , Gain , and Temperature controls ; the built - in iSight , on the other hired hand , has an Exposure Lock preset and can ascertain Color Balance .
Although iGlasses is available in most iSight - compatible programs , you may not always want it lurking in the background . Fortunately , when you install iGlasses it also drop a small helper app in your Applications folder , iGlasses Manager , that allows you to incapacitate the iGlasses fare command in specific apps .
The only real variety that some might look at negative from the original iGlasses to iGlasses 2 is that the program ’s price has run up . But when you consider how much you get , and the fact that it jumped only $ 2 , from $ 8 to $ 10 , I think you ’ll still agree that it ’s well worth the extra money .
iGlasses 2.0 requires Mac OS X 10.3.9 or later and is a Universal binary program .
