Webcams are in short supply these days thanks the coronavirus pandemic. But you may already have a perfectly good camera that you can use for your next Zoom meeting or Facebook Messenger call.
There are apps that will let you use an iPhone or Android device as a webcam for your computer. And some DSLR and mirrorless camera makers offer software that let you do the same with those high-quality cameras.
Now Canon is getting in on the action — the company’s new EOS Webcam Utility Beta allows you to connect any of 25 supported Canon cameras to a computer with a USB cable and use it as a source for video conferencing calls.
Here’s a roundup of recent tech news from around the web.
- Use Your Canon camera as a high-quality USB webcam [Canon]
Supported cameras range in price from around $350 to $6500… so I’m not sure I’d go out and buy a new one just to use as a webcam. But if you’ve got one lying around, it probably delivers a better picture than the 720p fixed-focus camera atop your laptop display. - Escobar lines up COO… for lawsuit [The Register]
The most surprising thing about this story of a lawsuit involving Escobar Inc is that it’s an internal issue… which may only be tangentially related to the fact that customers aren’t receiving the rebranded Samsung Galaxy Fold phones they paid for. - Pixel Buds 2 won’t charge on Google’s Pixel Stand… unless they’re upside down [9to5Google]
Apparently you can charge the Google Pixel Buds using Google’s Pixel Stand wireless charger… but only if you turn the Pixel Buds charging case upside down so it reaches the charging coil. - Fedora 32 is officially here [Fedora Magazine]
Fedora 32 GNU/Linux distribution released with update to GNOME 3.36 desktop environment, improved support for devices with Rockchip processors, and more. - Red Hat Enterprise Linux 8.2, Now Generally Available [Red Hat]
Red Hat, which sponsors Fedora, has also released an update to their enterprise Linux distribution. - Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 19619 [Windows Blog]
Windows 10 Insider Preview Build 19619 adds support for controlling music and audio on your phone from your PC when using the Your Phone app. There’s also COVID-19 info in the Search view. - PowerToys v.0.17/0 [Microsoft/Github]
Microsoft’s PowerToys picks up support for auto-updating in v0.17.0, which means we probably won’t bother telling you about v0.18.0 unless it a) is *really* cool or b) it’s a slow news day. Either way, existing users will probably get it automatically. - Microsoft will hold two webcasts for MS Build 2020 [Windows Insider]
Because it’s a lot safer than gathering people together for an in-person conference this year. - Stadia Connect 4.28.2020 [YouTube]
Google brings PUBG to Stadia game streaming platform, says more games including Star Wars: Fallen Order, Madden NFL, FIFA, and other games later this year.