Monitor Your Second Home via Webcam

"As Webcams and other home-monitoring devices become smaller, cheaper and easier to install, some people have become voyeurs of their own vacation homes. While the ostensible purpose of the cameras is to monitor for intruders, some people use them to check up on the lawn guy or cleaning service, spy on visiting relatives or renters, or simply daydream about a place they'd rather be.

"Second-home owners often plug Webcams into an old PC or laptop they keep turned on and connected to the Internet. Other Webcams can link up to the Internet directly via WiFi or a cable. Basic Webcams cost as little as $10, though makers put out far more expensive ones with more capabilities. WowWee Ltd. and iRobot say they'll soon launch Webcam-topped robots that can roam about the house while sending pictures, then dock themselves at a base for recharging," From today's Wall Street Journal, by reporter June Fletcher.