Sites to See: Smile (or Wash and Fold) — You’re On Candid Camera
It must not be easy being Josh Harris, the founder of Jupiter Communications and the once-dead, twice-risen Pseudo Programs. Some fans of the eccentric millionaire have found out exactly what it's like to be Josh Harris … or at least what he eats for breakfast and how often he uses the bathroom.
Harris spent last fall wiring his Manhattan loft with 32 separate video cameras (including one mounted in the bedroom and one inside a toilet), controlled with custom software. The pet project allowed registered users to view the goings-on inside the home of Harris and his girlfriend. Any time of day, viewers could chat with each other or with the residents themselves.
The project, dubbed WeLiveInPublic, drew hundreds of faithful voyeurs until the site was scheduled to shut down in February, after Harris started getting a little creeped out by the constant exposure. But, really, the experiment was never meant to last. Harris fancies himself a business incubator (considering the success of Jupiter, who can argue?); WeLiveInPublic was just his latest venture.
In January, Harris sold his personal company, Luvvy LLC, to former Pseudo executive producer, Michael Auerbach, who plans to market Harris' WeLiveInPublic vision by selling mini home packages to consumers. The home package will include three cameras, custom software and a switcher for $300, with a more deluxe model including a DSL modem going for $500.
Auerbach hopes that home users will go beyond the narcissistic antics of such Web cam exhibitionists as the pioneering JenniCam, and actually produce quality streaming content. "I don't believe subscribers will use this for voyeur purposes. We want users to produce entertainment — talk shows, sitcoms, concerts, you name it. The opportunities are endless," says Auerbach.
In order to encourage such creativity, Auerbach plans to launch a portal at the WeLiveInPublic Web site later this year. Content will be sectioned into various channels, and users will be asked to pay a monthly subscription fee ("less than $10," according to Auerbach) to show their streaming home movies on the site. ,p>Until then, here's a look at some of the more unique Web sites that offer hours of entertainment for voyeurs and exhibitionists alike.
www.jennicam.com: The aforementioned pioneer of Web cams, Jennifer Ringley started her virtual human zoo way back in 1996. The self-described "computer geek" got a good deal on a digital camera from her university bookstore and began hosting video images of herself for friends and family. Entirely unedited and uncensored, the JenniCam sparked the Web cam phenomena, but remains a simple look inside a simple home.
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