Ask Slashdot: Skype Setup For Toddler's Room?

New submitter mmmmdave writes "My parents love to Skype with my kid. My kid loves to mash laptop buttons and drool on the screen. And because we don't want to spend forty minutes every night holding the laptop outside of baby arms' length, we're looking to build some sort of wall-mounted monitor + webcam thingy. I'm sure there's a much cheaper option than sticking an iPad on the wall; what's more, non-touchscreen is probably better, so my daughter can't hang up the calls. Any ideas?"

Comments

What Year is it, Again?

[Anonymous Coward]

Did you name your kid Winston, by any chance?

Bad idea, dude, bad idea.

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[buchner.johannes]

Exposure to TV/Computers is dangerous for kids because synapses develop incorrectly: Because of the incorrect audio/video synchronisation and the lack of feedback -- as opposed to real objects where feedback is immediate -- poor connections form. And those can not be corrected later anymore.
This is well known to neuroscientists, and by large horizontal studies (average TV usage 5.5 hours per day), it has been shown that there is a very strong correlation between TV usage (hours per day) during childhood and intelligence, success, social life, obesity, health, etc.. The point is that the content does not matter, and even a little causes this form of brain damage.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JPQ4C5RdUr4 (Neuroscientist Prof. Dr.Dr. Spitzer, talk in German) (I'd like to have a english talk by a scientist on the topic)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-david-perlmutter-md/television-and-the-develo_b_786934.html
http://www.brainy-child.com/article/tvonbrain.shtml
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090601182830.htm
http://www.livestrong.com/article/226572-the-impact-of-television-on-early-childhood-brain-development/

I would not let my kids near TVs or computers until grown (they may watch at their friends place, that's social), and I recommend you have your parents come over to play with your kid, and give it toys/animals/people to play and interact with. Unfortunately, people are lazy and prefer to have the TV/screen babysitter.

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[GodfatherofSoul]

hehe I thought it was funny.

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[ClickOnThis]

Point taken, but I think the submitter just wants to enable ~40 minutes of Skype no more than once a day, not turn the kid into a crib potato watching reality TV for hours on end.

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[twistedcubic]

These studies largely ignore confounding factors, and are useless as a result. A kid who spends large amounts of time watching tv doesn't do homework. The tv watching isn't the cause. A student who spends lots of time playing basketball and does no studying has the same result. We could also conclude that playing basketball affects mental ability as well. A better study: compare students who study the same amount of time, but watch different amounts of tv.

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[Belial6]

Complete BS. Every one of those article links is a perfect example of "TV is evil. Let make a study that shows it." style studies. All of them start with a bad premise, and do nothing to actually prove their point. If you actually believed that TV caused brain damage, you wouldn't let your kids watch it at their friends place. Saying that you give your child brain damage brain damage because "It's social" is claiming that you are committing child abuse.

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[Anonymous Coward]

You know, not all grandparents are within driving distance of new parents. My parents live on the opposite coast of me, a couple thousand miles away. My friends have parents who are a few hundred miles away. It's not really an option all the time to have them come over and interact directly...

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[Anonymous Coward]

My parents live 10 hours from their grandchild...

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[Mister Whirly]

My grandparents also lived far away as a child, and there was no Skype or internet to chat over back then. I talked to them occasionally on the phone, and sometimes wrote them letters or postcards. And miraculously, all that were involved turned out just fine. You don't need to see your grandparent's faces every day as a child. You don't need to see your parents faces every day as an adult. My father currently lives several thousand miles away, and that is ok. We are both just fine living our lives independently from each other, and the fact I don't talk to him every day doesn't weaken our relationship.

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[mcgrew]

Exposure to TV/Computers is dangerous for kids because synapses develop incorrectly: Because of the incorrect audio/video synchronisation and the lack of feedback

But they'll have the feedback here, grandma and grandpa. This isn't a TV or computer, it's a picture phone. Completely different than what was studied.

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[Johann Lau]

I am aware of that. If the grandparents MUST see the child all the time regardless, why not let them find a way to visit/move, or a way to cope? 40 minutes a day holding a laptop, ffs. Some people are just selfish I guess.. *everybody* likes to be around cute and beautiful stuff. Little kittens, babies, same thing. Who cares if the parents could spent that time with their baby directly, who cares they're busy etc. -- grandparents want to talk nonsense to baby. To each their own is all I can say to that. Poor kid.

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[mcgrew]

A kid who spends large amounts of time watching tv doesn't do homework. The tv watching isn't the cause. A student who spends lots of time playing basketball and does no studying has the same result.

Then how did Shaquile O'neil get a PhD after retiring from pro basketball? Kids that don't do their homework in high school usually don't do well in college.

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[Yaztromo]

I recommend you have your parents come over to play with your kid, and give it toys/animals/people to play and interact with. Unfortunately, people are lazy and prefer to have the TV/screen babysitter.

Or they have parents who live on the other side of the planet, and who can't afford to fly half way around the globe for routine visits.

That would be our situation -- my parents are a five hour flight away. My wife's parents can't get any sort of direct flight to where we live, as they're on the opposite side of the globe; with all of the connections required I've had the trip take over 24 hours. The absolute shortest we could possibly get it down to is roughly 18 hours. If you factor in that my wife's parents a) aren't wealthy, and b) aren't particularly in good health, the opportunities for them to visit in person are on the order of once every few years at best.

Skype running on an iPad (on our end) or old PC (on their end) however means they've been able to see their only grandchild on a weekly basis. My 19mo daughter has had the benefit of hearing their voices, hearing their native language, and seeing their faces. Thanks to technology, she knows who her family is, and both sides have some connection to the other through more than an abstract concept of extended family my daughter is too young to understand otherwise. Similar with my parents (except we use Facetime instead of Skype), who have the benefit of seeing us somewhat more frequently, but still only twice a year at best.

So congratulation to you for not venturing too far from your parents home. Maybe for you seeing your parents just means crawling out of the basement, but for some of us the only way the grandparents get to participate in their grandchildren's lives is through technology.

But hey -- if you think you're up to it, why not take the condescending tone to my parents-in-law, and you can tell them how they shouldn't have been allowed to talk to their only grandchild after she took her first steps completely unassisted the other week. I'll enjoy hearing how they tear you a new one over the suggestion.

Yaz

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[ClickOnThis]

These studies largely ignore confounding factors, and are useless as a result. A kid who spends large amounts of time watching tv doesn't do homework. The tv watching isn't the cause. A student who spends lots of time playing basketball and does no studying has the same result. We could also conclude that playing basketball affects mental ability as well. A better study: compare students who study the same amount of time, but watch different amounts of tv.

Valid I suppose, but apples and oranges here. The submitter's child is a baby. I don't think the child is old enough to blow off homework if s/he is more likely to "mash laptop buttons and drool on the screen."

Of course, YMMV on (pre)adolescents mashing and drooling.

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[Anonymous Coward]

My parents live several thousand miles away. We talk to them on skype with the kids every few weeks, and as a consequence the kids recognize them, and run and hug them when they come to visit. By contrast, my wife's parents won't skype, so when they visit, the kids hide behind us for the first day or two until they get used to them.

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[Anonymous Coward]

Dear god, please tell my ex-wife that. She thinks it's normal to want to live with your mother at 32 years old.

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[Anonymous Coward]

Yes, and I am sure that not immediately recognizing your grandparents every time as a young child is a permanently emotionally scarring experience that a child could never possibly overcome. Your kids are so screwed man.

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[Anonymous Coward]

While your statements are true, a child will be closer to family they see on a regular basis. My child only sees my parents once a month or two, but, she Skypes with them a few times a week so when they do visit, they know each other very well. On the other hand, for other relatives who do not Skype with us, she is not as close. Skype is great for children where a 5 minute chat goes a long way...

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[Alex Belits]

My parents did just that.

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[bobbutts]

You sir, 1. Obviously doesn't have kids 2. Like to make the question fit your answer even if it doesn't 3. Are a smug douche bag

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[Anonymous Coward]

Sure, just post the link to any scientific evidence that backs up your claim, and I may believe you. But just because your opinion is that seeing a video image of relatives somehow makes a child "closer" to that person does not make it a fact.

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[LordLucless]

Yeah, when my parents were raising me, there was no internet
When my grandparents were raising them, there were no baby monitors
When my great-grandparents were raising them, there was no electricity

It's called progress. No, it's not necessary. Yes, it's nice to have. No, the fact that it's not necessary doesn't mean the OP shouldn't try to have it.

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[magarity]

Dear god, please tell my ex-wife that. She thinks it's normal to want to live with your mother at 32 years old.

If your mother is 32, you should be living with her. If you are 32, your mother's age and ability to take care of herself should dictate whether she lives with you. But if she does need to live with you, remember how she took care of you when you couldn't fend for yourself before you "Dear god" the idea.

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[wannabgeek]

You know, I have a friend whose grandparents died while he was few months old. He turned out just fine. So, let's kill all the grandparents. What kind of idiotic logic is that? Your family has used the means available to them at the time to stay in touch. Now that there are better means of communication available, is it wrong to take advantage of them? What's with all the "new is evil" mentality?

Disclaimer: I'm not a kid, nor even a first worlder. We did not have access to a phone till I was 10 years old - so the only means of communication was letters and telegrams. It's not like I'm scarred, but I do like the fact that my parents and my kids can see each other (over skype) and talk to each other over phone.

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[Anonymous Coward]

That's weird. Your ex-wife has never even met my mother.

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[Mister Whirly]

What's with all the "new is evil" mentality?

Good question - I said nothing of the sort. I didn't condone or promote the use of current technology - I stated I turned out just fine not talking to my grandparents every day as a child, or my parents every day as an adult. Just because the technology exists to stay constantly in contact with everyone you know does not mean you should constantly be in contact with everyone you know 100% of the time. I never once suggested not using Skype - I merely stated I got by without it. (And still do.) I am intelligent enough to realize the way and forms I choose to communicate personally are not the best fit for every other person out there. Which is exactly why I did not suggest that nobody should ever use Skype merely becasue I don't.

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[virg_mattes]

If you're not taking a "new is evil"mentality, then you're purposefully going offtopic. The question that you helpfully answered wasn't the one asked, and nobody asked for your anecdote about how you did just fine without constant contact. The poster asked how to set up the technology so that they can Skype when they want to in a more baby-proof manner.

To answer the actual question, I'd set up a little box on the wall with a plexiglas front, and put a regular monitor in it with a webcam mounted above. If you're even better about it, you could set up the box so you can drop your iPad into it during the session and then just lift it out when you're done. Baby marks on the front can be wiped off and the touch screen won't work through a quarter inch of plastic.

Virg

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[Anonymous Coward]

which kid needs 40 minutes of skype per day?

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[16Chapel]

Oh, fuck off. Maybe it's NICE for grandparents to be able to talk to their kids, even though they live thousands of miles away. I've started skypeing with my mother-in-law (who lives on the other side of the Atlantic), and it's great that she can coo over her new grandchild. It wouldn't be emotionally scarring if she didn't, but it's great that she can.

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[Mister Whirly]

The original statement was that the grandparents needed to see their grandchild every night, and the question was how to make that possible. I said the child doesn't need to see their grandparents everyday. Please enlighten me how that is off topic, or a "new is evil" rant. Also, nobody asked for your opinion on my post either, but it seems you had no problem giving it.

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[highlander76]

I watched tons of TV growing up and I turned out OK. These studies that point out things like declining attention spans are ... HEY LOOK - A SQUIRREL!!...

Re:What Year is it, Again?

[Anonymous Coward]

TV is NOT evil? What? Oh man...and I skipped all those Man From Uncle episodes. Geez

Now that's what I call...

[Anonymous Coward]

Good parenting!

Re:Now that's what I call...

[spazdor]

Buy an LCD TV (or repurpose the one you probably already own). Buy or build a wall mount.
Buy a Raspberry Pi for less than 30 bucks.
Plug in a keyboard.
Spend half an hour setting up and testing a startup script to start a Skype instance on boot.
Unplug the keyboard.
Done.

Re:Now that's what I call...

[greenfruitsalad]

As far as I know, official Skype client won't run on armel. So until somebody ports android or writes an unofficial Skype client, this is not the way.

Plexiglass ?

[polar red]

Can't you protect the laptop/baby with plexiglass?

Re:Plexiglass ?

[bundis]

Yes, put an old laptop behind plexiglass. Or just mount it up high and out of reach.

Re:Plexiglass ?

[Zero__Kelvin]

We tried protecting a baby with plexiglass once, but it was a disaster. We were thinking of getting Baby 2.0 to see if the problem has been fixed, but the delivery time is outrageous!

Re:Plexiglass ?

[vlm]

We were thinking of getting Baby 2.0 to see if the problem has been fixed, but the delivery time is outrageous!

Instead of having one employee work on it, just assign nine, and guaranteed it'll be done nine times faster; maybe even faster with synergy. Don't they teach anything at MBA school anymore?

Re:Plexiglass ?

[g0bshiTe]

I use synergy at work all the time and increases my productivity.

Re:Plexiglass ?

[idontgno]

Where did you get your MBA, Bob Jones University?

The obvious answer is to rightsource the job. You can get 18 contract wombs in India for the price of just one here. So, you can have Baby 2.0 delivered within three* weeks of specification.

*Yeah, within three. Fabrication requires two weeks, but unless you're paying for teleportation technology, the fastest you'll get the baby delivered is a few days after completion of manufacturing.

Re:Plexiglass ?

[Anonymous Coward]

But look at the benifits to the ordering!

Re:Plexiglass ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Not only that, you can get one that has been pre-loaded with potty training, politeness, and an engineering degree. Just download the H1B requisition forms from the State Department website.

Re:Plexiglass ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Mod Up

Re:Plexiglass ?

[Flyerman]

As soon as I get home tonight, this is happening.

Re:Plexiglass ?

[vlm]

As soon as I get home tonight, this is happening.

Baby 2.0? Assigning 8 more women to the task? Come on man, clarify

Re:Plexiglass ?

[Anonymous Coward]

But those 18 contractors in India will flood the web with "Dear, How do I make Baby 2.0? I need it fast. Send me the source please?" in every forum on the net.
Good minded engineers here will help them, after they've already taken their jobs.

You might as well flood the net yourself with the same question. It's cheaper.

Re:Plexiglass ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Or even worse but more common: the phrase "do you have the codes" attached to something vaguely resembling a sentence, but devoid of meaning.

Re:Plexiglass ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Please do the needful!

Why do they always say this?

Re:Plexiglass ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Sounds like they are using a Redundant Array of Inexpensive Wombs.
If you want to make a business of it, just do what they do in manufacturing, and warm up several lines at once.
Then whenever you decide you want to order, you just get the next one hot off the assembly line.

Re:Plexiglass ?

[vlm]

Sounds like they are using a Redundant Array of Inexpensive Wombs.

Yeah but you lose more than you gain due to increased anti-virus requirements.

Re:Plexiglass ?

[Anonymous Coward]

how is babby formed?

Re:Plexiglass ?

[Anonymous Coward]

Hold of on getting Baby 2.0, 3.0 is right around the corner. The 3.0 comes complete with telemetry sensors, accelerometer, GPS, bulit in BuleTooth and WiFi as well as PETG instead of plexiglass. But the best feature of all is the logo is upside right when the baby starts walking upright so it deos not look as silly as the previous models when in use.

Doomed

[clang_jangle]

Sounds like you're seriously underestimating a toddler's resourcefulness, frankly...

Re:Doomed

[Eponymous Hero]

no shit. skype in the crib? i'll expect the little guy to touch type by 2 years old.

Re:Doomed

[Anonymous Coward]

See Molly-guard.

Re:Doomed

[idontgno]

No kidding.

I swear I have seen my 13-month-old get a "challenge accepted" look on her face when I try to put something she wants out of her reach. She's basically fearless (too young to have learned fear, I guess) and a scarily-good climber, so we have to watch her quite closely when this happens, because otherwise I know we'll find her on top of the entertainment center or the dining table or trying to push the sliding door open.

Ah, parenthood.

Re:Doomed

[tibit]

Same here. If it has a surface one can climb onto, he'll get there. Maybe not today, maybe not tomorrow, but by next week you forget about it, but he doesn't. So you find him places and you go "how the heck did you...". 17 months old, no broken bones yet -- none that would be externally visible, at least.

Re:Doomed

[Anonymous Coward]

Sounds like you're seriously underestimating a toddler's resourcefulness, frankly...

This is actually a lot harder question than most give it credit for being.

I tried a LOT of things with my 19 month old. LCD and chepo webcam mounted to the wall worked well for a while. Till she climbed on it. Mounted another on inside a wooden box with a plexiglass front. That worked well until dear wife and daughter managed to pour half a gallon of water onto it.

Then while I was at a friends house, I noticed this box thing he had to take pictures under water. I knew how to child-proof it.

Next thing I did was go out and get a pair of cheep tablets ($150 each at Wallmart) and a sheet of 3/8" plexi glass and some wood. I made a box using some wood strips and the plexi front and back, making sure to seal the back so that it was water tight, use weather stripping to make the front water tight when on, but still removable with the magnet locks. I built the box so that it mounts to a wall outlet (had to install that at the right height...). I installed the other pad on the wall outside of her room and set up screen sharing so that we could initiate calls for her, start the music, etc. We also have it set up to to auto answer calls for both my skype and my parents skype.

The plexi glass needs to be cleaned regularly, but other than that this has held up for 3 months of constant abuse. I am really glad that we went to the trouble of making it water resistant, and making it so that their are no protruding parts. Works well as a music player (night time and nap music).

Re:Doomed

[berashith]

this made me laugh. I know the look. In fact, last week I witnessed my 17 month old drag a steel outdoor chair across the deck about 20 feet to get the bubbles from the middle of the table. The chair has to weigh more than her. The fact that it was not anywhere near the table just increased her joy in defeating me.

Re:Doomed

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, we have two computers in the lounge, one on a huge desk (right at the back of said desk, close to the wall) and the other on a standing desk. My son already knows how to move charis in fornt of the desks, so the huge desk has pen/marker marks all over it, and the other one has a reachable keyboard.
  For skyping, we use the standing desk, and he'll generally be on the floor or sitting on someone's lap, until he gets bored with it. Bonus is that we can turn the keyboard off (its wireless) and remove the chair if we have to.

crib mount ipad.

[Lumpy]

Crib mount an ipad or use an ipad arm. all done, easier, cheaper, faster.

If you are anti apple, then any tablet that has a front facing camera.

Re:crib mount ipad.

[Anonymous Coward]

If you are anti apple, ...

Then he needs to get a grip. The same to the anti Microsoft people and everyone else who's "anti" whatever. It's just so ... adolescent.

Re:crib mount ipad.

[h4rr4r]

He might not be anti-apple just pro-cheap. In that case I suggest an hptouchpad from ebay, a cheap android tablet with a front facing camer, an ipad2 or a used laptop.

Re:crib mount ipad.

[Lumpy]

A tablet is easier to make baby drool proof. a tablet can be slit behind a piece of plexiglass and the kid can drool all they want or even rub snot on it. 20 minutes with plexi, pieces of wood and some glue and you can easily make a holder for in the crib.

Re:crib mount ipad.

[Anonymous Coward]

As opposed to posting trollish comments AC, which is the height of maturity.

Re:crib mount ipad.

[hawguy]

If you are anti apple, ...

Then he needs to get a grip. The same to the anti Microsoft people and everyone else who's "anti" whatever. It's just so ... adolescent.

Yeah, people with any sort of idealism should just give it up and go with the flow. Idealism is for adolescents. You have a philosophical problem with Apple? Just get a grip, Apple is not going to go away. You're against religion in schools? Just get a grip, religion in schools is here and is not going away. You think there's not enough religion in schools? Just get a grip, there's never going to be religion in schools and that's not going to change. If you're not satisfied with the status-quo, well, just get a grip because it's never going to change.

Imagine how much better things would be if no one had adolescent idealism and just accepted things as they are even if it goes against their personal beliefs, especially if their idealism is different than my own.

Re:crib mount ipad.

[Immerman]

...and a laptop can't because...?

Re:crib mount ipad.

[Githaron]

They make cases for various tablets that are already pretty drool proof. Laptops don't have such a benefit. I guess you could put a keyboard cover on the laptop but a kid is likely to just take it off (and try eating it.) I bought a gumdrop case for my Asus Transformer. It doubles the weight of the device but if you are just going to mount it to an arm or something, I don't really see how it matters how much the tablet weighs.

Re:crib mount ipad.

[Anonymous Coward]

That pesky keyboard part. and the being huge as hell compared to a tablet part.

Oh and the a tablet is cheaper than a laptop part....

Re:crib mount ipad.

[Anonymous Coward]

It's just so ... adolescent.

I know you are, but what am I?

Re:crib mount ipad.

[Technician]

Even better, use WiDi with an enabled TV on the wall. A USB or WiFi webcam on a WiDi laptop can be placed in the next room out of sight. or out on a shelf out of reach.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2357919,00.asp

Re:crib mount ipad.

[MightyYar]

Idealism is for adolescents.

Well, you have to admit that reality is a harsh teacher. I'm a little leery of idealistic middle-aged adults, never quite sure if they are crazy or somehow have been sheltered from real life. By our late 30s, most of us have switched to using ideology as a sort of guiding principle to strive for more than a blueprint to live life by.

Re:crib mount ipad.

[Anonymous Coward]

Thank you. Finally, someone who really gets it.

Re:crib mount ipad.

[PoolOfThought]

You're against religion in schools? Just get a grip, religion in schools is here and is not going away. You think there's not enough religion in schools? Just get a grip, there's never going to be religion in schools and that's not going to change.

Interestingly, I think you made at least half of the other guy's point - if not all of it. Often it is about the perspective that one chooses to bring into a situation that makes a significant impact. Some believe religion should be banned and therefore see it EVERYWHERE like it's a virus that just won't quit encroaching. Some people believe that religion is important and therefore they see NONE of it where it is needed most. In either case, these types of people (that are on the extreme edges) likely do need to simply get a grip, take a chill pill, whatever, and realize that it's not always as "simple" as it they try to make it.

That's right, sometimes evil Apple spends it's billions on charitable donations or creating quality hardware / software. Sometimes good Apple does "bad" things like suing for no "good" reason. Microsoft does the same. Google does the same. Hell, I bet you do the same... I know I do. If you want to be "anti-foobar" there's a good chance you do need to get a grip and figure out which thing about foobar you are actually against.

Re:crib mount ipad.

[blackest_k]

Laptop keyboards are in no way toddler proof, look away for a minute and you will find keys have been pulled off. I get a surprising number of laptops that need keys refitting. Figuring out how that mechanism goes together is beyond the ability of a lot of parents. Usually it is easiest to remove one working key carefully to examine how it fits together and then fix the missing keys.

Re:crib mount ipad.

[Deorus]

It's not about idealism, it's about the negative attitude clouding your judgement. As an idealist, I spend my energy demonstrating the strengths of my ideals, not the weaknesses of everyone else's, because this is the only way I can actually contribute with something with the world while respecting people's freedom (which includes the freedom to disagree with me).

If you think you can do better than Apple, by all means go out there and do it! If you have a problem with others using Apple, then I encourage you to introspect about your stance on freedom.

Re:crib mount ipad.

[Immerman]

None of which is relevant if you simply open the laptop flat and put it behind a sheet of plexiglass as the GGP suggested doing with a tablet. They're not talking about letting the child interact with the device, just use Skype over it, which in no way requires that they be able to touch it at all.

And frankly unless your toddler is far less prone to banging things together than most I've seen, I would hesitate to let them out of arms reach with a tablet or anything else with a big fragile screen.

Re:crib mount ipad.

[GrayCalx]

Its one thing to speak sarcastically against religion being taught in public schools. Its another thing when you use sarcasm to defend people rallying against consumer products on an internet forum.

Re:crib mount ipad.

[iamnobody2]

there are anti-foobar people? thats a great music player

Re:crib mount ipad.

[Lumpy]

Actually my choice is get the kid a 32" HDTV with skype built in. a lot easier except for the banging on the screen part.. LCD's are not as durable as plasmas.

Re:crib mount ipad.

[Anonymous Coward]

There are some things you don't want to tolerate. Slavery. Rascism etc. Abandoning ideals is not a good solution. Not all philosophies are equally valid. Being in a society means everyone's own actions have an impact on everyone else's.

Re:crib mount ipad.

[manu0601]

You're against religion in schools? Just get a grip, religion in schools is here and is not going away.

At least for that point, you can get schools without religion by relocating (France forbids religion in public schools for instance). It is much harder to escape from Apple.

Re:crib mount ipad.

[blackest_k]

There is another issue with laptops that of cooling, and sealing a laptop in a box isn't going to be great for that either. An x86 processor will tend to run warmer and use active cooling, where a tablet with an arm processor will run cooler. Opening a laptop flat also isn't possible with a lot of netbooks or laptops either.

There are some nice tablets available for upwards of 150 euro that might be suitable for skype. Not every tablet has suitable hardware, Skype isn't written for every processor, much like flash.

Since Microsoft now owns Skype there is less of an interest in cross platform compatibility. Maybe that might change with Microsoft wanting to support Windows on ARM processors. However that's a long way from support for non-microsoft platforms.

It's a shame really since Skype was good as a defacto standard for cross platform messaging. Skype for facebook is something that is becoming popular but it will not run even with wine.

Rather sadly your laptop idea wins on the software side, probably best used with a separate monitor and webcam though allowing the main unit adequate ventilation.

     

Re:crib mount ipad.

[OeLeWaPpErKe]

Sadly, that's probably cheaper than an iPad.

TVs with skype

[Anonymous Coward]

You can try LCD/LED TVs which have Skype app integrated into TVs
Ex Panasonic, Samsung

Re:TVs with skype

[JazzLad]

Or one of these

Re:TVs with skype

[afidel]

Definitely not babyproof, too many cords.

Re:TVs with skype

[NonFerrousBueller]

My experience with the Panasonic Viera with cam has been less than satisfactory. In fact, it sucks so bad we just use my netbook ( and yeah, try to keep the toddler from touching keys or pad). The wireless and camera were a "gimme" when we bought the panel. Which is just as well, if I'd paid list for them ($NZ300? No way) I'd have taken them back. The firmware is buggy, slow, and closed source. Acquiring wireless signal is hit or miss (netbook picks up strong signal in same room, that part of house isn't wired with CAT5 yet). And to top it off, folks on the other end tell me both our HP Mini and Toshiba netbooks, with their tiny pinhole cameras, give much better picture. Probably my last Panasonic purchase for a good long while. Avoid. Unfortunately, you can't try these things out in the store so you can get stuck with a turkey. Pity, because in theory it's brilliant.

And to anyone who nay-says the need for a child to have Skype, EABOD. Our toddler can identify five different grandparents and gets to talk to them every other week. Someday you'll be old and your kids will move to the other side of the planet and then reproduce. Toddlers don't "do" letters and usually clam up when you hand them a phone with someone on the other end (they'll fucking recite the Gettysburg address into the TV remote just after you hang up though).

Funny

[AshFan]

That's funny, because it's my parents, not my kids, who like to mash on laptop buttons and drool on the keyboard.

Re:Funny

[NoNonAlphaCharsHere]

Oh, I don't know. Reading the summary and wondering how the fuck this question made it to Slashdot's front page made me drool and bash my head on the keyboard.

Re:Funny

[g0bshiTe]

If I currently had mod points you would get them all.

Re:Funny

[Anonymous Coward]

Ask Slashdot

Hi, slashdot, I want to hook up a mouse to my computer. I already have a mouse, it's in a box on the sofa, and my computers across the room at the desk. I don't think the cord will reach that far, and I really don't want to use it from the couch anyway (my keyboard's at the desk, so I'd be walking back and forth a lot). Any ideas?

-- AC

Re:Funny

[gr3yh47]

I agree. meanwhile my ask slashdot post about building a home server with video cap went to red popularity in 5 minutes and never got posted. WHAT is slashdot DOING

Re:Funny

[dyingtolive]

Yours had 'server' in it and didn't involve the chance for the 21st century digital-boys of Slashdot to plug their most recent $CONSUMERTOY.

Re:Funny

[GameboyRMH]

Maybe there are more trolls in the firehose than Slashdotters and they're controlling the lulz supply at the source.

Re:Funny

[DeanCubed]

Ask Slashdot

Hi, slashdot, I want to hook up a mouse to my computer. I already have a mouse, it's in a box on the sofa, and my computers across the room at the desk. I don't think the cord will reach that far, and I really don't want to use it from the couch anyway (my keyboard's at the desk, so I'd be walking back and forth a lot). Any ideas?

-- AC

Sure, just mount a webcam-enabled tablet behind some plexi-glass, near the mouse. That way the computer and keyboard can see the mouse all the time without having to move themselves, or have you move the baby^H^H^H^H^H^H^Hmouse for a visit.

Re:Funny

[pwnyxpress]

What, so how are you writing this Ask Slashdot article from the sofa if your keyboard is on the desk?

Skype + TV

[Anonymous Coward]

Why not take a laptop or PC with Skype & webcam and hook it up to a HDTV using HDMI?

Skype on a large HDTV is fun for the kids.

Low Tech Is The Way To Go

[American AC in Paris]

Build a simple, flat wooden box with an opening at the back that you can slide the laptop keyboard into. Add vent holes if necessary. Affix a cheap keyboard to the top if your kid tries to take off the box to get at the laptop keyboard.

I'd start with a TV

[Anonymous Coward]

Maybe an LCD. Then I'd get a computer. I'd hook the computer to the TV. Get that working. Then I'd get a webcam and a microphone. Two turntables maybe. Then I'd hook those to the computer.

Why didn't my ask slashdot submission get accepted? I'm looking for a good way to copy my files from the computer in my living room to the computer in my bedroom without using wireless internet. Any ideas?

Re:I'd start with a TV

[Vanderhoth]

...Wouldn't a a USB stick work if you didn't want to use Wireless? otherwise you could run Ethernet cable through your attic and put drops in your source and destination rooms.

Re:I'd start with a TV

[vlm]

Why didn't my ask slashdot submission get accepted? I'm looking for a good way to copy my files from the computer in my living room to the computer in my bedroom without using wireless internet. Any ideas?

Noobs. Us old timers know everything. Use the unix "split" command to make a bunch of little 2 kilobyte files, turn each into 40-L QR code each of which holds about 2900 bytes, print those bastards, hand carry or armed courier or military gunship escorted transport chopper, whatever is needed in your situation to approach the bedroom, then feed the QR codes thru ye olde sheet feeder scanner and use unix "cat" command to merge the binaries together. If you're really leet you'd use PAR files but I can be arsed to figure out the options to split down to 2 K. Bonus, it uses linux. This is also a pretty good backup scheme. The bad news is I assume you're transferring blueray dvd pr0n rips downloaded from u****t so thats gonna be about seven million pages at one QR per page. Well, if you wanna be 'leet you gotta pay the price.

Re:I'd start with a TV

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, I forgot to mention that my electricity has been turned off for about a week. That's why I can't use USB or wireless. I'm going to run the ethernet cable and see if that will work. I'm really worried about my bits rotting because there is no electricity going to my linux boxen where my files are. I may have to get a battery operated (and open source, of course) data pump to move the data over the cable. The main pump in the boxen probably won't work without electricity.

Re:I'd start with a TV

[CanHasDIY]

I don't know which is worse - your method for transferring files, or the fact that it sounds like fun and I really, really want to try it myself now...

You bast-ed.

Re:I'd start with a TV

[vlm]

There's a fireproof safe bolted to the floor with my GPG keyring on it using something extremely close to this method.

My lazy ass solution was uuencode and uudecode because thats very easy to split at line breaks and I used somewhat smaller QR blocks since each line is short. Its no great achievement to put a GPG key on a couple sheets of paper... after all I can put darn near 4800 bytes of english text characters on each sheet so... if I was less lazy about packing the QR codes in...

A previous version involved simply PAR files with extremely high redundancy and uuencode the works and print it out and hope OCR doesn't fail me.

"Somebody" out there should make a dedicated android / iphone backup and restore app to print and scan tiny, yet important, data files like this. Assuming it's not already been done. I suppose I'm missing out on becoming the next facebook IPO by posting this instead of monetizing this.

"sheet of paper filesystem" or "sheet of paper enclosure format" or whatever.

Re:I'd start with a TV

[firewrought]

Interesting!!

The bad news is I assume you're transferring blueray dvd pr0n rips downloaded from u****t so thats gonna be about seven million pages at one QR per page.

It looks like you can fit about 20 such QR codes comfortably on an 8x11. That's 40kb per page.

What would really be interesting is to figure out a reasonable target resolution that's supported by widely available printers and scanners, and then design a protocol for printing 8x11 (or A1) pages with as much info as possible. You'd probably want to add header info (to support out-of-order scanning and other such niceties) and spread out the error-correction bits. A color mode would probably be uneconomical for home users, but very helpful for business or nation-states looking to archive or smuggle data via paper.

It seems that you could fit 648K (B&W) or 5191K (3-bit color) on an 8x11 paper with 1/4" margins, 300x300 DPI resolution, and 33% overhead for error correction, fixed patterns, etc. But that's making a lot of assumptions.

Re:I'd start with a TV

[vlm]

This devolves into a mathematical tiling problem using different size qr codes. 8 one inch qr codes across vs 11 down, etc.
The error correction level people tolerate is going to impact things..

Its very much like networking in many ways. So are you doing your error detection and correction on the wire, at the packet level, at the tcp/udp level, at a level above? with QRs you can do some error detection and correction inside the codes, and the next level up maybe as PAR2 files, then the next level up its storing a zip file, it can all get kinda wasteful.

Re:I'd start with a TV

[Jeng]

What about ink degradation?

Do you print out new sheets on a regular basis?

Re:I'd start with a TV

[vlm]

I'm much more worried about fire or lightning or theft than about long term archival storage. Probably by the time the ink fades a kids year 2200 quantum cpu based ipod would be able to factor and crack the gpg key anyway. I have other offsite backup strategies too, this is just one way to backup a couple thousand bits. Guess whats printed and in my bank safe deposit box, for example. I'm not using thermal receipt paper, just toner on letter sized paper.

Also few people know you can mcrypt a gpg secret keyring. I mcrypt it before printing out, as if even 1 in 1e7 people would know what to do with my GPG keyring if they got it from me, anyway.

I would like to see the look on the face of a meth head who spends hours sledge hammering open my safe only to find pages of barcodes...

webcam or Samsung Galaxy tab

[neurocutie]

Any laptop.with an internal.webcam or a $10 usb webcam should be fine. However a simpler solution is a $200 Samsung Galaxy Tab or other cheapo Android tablet.

what......?

[Aryden]

40 minutes of your parents talking to your baby daughter every night? I can't imagine that. Is your last name Focker?

Re:what......?

[Anonymous Coward]

No, it's phukingeediot.

Parenting?

[Richard_at_work]

Seriously, is it too much to ask for parents to do their jobs? Spend that 40 minutes with your child, rather than just plonking them down infront of grandma and grandpa and walking away... You can interact with them during that Skype call - theres no need for them to get anywhere near the computer in question, especially if you are there!

Re:Parenting?

[Anonymous Coward]

You must not be a parent. The parents *are* there. The OP mentions holding the laptop. You try holding a laptop in front of a child and see what happens. I bet they spend more time hitting buttons than interacting with the people on the screen. Because this is what my kid does too. This is the problem the OP is trying to solve. A parent saying "don't touch that" and restraining hands isn't much fun for the kid. A setup that has the hardware transparent to the kid will be fun.

I'd go with a TV displaying from the laptop and webcam mounted on top of the TV. I have been meaning to set this up for my kid, but have stalled (it's the in-laws that skype, not my family :P) Maybe get an older HD CRT that is safer for the kid to touch. (Our kid manhandles our CRT TV all the time, and it's fine.) I don't know if you'll want a 20' display cable (HDMI or VGA), or something wireless. I'd try VGA because I have that option and it's cheaper. The cable itself won't be too interesting across the floor, so I imagine you don't need to route it all fancy. At least, that is what I have been planning to do.

Re:Parenting?

[Anonymous Coward]

It sounds like you don't have children. Ever spent 40 minutes trying to keep a toddler from mashing buttons? Not exactly what I'd call quality time if all you're doing is saying no/ restraining the kid.

Also, I would not assume that the kind of parent willing to set up a whole skype system for their toddler isn't "doing their job" and spending time with their kid during the other 1400 minutes in a day. It's perfectly fine to set up activities for your toddler to entertain themselves with for a while (with you very close by, ready to attend to their needs). They need you available for interaction, but they really do not need you hovering over them every second.

Re:Parenting?

[Richard_at_work]

Put the laptop on a table, out of arms reach and hold the child on your lap. There. Problem solved. No need for restraining of hands, you just hold the child on your lap as you would any other time.

But from the summary, thats not what the parent wants - he wants to stop several very easily prevented actions, such as touching, ending the call accidentally, drooling on the devices etc. All of those things would not happen if they were there supervising the child during the conversation.

Re:Parenting?

[Lurker2288]

Then maybe, I dunno, explain to your parents that there's no a lot of value in sitting there while your child bashes at the laptop for 40 minutes a night. I mean, Jesus, seriously? NOTHING a two year old does is that interesting.

Re:Parenting?

[Anonymous Coward]

Put the laptop on a table, out of arms reach and hold the child on your lap. There. Problem solved. No need for restraining of hands, you just hold the child on your lap as you would any other time.

But from the summary, thats not what the parent wants - he wants to stop several very easily prevented actions, such as touching, ending the call accidentally, drooling on the devices etc. All of those things would not happen if they were there supervising the child during the conversation.

Again, spoken like a non-parent. I have yet to see a child that wants to be held on a lap. Children naturally move about and interact. Supervising (parenting) involves watching the child, not preventing them from interacting. You actually *want* your child to move and interact, just like a real person. But, you want to steer them away from interacting with the parts that'll spoil the interaction.
In practice it's a challenge to prevent actions without treating the child like an object. You can either try telling them 40 times "don't touch that, look at grandma", or you can move "that' out of the way so the only interesting interaction for the child is the appropriate one. I still agree the OP has a good question, though the solutions are probably simple trial-and-error hardware approaches.

Re:Parenting?

[psmears]

Put the laptop on a table, out of arms reach and hold the child on your lap. There. Problem solved. No need for restraining of hands, you just hold the child on your lap

Something tells me you've never actually tried this with a live toddler. That, or you were using a different model of toddler to the ones I've encountered...

Re:Parenting?

[Anonymous Coward]

You try holding a laptop in front of a child and see what happens. I bet they spend more time hitting buttons than interacting with the people on the screen. Because this is what my kid does too. This is the problem the OP is trying to solve. A parent saying "don't touch that" and restraining hands isn't much fun for the kid. A setup that has the hardware transparent to the kid will be fun.

... unless the hardware was the fun. Let me get this straight... you start the skype call, put the laptop in front of the kid, and the kid thinks "Ooooh, buttons!" and starts mashing them. Meanwhile, the grandfolks are on the other end trying to get the kid to look up and acknowledge them.

Am I the only one who can see what's going to happen when you take the buttons away (or make them not do anything) and all that's left is a screen with a couple of geezers crowding in front of a webcam? The kid is going to start thinking that riding the tricycle or playing with blocks just moved way up the list of priorities.

Re:Parenting?

[Anonymous Coward]

Kill the kid. Get a goldfish instead. Problem solved.

Re:Parenting?

[ThatsLoseNotLoose]

NOTHING a two year old does is that interesting.

To you, maybe. I'm guessing you're not a grandmother.

Re:Parenting?

[Richard_at_work]

Really, its not that hard to hold a toddler a fraction of your weight and ability in your lap - especially if the intention is to keep him occupied by something on the tv or on a screen. Just keep the items in question out of their reach - a laptop two metres away is not going to get touched, drooled on or pushed off the work surface. Its called supervision - something modern parents seem to be lacking in the ability to carry out it would seem.

Oh, and thankyou for engaging in this discussion without resorting to posting as an Anonymous Coward.

Re:Parenting?

[Rob the Bold]

Put the laptop on a table, out of arms reach and hold the child on your lap. There. Problem solved. No need for restraining of hands, you just hold the child on your lap as you would any other time.

But from the summary, thats not what the parent wants - he wants to stop several very easily prevented actions, such as touching, ending the call accidentally, drooling on the devices etc. All of those things would not happen if they were there supervising the child during the conversation.

iF i hads athgsd toddler on 2 yasdr lap aright noas the s is aatht you'sda he reading.

No, seriously. And it's not like my kid is especially wiggly, either.

Re:Parenting?

[DutchUncle]

They ARE doing their jobs, maintaining an enhanced familial / social network and more personal stimulation for the child.

OP does not include information about whether this is also assisting parents who find it difficult to travel (to visit in person which would be preferred) and/or expect limited time to interact with the child.

If/when you have a child, you can do it your way. When my son was born, my wife's parents lived in the next town (still do); my father was already dead and my mother lived far away (and has since died). Maybe with modern tech the relationship could have been closer. I certainly wouldn't begrudge OP the attempt.

Re:Parenting?

[aesiamun]

My kid sees a keyboard and immediately goes for it. He doesn't pull it but he likes to type. 3 year olds can't spell well...

Re:Parenting?

[internerdj]

"its not that hard to hold a toddler a fraction of your weight and ability in your lap" As a martial artist with over 1000 hours mat time in grappling arts and who is at three to four times the weight of my oldest, I'd like to say YMMV. Our youngest is quite easy to hold still even if he doesn't like it. To put our oldest still in a place he doesn't want to be is one of the hardest grappling feats I have ever undertaken.

Re:Parenting?

[CycleMan]

Neither can my one-year-old. But he's learned that anything in matte black or silver with buttons or a screen is a wonderful thing. We gave him a spare remote control and spare keyboard so we could use ours unhindered without just having to shut him down every time he wanted to be like us and use the cool toys. He still knows there's a difference between his and ours, but he's more accepting, and that means I can introduce him to tech while maintaining my desired limits.

Re:Parenting?

[GrayCalx]

In theory, sure its very simple to hold a 30 lb child still. Now lets make the very accurate assumption that children don't sit still. Within minutes that child will want to get up and walk around. Now again, in theory you could restrain the child, forcing them to sit still in front of the computer. Hmm and you spoke of supervision, I suppose your idea of supervising is restraining the child so you can go about your day. So lets skip that and assume we are now restraining a child that doesn't want to be. Anyone who has children or has been with children know that this will result in crying and screaming. So now you're having a skype call with your parents, whom you can't hear because your child is thrashing around screaming and I'm sure they enjoy seeing their little grandchild being physically restrained and screaming. Yaaaay fun video chat with Grams and Gramps! Or maybe I'll just go on an internet forum and judge parents for being lazy because I have no experience with children at all. This is anonymous because I really don't care enough to log in, but had to point out the judgmental nature of your character.

Re:Parenting?

[Anonymous Coward]

Really, its not that hard to hold a toddler a fraction of your weight and ability in your lap - especially if the intention is to keep him occupied by something on the tv or on a screen. Just keep the items in question out of their reach - a laptop two metres away is not going to get touched, drooled on or pushed off the work surface. Its called supervision - something modern parents seem to be lacking in the ability to carry out it would seem.

It's not that it is hard to hold a child in your lap, even if it's against their will. It's just that that is bad parenting. Good parenting teaches children how to be adults. That involves experiences, not arbitrary restraint. A child who is encouraged to interact with everything in their environment will have better learning experiences. A parent can exercise control on both the child and the environment. Sometimes, you can't control the environment. But, in this case you can. Sure, you could just control the child without them understanding why, if you want to supervise that way. But, if they're too young to understand a reason for something, there's no reason to involve them in the decision. My child prefers to see 5 things they are encouraged to interact with than to see 10 things, but be told 5 are off limits. To my mind, when I tailor an environment that my child doesn't even realize is supervised, that is skilled supervision.

Oh, and thankyou for engaging in this discussion without resorting to posting as an Anonymous Coward.

Are my comments less insightful because I am not using a screen name? Would my words mean more or less? Would you know me any differently?

Why do you want to torture your kids?

[xxxJonBoyxxx]

Why do you want to torture your kids with 40 minutes of grandparent gooing on the screen?

Re:Why do you want to torture your kids?

[garcia]

My son (a little over 2 years old) LOVES to Skype with his grandparents. In fact when I am on the laptop and he's in the room he's usually begging me to see "Nana and Pop-pop".

To answer the OP; we generally do it while he's eating in his high chair. I can keep the laptop on the table, out of his reach and since he's locked in place he can't reach the keys.

While ripping keys off the keyboard was a problem in the past, he's to the point at two+ that he can listen to instruction and know consequences (time out). He basically just talks to them, shows them his latest favorite toy, and/or tells them whatever it is that's going through his mind at the time.

They're happy. he's happy and my MacBook is safe. That said, if he's not in his chair I don't leave him alone with it and/or use it as a babysitter. In between his ramblings I chat with them until he comes back to say hi again.

I think that you need to find what works best for your family and your child. While I don't think putting it on the wall or leaving the kid unattended with Skype open is a good idea, perhaps it's best for you.

YMMV.

Re:Why do you want to torture your kids?

[McGruber]

Why do you want to torture your kids with 40 minutes of grandparent gooing on the screen?

Because Grandpa is more entertaining than the teletubbies.

Re:Why do you want to torture your kids?

[Anonymous Coward]

They're happy. he's happy and my MacBook is safe.

I really expected "and my MacBook is happy." ;-)

Re:Why do you want to torture your kids?

[idontgno]

For appropriate values of "Grandpa", Grandpa has always been more entertaining than the teletubbies. This speaks well of the entertainment value of certain Grandpas, and poorly (but accurately) of the entertainment value of preschoolers' edutainment television programming.

Re:Why do you want to torture your kids?

[Anonymous Coward]

> To answer the OP; we generally do it while he's eating in his high chair. I can keep the laptop on the table, out of his reach and since he's locked in place he can't reach the keys.

We do the same. The high chair/food/table combination works great with our 2 hour time difference.

Re:Why do you want to torture your kids?

[houghi]

Eating time is for eating. Not for watching things on a screen.
And just because he loves it does not mean that you must allow it.

Re:Why do you want to torture your kids?

[garcia]

As I mentioned in my post to the OP, what works for some people will not work for all others and their families.

May I suggest you keep your opinions to yourself about how I choose to raise my children. While the OP asked for advice and I gave it, I was not looking for input on how to raise mine.

Re:Why do you want to torture your kids?

[narcc]

Look, if you didn't want every stranger you encounter telling you how best to raise your child / how your approach is sure to turn your kids into psychopaths then why did you have them?

It's every childless asshat's responsibility to give you unsolicited parenting advice. How else would you know if your baby was too hot, too cold, has a developmental problem, or going to turn out gay / murder you in your sleep if you don't take away a particular toy.

After all, new parents *need* free advice, don't they?

Re:Why do you want to torture your kids?

[Agent0013]

While I don't think putting it on the wall or leaving the kid unattended with Skype open is a good idea, perhaps it's best for you.

Much better would be leaving the kid unattended with chat-roulette. :-P

Re:Why do you want to torture your kids?

[greg_barton]

he's happy and my MacBook is safe.

Just wait until he decides to see how far he can throw applesauce.

I suggest a sheet or saran wrap over the keyboard, just in case...

Re:Why do you want to torture your kids?

[RobertLTux]

rollup (real) keyboards are cheap nowadays and worst case you can hold the USB connector and then DUNK the keyboard in cleaner. (CDC worst case i think they burn a bit quicker than a "hard" keyboard)

Re:Why do you want to torture your kids?

[Anonymous Coward]

Fuck off you sanctimonious twat. Shits like you don't even have kids.

Re:Why do you want to torture your kids?

[berashith]

well, they are going to see somebody else's dangly bits on the internet eventually.

lame

[vlm]

this must be the lamest ask /. I've ever seen.

If only you could buy a box, that when plugged into a computer and peripherals, was just like a laptop, except it didn't use batteries and wasn't portable and was cheap. Why, I bet you could place a technological marvel like that on a desk, instead of on a lap like a laptop. I'm sure marketing can come up with a good name like the ideskbook or the desk-ster or the e-mini-desk or the deskr or maybe the socialdesk or something like that. Hmm like a laptop but instead of sitting on a lap it sits on a desk... what could that be called... Naw I got nothin' Sorry. Good luck dude!

Re:lame

[jellomizer]

How About the "Autocompumodualstation" ACMS for short.

Re:lame

[Anonymous Coward]

You're only alowed to use one of those if you live on a volcanic island with a skull shaped rock formation, and you have to glaot about how the ACMS will make you unstoppable when you capture Captain Stupendous.

Re:lame

[strength_of_10_men]

I agree, it's totally lame. But to geek-ify it a little, try to do something like this: Portal-style videoconference.

And then slave this to the webcam, under the control of the grandparents for "corrective" actions.

Re:lame

[vlm]

How bout AutoComputerMultimediaExtension? ACME? like the roadrunner cartoons?

No, the more I think about it, the "laptop that sits on a desk instead of a lap" should probably just be called "laptop 2.0" You know, for new trendy social media apps rather than the old laptop 1.0 paradigm. I'm thinking I could become a "laptop 2.0" social media consultant and help companies integrate this new hardware technology to replace their legacy tablet computing infrastructures. I know this was initially a solution for a drooling toddler, but most mid level cubie dwellers behave like spoiled toddlers anyway, including temper tantrums, so I'm thinking its a good fit in the modern business environment.

Re:lame

[Caratted]

As a mid level cubie dweller with temper tantrums, I will forward your solicitation to my manager. There will be strippers at the convention... right?

Re:lame

[Anonymous Coward]

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

Totally worth the read!!

Re:lame

[jellomizer]

Super villan rule #1: No monologing.

Well....

[wbav]

It is nice that the grandparents want to be involved, but let me say technology and kids do not mix. I'm living proof of that

PB&J sandwich in the VCR at the top of an 8' book case. I'm not saying how I did it.

Plexiglass case + tablet is your best bet.

E*TRADE

[Anonymous Coward]

whatever you do, don't install E*TRADE on said laptop

Re:E*TRADE

[vlm]

yeah that's what happened to JP Morgan. Oh no wait you're talking about that old commercial. Same difference.

Re:E*TRADE

[CityZen]

Why not? The kid would have as good odds on filling out his college fund as anyone. (Just don't set up a margin account.)

Re:E*TRADE

[Anonymous Coward]

Why not? I bet he wouldn't do any worse than I am right now.

Re:E*TRADE

[HungryMonkey]

As I recall, that didn't work out so well for the E*TRADE baby when he realized he couldn't take it back.

Seriously...

[Anonymous Coward]

Tell your intrusive parents to buzz off.

Ten minutes 2 or 3 times a week would be PLENTY of skype time.

40 minutes a day, every day is completely absurd.

Re:Seriously...

[Githaron]

Why do you assume the grandparents are intrusive? Perhaps the parents like the fact that the grandparents are taking an regular and active role in their child's life.

Re:Seriously...

[wmbetts]

It must be lonely in your world.

Ipad

[fermion]

My first thought was to set up an iPad perhaps with some speakers. I have done Skype on iPad and it works really well. If you have an HDMI TV, the iPad could be hooked to the TV, with iPad set up for outgoing video, and all the interaction could be on the TV. That way the baby can drool on the screen as much as it wants.

why in the childs room?

[Anonymous Coward]

We have a PC setup on our wal mounted living room tv, with a web cam on that.. and when grandparents want to skype.. I hold keyboard &mouse & todler interacts with grandparents..
She loves it.. parents love it cuz they see every one.. win-win.

A "smart TV" may be the answer.

[Above]

There are a number of TV's and Blue-Ray players that have Skype clients.

The Tely-HD is a stand alone solution that does the same thing.

It's easy to find wall mount units for a TV, I suggest using Monoprice.

Setting the grand parents up with one of these units so they can sit in their living room and use the TV, along with some sort of unit in the kids room is the way to go. The TV can always be easily repurposed later. If you already have a TV adding a Blue-Ray with the capability is a nice way to get Skype now and be able to play Disney movies for the kid later.

Re:A "smart TV" may be the answer.

[berashith]

Blu ray is a horrible way to show movies to kids. Do you realise that a 2 year old has the attention span of a gnat on speed? They want a movie NOW. Any time spent between asking for the movie and the damn thing playing is time spent hearing a kid lose their mind. Or dad losing his mind due to the kid freaking out because they want the movie. Media destruction take a distant second place to the reason that I rip content.

Re:A "smart TV" may be the answer.

[i.r.id10t]

During the last hurricane induced power outage (a few months before katrina) we had no power for 8 days. Had a 3 year old... imagine her whining "daddy, i want to watch finding nemo"... cute huh? Now imagine daddy sighing and saying "i want you to watch finding nemo too sweetie....". Depressing huh?

No generators to be had. A few weeks later, second long term power outage due to another 'cane. Daddy went and got a 400w inverter from a car audio place (still no generators to be found no matter the money). Was able to run a few fans, a few lights and the tvt/dvd player...

Skype enabled TV

[theNetImp]

Get a TV Then go here.

http://www.skype.com/intl/en-us/get-skype/on-your-tv/

Look it's 2012!

The answer is in your question.

[HockeyPuck]

wall-mounted monitor + webcam

Mount a LCD monitor on the wall or put it out of arms reach of the kid on a dresser with a webcam and some cheap PC speakers. Put the computer farther away using a 10ft VGA/HDMI cable.

Why make it so complex, does your toddler really need to touch the screen?

Also, nothing like exposing your kids to the benefits of watching TV when they're still in the crib. Instead of TV being the "new babysitter", it'll be skype.

Re:The answer is in your question.

[HalWasRight]

Mod this up. Please. KISS.

Re:The answer is in your question.

[Anonymous Coward]

A tech-phile grandma I know simply bought 2 iPads, kept one and gave the other to the kids. Now she can see her grandkids (still toddlers) as often as she wants. The Apple application she uses is called... what? It's not Skype, I'm sure of that.

Here we go. I believe it's FaceTime.

Being iPads, they ought to be a little more resistant to drool and sticky fingers. Of course the iPads are small enough to be dropped or thrown by small hands.

Cheap Android tablet

[Anonymous Coward]

Just mount a cheap Android tablet on the wall with a piece of Plexiglas in front of it. Probably about $150 minimum for one with a camera and enough power to Skype (yes, Java sucks but it's where we are).

Or a used iPad if you want to spend a little more. A used iPad 1 is about $180 or so.

Alternative would be a cheap LCD TV (Plexi in front also) and webcam hooked to a computer in another room. Seems overkill but I guess it could be repurposed as needed.

Re:Cheap Android tablet

[CityZen]

Yes on the cheap Android tablet, no on the iPad 1 (no camera).

Errr...

[TheSpoom]

we're looking to build some sort of wall-mounted monitor + webcam thingy

So, um, grab a monitor and a webcam, and mount them to the wall...

Re:Errr...

[ClickOnThis]

we're looking to build some sort of wall-mounted monitor + webcam thingy

So, um, grab a monitor and a webcam, and mount them to the wall...

Better still, a monitor with a webcam built in.

Re:Errr...

[ClickOnThis]

we're looking to build some sort of wall-mounted monitor + webcam thingy

So, um, grab a monitor and a webcam, and mount them to the wall...

Better still, a monitor with a webcam built in.

Oh, and with speaker + microphone if possible. Sorry for responding to my own post.

Ceiling

[Hentes]

Toddlers grow fast, better mount it on the ceiling.

Re:Ceiling

[mortonda]

Why would you mount the toddler to the ceiling?

Disable the keyboard

[cheese_boy]

get a program to disable the keyboard.
For example:
http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/11570/disable-the-keyboard-with-a-keyboard-shortcut-in-windows/

It won't solve problem of her hitting the power button - but depending on the model, you may be able to disable the functionality of the power button in a separate program.

So as long as she is just mashing keys, not popping keys off the keyboard, that should solve your problem.

If you really want a separate machine, so you can read a recipe for dinner on your laptop (or whatever) while she interacts with grandma/grandpa, there have been other suggestions that look like good options.

Re:Disable the keyboard

[tokul]

get a program to disable the keyboard.

You won't need that program after toddler disables keyboard physically. Not every solution is implemented in software.

Re:Disable the keyboard

[Anonymous Coward]

Makes me wonder if I have the most well adjusted and tech savvy toddler in the world. 2.5 year old daughter has been using my iMac for quite a while now. She FaceTime chats, plays a couple different memory games, watches her Barney, Elmo, etc. DVD's ripped into iTunes, plays music in Pandora and Spotify, etc. on her own, and without any damage to the machine. Yes she will honestly head into my office, climb up on the chair, and start doing whatever she wants to do on the computer. When she was really little and wanted to press keys / click the mouse on things without knowing what they did, I would lock the machine down with a simple app in the Mac App Store called BabyProof.

First World Problem

[CMYKjunkie]

I can think of no better example of a first world problem than this!!

Re:First World Problem

[CityZen]

You mean where hundreds of solutions exist for a niche problem, but the poster can't afford them?

Re:First World Problem

[Anonymous Coward]

You mean where hundreds of solutions exist for a niche problem, but the poster can't afford them?

The first world; a place where all real problems have been solved, leaving only exaggerated, self-inflicted non-problems with which to struggle.

Re:First World Problem

[Anonymous Coward]

You realize that this is Ask Slashdot, right? Tell me what questions you expect on here that can't be construed as "first world problems".

The Truman Show

[kawabago]

Poor kid.

even better

[Eponymous Hero]

just wallpaper the room in oled screens. then grandpa can dress up as a scary clown and come out of the walls at night.

http://e-gadgetsinfo.blogspot.com/2012/04/future-is-almost-here-oled-wallpaper.html

baby monitor and usb video into a pc

[Anonymous Coward]

We used a baby monitor that had video out, plugged into a USB video input that skype recognized as camera source. An old PC configured to run nothing but that and to auto-answer. Let's them view the grandkid's room any time they'd like. We didn't connect the audio. The gee-whiz factor of it wore off quickly.

Now we just just use either one of our android phones or an iPad to do the calls now and then. Realistically, no child really wants to spend much time this way. Think about it, even when physically in the same room there's not going to be a lot of direct interaction. There's not going to be enough going on within that tiny screen to keep a child's attention. Even when using a big TV as the screen it's still not enough. That and listening to the in-laws trying to force the interaction gets old... fast. So trying to shoe-horn all that through a webcam link just isn't going to have a lot of success.

Sure, it's nice now and then but definitely not on a regular basis.

As for parenting advice, give it a rest. Either help the folks or STFU.

Keep it simple stupid (KISS)

[devilsdean]

Put the box in an area out of reach, in another room etc, and run the monitor, sound, and web cam cables to the desk. Use a wireless mouse and keyboard that has an off switch. Let the baby chew on the powered off keyboard while skyping. Now on to solving world peace.

Mod parent up!

[Anonymous Coward]

Indeed. These are the sort of difficulties one struggles with only in paradise.

Wide-angle webcam is the way to go

[Anonymous Coward]

The way I set it up at home with a toddler was: Attach wide angle webcam (say, for example, a Logitech Pro 9000 or similar) to a laptop or HTPC and place the webcam on the TV, with the computer placed inside the home theater cabinet, which is out of the toddler's reach. After this, just let the kid run around in the living room like usual -- control the computer with a wireless mouse and keyboard if necessary. Grandparents will be able to watch the kid run around, and you can use the digital zoom feature to make the little one bigger as needed.

Re:Wide-angle webcam is the way to go

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh -- forgot to add -- the computer is, of course, attached to the TV, so the child can see "life-sized" grandparents, which makes it much easier for the little one to interact with the grandparents.

Popo and Nana

[tepples]

In fact when I am on the laptop and he's in the room he's usually begging me to see "Nana and Pop-pop".

Do you put on Ice Climber on an emulator?

Re:Popo and Nana

[Anonymous Coward]

Since when did gramma and grampa become too hard for a kid to say?

Why do I read slashdot comments, ever?

[Anonymous Coward]

Son. Of. A. Bitch. This is the second time in two days I've clicked on a slashdot link to read the comments, hoping desperately that it wouldn't be full of the usual dreck, only to be disappointed. I was hoping that somebody would have something useful to suggest, since we also have a toddler that would love Skyping with his grandparents but that we can't use a laptop with because he'll button-mash all the settings into something unusable. The plexiglass could be a good possibility, perhaps a setup to protect the keyboard so he can see the screen easily but can't actually *get* to the trouble-causing buttons.

But for the rest, we get jokes about putting the baby in a box, combined with complaints about how the OP is a horrible parent for wanting to let their kid talk to the grandparents every night. OMG! Parents actually want to help extended family to be involved with their child! Call the cops immediately!

This happens every time I click on a slashdot comments link, it seems. Why aren't all of you people over on reddit or 4chan or something; I thought it was generally accepted there that having absolutely NOTHING to contribute on a topic but doing so anyway was considered a badge of high honor?

Re:Why do I read slashdot comments, ever?

[Anonymous Coward]

I gave my three year old an iPod touch and a big otterbox case for her birthday. This has served many functions.

A: car entertainment (we dont have a screen in our car, nor do we want one)
B: all the games that I kept on my phone to occasionally entertain her, she can play on her phone and not risk my info or hardware with button mashing
C: Skype with grandma and uncles who are between 100 and 5000 miles away.

Works well. Referb 8GB unit and case cost about $200.

Re:Why do I read slashdot comments, ever?

[Anonymous Coward]

Sorry, we didn't know there were TWO people in the world so retarded that they needed this explained, and both managed to reproduce. Since there's TWO of you instead of one, I guess it's actually worth answering, so here you go.

"we're looking to build some sort of wall-mounted monitor + webcam thingy"

Step 1. Procure a monitor, a monitor-mounting webcam, and a monitor wall mount (or a floor stand and some duct tape). (I'd get most of them from the basement, but if you don't have them, buy, beg, or steal as your conscience dictates.)
Step 2. Install them on the wall (or floor by the wall).
Step 3. There is no step 3.

wall-mounted monitor + webcam thingy complete!

Okay, maybe it's a bit uncharitable to assume you're just braindamaged, maybe we should assume there's some obstacle preventing that dead-simple solution from working. Maybe your laptop doesn't have video-out, and you don't have a desktop in the whole fucking house; maybe your longest video cable is 0.5m, leaving the computer inside toddler-destruction-range -- so go buy whatever hardware you need to do what you want done.

Neither you nor "mmmmdave" mention any such difficulties, so how in hell would we know? And if we did know, wouldn't the solution then be as obvious and nearly as trivial as the first one.... Really, there's no scenario here where you're not just being stupid. Have fun encasing your laptop in a plexiglas sleeve because you're so fucking dumb you can't remember ever seeing a standalone monitor -- I'm voting we put YOU in a box, since your toddler is obviously more cognitively capable and less of a danger to himself and society.

Re:Why do I read slashdot comments, ever?

[jeffmeden]

I found something useful: the IP Webcam android app (Free from google play.) If skype from your phone wasnt already an option (such as, if you dont have a FFC) you can set Skype up to read the feed from the webcam. Then, plug your laptop into your wall mounted TV and mount/hang the phone near the TV somehow. Presto, a wall mounted video chat setup that doesnt have a touchscreen (per the spec in the submission) and if you have an old android phone lying around (what self respecting geek doesnt) you probably didnt spend a dime (fulfilling the other spec in the submission). How is that for "the usual dreck"?

Come on pal, cheer up!

Re:Why do I read slashdot comments, ever?

[Anonymous Coward]

Also, the device actually survived a year because she is going to turn four in a few weeks. Although it did go missing on a random bookshelf for about two months there. She keeps better track of "her phone" now.

Re:Why do I read slashdot comments, ever?

[Anonymous Coward]

You are a horrible person and should immediately remove yourself from the gene pool.

a cheap ipad?

[pjr.cc]

as in, second hand/older ipad really aint that expensive, and you'll be hard pressed to find anything that'll beat it for price... cheap chinese android tablet is really the only other option... you might get a laptop (netbook style one) for cheap, but probably not much cheaper... its a pretty low price point to start with imho.

The other problem is that you may find trying to protect anything is going to be the hard part (or perhaps expensive/tedious) rather then the device itself.

By that I mean saying that you could "get a cheap tablet and stick some plexiglass in front of it" sounds easy in practice, but not if you dont have the right tools. Personally i'd consider one of the older 10" android tablets and just put it out of reach - of course out of reach (For those with kids) often means "challenge" for child and can result in some truely god like resourcefulness on the part of the child.

Its quite possible, however, that theres an app on the android market that'll lockout an android tablets control surfaces (im pretty sure i've seen something like this).. im not sure if the same exists on the ipad, but maybe thats the way to go?

Easy

[Anonymous Coward]

Buy a monitor with a built in web cam (ASUS VK246H 24-Inch Widescreen LCD Monitor - Black with Webcam -- $200 on Amazon) and a VESA mountable or "gum pack" computer to mount to it and put it in Windows kiosk mode with only Skype running. I do something similar with Google Talk for the same purpose. Works great and costs about $400.

Skype and Grandparents

[American AC in Paris]

There are a lot of 1984/Truman Show/No Real Parent posts on this thread. Folks, understand that for some families, grandma and grandpa are a time zone away at best, and a grandkid is lucky to see her grandparents in person once a year, if that. Skype/videophone is a fantastic way to help bridge that gap. My parents can read our daughter stories. My wife's parents can sing songs with our daughter. They can see each other and interact in ways that you just can't do over the phone or with text.

Our kid is lucky--she gets to see each set of grandparents in person about twice a year. For the stretches between those times, though, she can still visit with them over Skype. It's far from perfect, but it's a huge leap ahead of a phone call, and helps all sides of the family feel closer.

You wouldn't mock people for calling their parents to let their kid talk to grandma and grandpa over the phone. Why the special hate for the extra level of closeness?

Re:Skype and Grandparents

[houghi]

You wouldn't mock people for calling their parents to let their kid talk to grandma and grandpa over the phone.

Yes I would, if they do it for 40 minutes each day.
If the grandparents are supposed to be such an important part in their lives: move.
If you say that it is not possible, it is because you have other priorities and being near the grandparents is a lower priority.

What you are looking at is a technical solution for a social problem.

Re:Skype and Grandparents

[Anonymous Coward]

What is wrong with a technical solution to a social problem? Skype works great for people who can't move _and_ view grandparents are important. Next you are going to tell me to stop spending nights in my backyard with a telescope because "if stars and planets are supposed to be such an important part of your life: move".

See how stupid it sounds?

Stop telling people how to live their lives based on your own priorities.

Re:Skype and Grandparents

[Rob the Bold]

You wouldn't mock people for calling their parents to let their kid talk to grandma and grandpa over the phone. Why the special hate for the extra level of closeness?

Actually, the more comments I read here, the more I think they might do just that.

Re:Skype and Grandparents

[American AC in Paris]

You wouldn't mock people for calling their parents to let their kid talk to grandma and grandpa over the phone.

Yes I would, if they do it for 40 minutes each day. If the grandparents are supposed to be such an important part in their lives: move. If you say that it is not possible, it is because you have other priorities and being near the grandparents is a lower priority.

What you are looking at is a technical solution for a social problem.

One set of grandparents live in Washington State. Another set of grandparents live in Iowa. Even if we were able to pack up and move, we can't live in two states at once.

I agree with you very earnestly on one point: there are all sorts of things that responsible adults need to balance in their lives, and living close to family is one of those things. My wife and I have other priorities in life that we work to balance against, with one in particular being of note: my wife just spent seven years working her fingers off to earn a Ph.D. in biochemical, molecular and cellular biology. As wonderful as it would be to live close to either set of grandparents, neither set lives in an area with a strong presence in the biological sciences. Thus, to move closer to one set of grandparents, my wife would need to essentially abandon a decade's worth of highly specialized, extremely valuable learning. This would be an enormous waste of time, money, work, and talent, and it isn't something we're eager to do. Even if we did decide to abandon her career, though, we'd still be stuck half a continent from the other set of grandparents.

So yes, we Skype as a family with grandma and grandpa for long periods, several times a week. It's a suboptimal solution to a problem with no optimal solution; no matter what we do, we're not going to be able to avoid having to Skype with the grandparents. You are, of course, free to judge us for the decisions we've made, as is your right. For my part, I'll probably continue to call you out as a sanctimonious, simple-minded ass who would rather denigrate the lives and choices of others than grant other grown adults the benefit of the doubt and start from the premise that they're not whiny, spoiled idiots.

As is my right.

Re:Skype and Grandparents

[Anonymous Coward]

Folks, understand that for some families, grandma and grandpa are a time zone away at best, and a grandkid is lucky to see her grandparents in person once a year, if that.

That's a feature, not a bug. You mean people don't move a time-zone away from their parents as soon as they get married on purpose?

I grew up until my teenage years before skype or any voip whatsoever, so international phone calls were expensive as hell. My parents and I were in Brazil, my paternal grandparents were in the US, and I didn't even talk to them via phone call more than 2 or 3 times a year. I loved my grandparents, but I gotta say that I assume part of the reason our relationship was strong was exactly because we didn't get to see much of one another, so they didn't have the opportunity to take sides on battles between my parents and I.

You don't want the grandparents trying to raise the kids. Communication a few times a year is the only way to be sane.

Re:Skype and Grandparents

[mcmonkey]

If the grandparents are supposed to be such an important part in their lives: move.

So everyone for whom food is an important part of their life should live on a farm?

Re:Skype and Grandparents

[Anonymous Coward]

My kids have two sets of grandparents. They live 2000 miles apart. Where should we move?

Re:Skype and Grandparents

[Yaztromo]

If the grandparents are supposed to be such an important part in their lives: move. If you say that it is not possible, it is because you have other priorities and being near the grandparents is a lower priority.

Yes, because fortunately we live in a world where everyone lives in a liberal democracy, where the immigration laws have been harmonized, making it easy to live wherever you want.

Oh wait -- we don't live in that world.

Which brings me to the other possibility -- that we do live on a planet with various levels of oppressiveness in Government, and that it isn't possible for everyone to just pack up and move to whatever country their grandparents/grandchildren live in, regardless of the economics of such a move. That, and that you're a douche.

Ah -- that sounds a lot more like the world we actually live in!

Yaz

(Okay -- I can be decent -- perhaps you're not a douche, but just haven't thought your statement through. You now have a chance to do so).

Jesus..

[gallondr00nk]

Is this what passes for Ask Slashdot submissions these days?

Buy a cheapo TFT new or second hand and mount it on the wall if you want. Buy a $10 webcam, do likewise. If you can't manage that, what the hell are you even doing here?

Re:Jesus..

[gl4ss]

Is this what passes for Ask Slashdot submissions these days?

Buy a cheapo TFT new or second hand and mount it on the wall if you want. Buy a $10 webcam, do likewise. If you can't manage that, what the hell are you even doing here?

bragging that he has a wife and a baby?

Re:Jesus..

[canderley]

bragging that he has a wife and a baby?

Screen shot or it didn't happen.

Re:Jesus..

[Anonymous Coward]

Don't forget to patent that invention.

CRT

[Liquidretro]

As scary as this might be for a slashdot user to have in their home, what about an old CRT monitor with a wireless keyboard? I am sure you can find a CRT monitor for free on Craigslist, at work, or a thrift store. Put a webcam on top, hook it up to an old computer or laptop (Close the lid, must set it to stay on). Put the wirless keyboard and mouse across the room on a dresser or something and you should be good to go. The toddler can poke the CRT all they want with their fingers with no trouble, although I would still try and teach them not to since they might try the same with LCDs and we all know what would happen then.

Re:CRT

[Anonymous Coward]

Or you could use an LCD, which you can remove from the baby's room to avoid any sort of monitor-falls-on-baby accidents.

Re:CRT

[Anonymous Coward]

Yeah, that's exactly what "we all know what would happen then" meant: monitor-falls-on-baby "accidents", aka post-birth abortions.

(Seriously, wall mounts don't just fall off walls like so much sticky-putty -- they have screws holding them up.)

Go baby monitor, internet enabled

[gurps_npc]

Bambino Wireless Internet Baby Monitor w/iPhone, Android, and Web Viewing (Windows PC required)

You get what you pay for. Costs $88, connects via a wireless USB dongle to a PC. PC sends it to the internet if you want.

Google it or similar 'wireless baby monitor internet'.

Re:Go baby monitor, internet enabled

[CharlieHedlin]

I saw a Skype enabled monitor at Target. It was about $200.

Skype VoIP Box

[Anonymous Coward]

They make them. Use google. Problem solved.

CR? Rickroll?

[vlm]

no chatroulette jokes? no rickroll jokes? /. going downhill.

from apple store

[Anonymous Coward]

would this do the trick?
http://store.apple.com/us/product/H7559VC/A/ibaby-monitor

Buy a DropCam

[backtick]

Just buy a dropcam; WiFi, 2 way audio, powered via supplied microUSB cable and wall wart, and even lets you use it as a security camera and such the rest of the time. I don't work for them, etc but I own a couple and they work.

Impact damage

[petes_PoV]

Whatever solution you end up with, make sure the screen can withstand a direct hit from the child's heaviest toy.

Smartphone as webcam

[na1led]

I had an old HTC Touch Pro 2 that I wasn't using anymore, but it had a good camera on it. So I installed a webcam software that allowed me to broadcast over the web or to an iPad/Android tablet. I just used a basic car mount and placed on the dresser, worked like a charm. https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.pas.webcam&hl=en

your daughter's webcam

[BigMike]

So, you WANT your daughter to have a webcam in her room that callers control? A lot of parents seem to be going in the other direction ...

Re:your daughter's webcam

[Anonymous Coward]

Well, since he also said that spending 40 minutes each night was too much of a burden, I'm thinking he's not "Father of the Year" material.

How about an even easier solution

[jeffmeden]

Give your parents/inlaws a 40 minute video clip of your kid just sitting there doing whatever. Tell them to play it and talk to the screen like they normally would. If that isn't satisfying, they should just visit in person.

Re:How about an even easier solution

[nedlohs]

For the "direct" flight (one flight number the whole way, but there's actually a land/go through immigration/reboard step in the middle) my parents would take to visit the grand kid the time difference between the scheduled departure and arrival times is 23 hours. I'm an hour or two (traffic and which airport makes a large difference) from the airport, they are 2.5 hours from the airport. Tickets are $2000 each or so.

Visiting in person isn't really an option they can take too often.

Of course I didn't mount a webcam and screen in the kids room since that's just insane.

What we did

[INeededALogin]

Wife's parents are in Japan. MacBooks on both ends. We ended up just using an end-table and placed the laptop on the top. When they can't move... it is easy to just point the screen at the baby. Those early years are more for the grandparents anyways. As they start to move, we kept the same setup and just used it as a lesson for the kid. "We don't push the buttons, we talk to grandma". It has been a challenge, but he quickly learned that that laptop doesn't yield anything useful.

Bonus: The laptop is agile so you can move it around the room, house as the kid moves. This interactive experience for the other side definitely makes it awesome.

So *YOU* are to blame!

[gfolkert]

You bashed your head on your keyboard and wrote all those "Twilight" Novels and manuscripts.

iPad + 2y/o = works for me.

[Anonymous Coward]

Hmm.. My two year old daughter has her own iPad (in an Otterbox) and FaceTime chats with my in laws without trouble. I told her don't press the red button or it will hang up. She gets that, or does after testing what Daddy told her and realizing that touching the button indeed makes Grandma go away ;) With used iPads being relatively cheap (certainly in comparison to a PC + camera + other incidentals), I still think that's the best/easiest route especially considering all the other things she can use it for. Not to mention, it all works very reliably and simply without having to constantly tinker with it. Sometimes the obvious solution actually IS the right solution.

Move it to the TV

[mk1004]

I've got a PC with a $12 webcam connected to the TV in my living room. A Mac mini works well for this, if you are so inclined. If the child is use to watching cartoons on the TV, they'll be more likely to see talking to the grands as a 'passive' pastime, instead of trying to play with the keyboard. A wireless/Bluetooth keyboard/mouse could of course be turned off and stashed away once the Skype connection is established. With the kid in the living room, it's more likely to be a 'family' event as well.

Ignore all the douche-slingers posting here...

[Lashat]

Take the good suggestions and put them to use.

Skype is marvelous for my 3yr old to talk to not just her grandparents, but to mom and dad as well. She enjoys the face to face interaction more than the phone calls.
Skype is not a substitute for parenting and I don't believe you are hoping that it will be. Personally, ay always on camera in my house is a no-go.

Buy an HP Touchpad on eBay

[Anonymous Coward]

We bought a cheap HP Touchpad on eBay (got it for around $80, but who knows now). Stuck it on the wall. Our granddaughter loves to use it to Skype us. She's also found that it can do "AngryBirdie" and loves that too, tho these activities may cause brain damage...

Think With Portals

[wookaru]

Atlassian set up something that is both awesome and functional. Seriously, you could just do this. http://www.zdnet.com.au/atlassian-builds-portal-for-video-chat-339327884.htm

Why Skype?

[sohmc]

I set up a ustream account for my dog. The baby, like my dog, can't interact with the audience.

This set up would be a lot simpler since it would just involve a webcam you can buy for $20 and run the usb cable to some laptop.

Get a dedicated Skype device

[Anonymous Coward]

http://shop.skype.com/skype-for-tv/tv-compatible-webcams/tely-hd/
Uses a remote, so the buttons aren't a problem. Use a cheap monitor with integrated speakers, and optionally mount it to the wall.

Teach kid respect

[snadrus]

I got my 2-year-6-month-old a 8" cheap-o Coby Android tablet and a leather-like A-frame case. I tell her to leave it on the table. Sure she touches it too much, but we clean off the fingerprints. If she closes what she wanted, she learns quickly not to do it again (no punishment needed). She's used it for 8 months now and it's just as good as (a useless $80 android tablet) can be.
The Tango video-chat app is your friend in this place, and is easier to administer from afar to grandparents since it's just a smartphone app (or a desktop app if you want the torture). Add some edu-tainment videos & moboPlayer (mobo-team) for even better results. All free apps. Then use Seal ($3) if you accidentily added purchase-capable app-stores (or just don't add those stores).

Re:Seriously??

[Rob the Bold]

Three-year-olds shouldn't be using Skype at all, and most certainly not unattended. If you're tired of holding the laptop for her, then don't use Skype. It is okay to say "no." Help her get an actual social life. She'll benefit far more than by talking to the moving pictures on the laptop. In fact, I'd guess she may not even know the difference between the stimulus provided by the laptop and the television.

I'm sorry if this sounds rude, but you're really talking out of your ass, here.

Did you even read this submission? Also, I'd think anyone using Slashdot would know what Skype was, but it doesn't seem like you do. It's sort of a videophone thing. Like a phone, but with video. People use it to talk to each other, except they can also make faces and show off new toys and clothes.

And finally, do you actually have any first-hand experience raising children? Particularly with grandparents living out of town?

cheap netbook + linux = Skype device

[call -151]

I expect they are even cheaper now (under $100?), but I found a cheap netbook a couple of years ago in the $150 range that I put Ubuntu and Skype on for traveling. It's pretty sturdy and has good battery life, and it has been since used by many people as a Skype appliance, including some who don't yet have much coordination. If I lost it traveling or it took a hard fall to the floor from kid use, it wouldn't break my heart and I didn't spend much time sorting it out.

Re:Seriously??

[anonymousNR]

Shut Up seriously. What do you know about OP's life ? How do you know they dont have e social life ? I moved to US with my Daughter and wife when my daughter was 8 months old. we regularly had skype calls with my parents and my wife's parents. Last year when we visited India, my daughter recognized everyone and gave them hugs without shying away or worse running an hiding behind her mom. They loved it. They were so happy that their grand daughter did not consider them as a bunch of strangers, also the skype calls helped her in talking to them in a language they understand, they dont speak a word of english. There is no need to tear the OP to bits just because he/she wants his/her family to be included in his/her joy of life. You must be so lonely.

permanent webcam in the kids room?

[e3m4n]

I wont even let my 9yr old daughter have webcam access unsupervised, and I'd never leave the webcam in the room unattended. With the vast proliferation of malware, trojans, and ever other botnet tool out there, you'd have to be pretty naive to think there aren't ones that activate webcams in the hope of spying on children/adults undressing. I would do what other members have suggested and run your cam in the living/family room off your Xbox/PS3 so that at least there's less chance you one day discover your kid's voyeur pics were on some perv's hard drive when he finally got arrested.

Hell, my daughter's computer runs Ubuntu LTS, it stays off when she isnt using it, and she isnt allowed to be on the computer with her bedroom door closed (preconditioning expectations so when she turns 14 I dont have to worry about all the new chatroom/webcam issues that can come about)

timely question

[Quirkz]

Very timely question. We've got an 11-month-old and Skype with relatives a couple of times a week. We were just commenting yesterday that the most useful addition to our laptop would be a "deactivate the keyboard" switch on the side, so that she could tap keys and poke at the trackpad without causing any disruption. It's really amazing how one wild open-palm slap can so often hit the right combination to disconnect or disrupt the call.

While inevitably said switch would cause more problems than it solves by getting turned off accidentally all of the time, I'd still like one. On the plus side, it'd probably be useful for some cat owners, too.

Re:timely question

[obarthelemy]

There's one built into all USB keyboard. follow the USB cable ot its end, unplug it.

Re:timely question

[Quirkz]

Dunno what kind of laptop you have, but my laptop keyboard is built-in. No USB.

Re:timely question

[obarthelemy]

Sorry, missed the part about it being a laptop. Googling "windows keyboard lock" returns http://www.howtogeek.com/howto/11570/disable-the-keyboard-with-a-keyboard-shortcut-in-windows/

Re:timely question

[airos4]

http://tk.ms11.net/
ToddlerKeys. Great free app. Locks the keyboard, power buttons, drive eject buttons, whatever you want.

Re:timely question

[Quirkz]

I like that. Sadly, the laptop is a Mac. But that's a useful thing to know, because I do also spend a lot of time on Windows. Might come in handy, thanks.

The Answer!

[Anonymous Coward]

Ever hear of a playpen? It's like a cage made for fun.

Re:The Answer!

[Anonymous Coward]

Ever hear of a playpen? It's like a crutch for soft, weak-minded parents, unwilling to confront the necessity of shackles and chain for their offspring.

Maybe because I was born po' white trash, as they say, and my folks couldn't afford a playpen, but when us kids were old enough to leave the crib, we had the run of the house. And yes, we got our asses swatted if we got ourselves into trouble after we knew better, which somehow had the miraculous effect of teaching us not to get into trouble. Chaining kids up so they can't do anything they shouldn't just postpones the process of teaching them the rudiments of right and wrong.

Projector

[hobarrera]

Get a projector and screw it to the celing. Seriously, well pointed, you can get a pretty large and good quality image, and there's no way he can screw with it. The worst thing that can happen is the wall getting drooled. Positioning the webcam can be a bit harder though.

You're an IDIOT

[Anonymous Coward]

TV != Computers, or even a skype phone call with the grandparents. What is this recent trend in equating TV problems with computers. My kids have grown up with computers and their television consumption has always been limited. Contrary to the computer where they've learned some programing, played educational games, learned to play chess, compose music, write stories and create little pieces of digital art. As opposed to the television where some sitcom blabs on for thirty minute intervals and you hope you can finish cooking dinner before the child loses interest.

Re:You're an IDIOT

[GrumpySteen]

> What is this recent trend in equating TV problems with computers.

It starts with the United States' puritanical point of view. If it's fun or enjoyable, it's inherently bad for you and probably evil to boot. Computers are fun, so they must be bad in some way.

The easiest way to "prove" this is to relate using a computer to something that's already been demonized and is widely considered to be "bad" ... watching TV. Nobody proudly announces how many hours of TV they watch a week but, every time a discussion comes up, you can bet there will be plenty of people who proudly announce that they don't watch and/or don't even own a TV set.

The two are superficially similar since they both involve looking at moving images on a screen, so it's easy to claim that there are deeper similarities. Sadly, a lot of people are actually dumb enough to be swayed by arguments like that (which explains a lot about our political system as well).

Check out this baby monitor

[Anonymous Coward]

Check out this baby monitor. It has a mini-USB port on the side that outputs A/V through RCA jacks. Plug the RCA jacks into a video card, configure your computer to recognize it as a webcam, and use that for Skype. It uses the wi-fi spectrum, so you may be able to reverse engineer the signal and write your own application for controlling the camera pan, and broadcast sound through the camera speaker. Using this setup, your parents would be able to see and hear your son, as well as speak to him. He wouldn't be able to see them, though.

Children

[Anonymous Coward]

I dont really care but i belive you should expose your child to real maleable existence. Have your damn parents drive over

Why is this even a question?

[Anonymous Coward]

Its so obvious, enable a second monitor on the laptop, keep the laptop out of reach. DONE

My reccomendation as a fellow parent

[s0nicfreak]

Teach her not to mash the buttons and drool on it, to sit back on her own rather than you holding it out of reach. The way to do that is tell her, and if she disobeys, end the call. If she hangs up, you don't let them immediately continue the call. You will only have to end the call a few times, and they can call back, say, an hour later if they are really upset by it.

My 2 year old actually has his own computer in his room (as do my older kids), and I bought my daughter her own tablet at 3, so I'm not going to say don't put one in your kid's room; but teach her how to not fuck it up first, and be sure she wont, and make it clear you will not replace it if she does - then you can just put it in there without doing anything special.

Duct tape, webcam and digital picture frame

[melansp]

Duct tape, cheap webcam and cheap digital picture frame with video input.

Might i suggest leotards/tights as wardrobe??

[RobertLTux]

It looks like she may need to have gymnastics/ballet lessons later (with matching wardrobe). bonus points if you get her going on a "magic wand" (to be replaced by a soldering wand later) and other Hacking Things.

Refurb/used iPad 2.

[Anonymous Coward]

Really. Inexpensive, simple to use, easy to baby-proof.

Here's an idea

[Anonymous Coward]

Why not wall-mount a monitor and a webcam. Oh wait, you already thought of that. So, er... what was the point of this Ask Slashdot again?

Use Kid Key Lock

[Anonymous Coward]

I installed "Kid Key Lock" KKL on my laptop. It locks the keyboard and mouse and you have to type a special code to unlock it. It works great, not to just keep them from physically breaking the keyboard of my laptop!

Ship it out

[Anonymous Coward]

Just send the babe to your parents so they can watch it drool and you can have a life. Win-win!

Can you google?

[coastal984]

http://shop.skype.com/webcams/tvwebcams/tely-hd/ + http://www.walmart.com/ip/Sceptre-32-X322BV-HD/15739136

Re:Can you google?

[coastal984]

The quality of Ask /. has hit a new low...

Use your phone

[Anonymous Coward]

I've done this with Skype in a variety of form-factors

- Laptop with integrated web cam
- Laptop with external web cam
- Flat screen TV + media computer + external web cam
- Flat screen TV + media computer + external web cam + robotic camera mount

The one that worked the best was actually works the best is calling from my Droid Bionic. It is small enough that the kiddo can't grab it from my hands. It is easy to move around and aim it to keep her in frame. I can call from anywhere in the house.

A cheap tablet

[obarthelemy]

I honestly wouldn't bother with a complicated setup, just buy a cheap or second-tablet tablet (double-check it supports Skype though), and wall-mount it. Lots of secondary uses, too.

Baby monitor with Skype support

[SlipDisc]

How about something like this?
http://www.amazon.com/Lorex-LW2031-connect-Wireless-Monitor/dp/B005GTNZU2

Lorex LIVE

[Anonymous Coward]

Check out Lorex LIVE products - camera's with integrated Skype client.
http://www.lorextechnology.com/Baby-monitors-and-video-baby-monitors-%7C-LOREX/Pet-security-camera-with-remote-viewing-via-smartphones/2284.p

Those studies are generally considered bogus

[tlambert]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_violence_research#Criticisms_of_media_violence_research

A nice reductio ad absurdum argument against the validity of these studies is the lack of widespread comedy in the streets, since generally there are equal amounts of sitcoms and violent shows in prime time television programming in the U.S.. This observation tends to invalidate the whole "children are parrots" argument.

I spent a large chunk of time glued to a black and white television watching the Apollo missions, Skylab missions, and any launch for any of the Pioneer, Voyager, Viking, etc. missions (later on we had color TV) including staying home from school to watch them when there was a conflict between school and televised NASA missions.

I would argue that the state of science education in the U.S. would be a heck of a lot better than it is today if we had that kind of television programs for kids to watch to the exclusion of all else, as I did, and that it would be unlikely to rot their brains out of their heads.

By the way, my Honors Faculty advisor for humanities at the University of Utah created a little thing called "Sesame Street": I'm going to guess that doesn't rot kids brains out either, unless their favorite character is Mr. Snuffleupagus.

-- Terry

Cost Effective or Geeky?

[lionchild]

In all seriousness, you could probably put together a slimline system and wall-mounting hardware, LCD screen with wall-mount and simple web cam to do what you want. However, I suspect you're going to pay more than $399 for the hardware and $5 for the mount.

It seems like the most cost effective version is the iPad2 (http://store.apple.com/us/browse/home/shop_ipad/family/ipad/select_ipad2) with a 3M Jumbo hook (http://www.amazon.com/Command-17004-Plastic-Adhesive-Strips/dp/B00006IBLN) to solve your problem. Plus, the added benefit that you'll use the iPad later or in other places when not being used in the evening, while a wall-mounted unit will not be as likely to be moved and used elsewhere.

Just my $0.02. Good luck!

Busted: NOOB!

[zentigger]

Real old timers remember back before QR codes and are more likely to suggest something like IPoAC: http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc1149

Used iPod Touch, with a water proof case. Tada.

[Anonymous Coward]

Seriously, don't over think it. Apple has a refurbished 8GB iPod Touch for 169.00: http://store.apple.com/us/product/FC540LL/A

A water proof case will guard the device and block hanging up. The Skype app is free and does video calls on the Skype network.

Unnecessary antidotes:
* A few years back, my at the time 2 and 4-year-old cousins thought my iPod Touch was "dirty" and needed to be washed. I had no case. Things didn't end well.

Haven't read through all the comments, but

[Anonymous Coward]

Why not just project the screen on the wall?
And then find somewhere to mount a camera, but that shouldn't be too hard.

Atom PC / TV

[Anonymous Coward]

simple solution is to set up a media center style PC using a small ATOM desktop, mount a TV >=27" on the wall and get a DVD Wall mount stand to place the PC on out of reach, mount webcam on top of TV or on DVD stand if easier setup cost $300 - $600 depending on sales and TV size

don't overthink solution to a simple problem

[NTesla]

new Ipad is perfect for Skype, Facetime, webex, etc. Ipad2's camera was not sufficient but new Ipad works great.
Laptops with their small removable parts, power cords, outlet voltage, and excessive heat are not the safest device for a toddler.
At about two years of age, toddlers start asserting themselves by throwing temper tantrums - do not leave one unattended, even
with an Ipad; glass display can break if device is thrown or smashed with another toy.
Benefit of getting an Ipad is there are a lot of games for 1 to 3 year olds. Peekaboo Farm, Elmo Calls, etc seem to entertain
them for 10 - 15 minutes. Learning curve for iOS is about ten minutes. (more for adults who keep trying to "click" on stuff)

two way security camera?

[Anonymous Coward]

install a computer inside of a case with ventilation and set the monitor behind something like a lexan screen. connect to the device remotely with remote desktop or something of similar vein and turn on skype as needed. if you are really sadistic you could build one of those security camera type motors into the case so that it can swivel and aim around the room.

Tablet?

[Anonymous Coward]

Buy a tablet, mount it on the wall. Pretty fucking simple.

Five-year-old used desktop.

[jonadab]

Pick up a five-year-old used desktop for cheap. Unplug the keyboard and mouse during the call. Even cheap LCDs often have the ability to be wall-mounted, and you can probably get one used because somebody's replacing it with a better model. Sorted.

But you should limit the baby's total screen time (including television as well as Skype and anything else) to ideally an hour a week or so, *certainly* not more than half an hour a da. The child needs *real* human contact, with living breathing people in the same room, making eye contact and reaching out with fingers and all that good stuff babies like to do. If grandma and grandpa don't like that, tell them to get over it. The baby is a person, not an entertainment device for their personal pleasure.

Baby monitors with Skype support

[Anonymous Coward]

There are several baby monitors that support Skype when attached to a computer. They'll even auto-answer the call from people in the baby's contact list. For example: http://www.amazon.com/Samsung-SecureView-Wireless-Monitoring-System/dp/B004U5BTJC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1337118826&sr=8-1

No.

[Anonymous Coward]

Skype today, Stickam in 11 years. Be careful what you wish for.

old refurbished iPad + Skype + Wifi

[An anonymous Frank]

Or, iPod touch + Skype + Wifi, in a plastic casing, and you could wall-mount it fairly easily.

TABLE!

[DarwinSurvivor]

Seriously, you've already stated that you are tired of holding the laptop next to the crib for 40 minutes. Did you know they recently invented this REALLY cool and very easy to use device for holding laptops for indeterminate amounts of time? They call it a fucking TABLE. Just stick one a couple feet outside the crib and put the blooding thing on top of it! The only problem is trying to make sure the kid doesn't climb out of the crib and destroy it, if only there were some kind of audio/visual monitoring device built into the laptop.....

To all the people suggesting plexi-glass windowed super-duty wooden boxes made of Ikea tables, here's a hint. Just use one of the freaking tables!

trick her

[Anonymous Coward]

give her a dummy keyboard to play with. she'll never know. and just put plexiglass in front of a screen.

this stuff isn't hard. maybe you really should not have more children if you cannot figure out these common sense type things that the rest of society can figure out.

Some people have kids

[Anonymous Coward]

Quite a bit of negative comments here. I get most slashdot readers will never be able to have a child because that would require a women to have sex with them.

Chill out. Some people actually have kids.

Netbook + Toddler Keys

[airos4]

I have an Asus netbook that works pretty well for this situation. Cheap enough that I don't give a damn about it, really, and it's held up reasonably well to my 2 year old daughter. Install Toddler Keys http://tk.ms11.net/ so that she can bang away on the keys without it doing much of anything, and disable the "close lid = standby or hibernate" feature because that'll cause some hangups. After that, you're pretty much golden, and at least in my case my kid is more interested in the Skype session because she can move the whole computer whereever she wants and sit down to talk to Mommy.

I have done this.

[Anonymous Coward]

Here are what I used:
Dell Latitude D610 (1.8 GHz, I think)
Docking station for D-Series Dell laptops
19" Dell LCD monitor
Ubuntu 11.10
Guts from external LaCie drive (200GB)
Guts from external Dell speakers

Assorted parts:
1 Z-shaped, galvanized metal to mount the monitor with (Home Depot, tie-down metal strap section)
3' extension cord
A couple of USB cables
Old system fan from old tower PC (cut cable and power via usb via the dock)
1 brass piano hinge
2 2" brass hinges
Some 1x pine
1 piece plywood, 1/2"
1/4 plexiglass
1 lock (Home Depot, I can post a pic)

A lot of sand paper, love, and tung oil. It is beautiful, functional, and (thus far...) unimpregnable. But she is only 2 1/2 right now...

If there is interest I will post photos. I searched everywhere but NOBODY had pics posted of anything that they had done, and very few people were discussing the subject. This seems to work, keep her out, and is mounted on the wall AT HER HEIGHT (french cleat, et al). I can remote into it from any of my Macs. I have a bluetooth (Magic Mouse) mouse that I use and I use one of the onscreen keyboards that is installed (or can be installed) on Ubuntu. Also check out Edubuntu.

Re:I have done this.

[cabalist]

Post pictures

TeleHD

[Anonymous Coward]

Try the TeleHD, it connects to and TV with an HDMI port and is a fully integrated system that sits on top of the TV and includes a microphone and HD video camera. It is controlled via small remote and connects to the internet via Ethernet or WiFi. I recently installed one in a retirement home for a resident and I was thoroughly impressed.

http://www.tely.com/

Kinect with Skype?

[Anonymous Coward]

I don't know why so many people are jumping on this post. It's a legitimate question and one I am trying out options myself. I'd like something which has a free form interaction rather than holding a device like an iPad or a phone. My 4-year old is impossible to keep in one place and something like Kinect with Skype would be awesome.

Warpia ConnectHD

[Anonymous Coward]

"The ConnectHD with its advanced wide-angle wireless webcam and multidirectional microphone provides users with an easy way to make video conference calls in the comfort of your living room. With the ConnectHD you can also stream content wirelessly in up to 1080p HD from any laptop/PC to an HDTV without limitation."

It's a USB dongle to place in your laptop, and a wireless receiver + webcam unit which is placed over the TV and connects to the TV. The toddler sees grandma on the TV and the laptop can be stashed away.

$199 here http://store.warpia.com/product_p/swp400vc.htm but

How we did it.

[Anonymous Coward]

My what a bunch of idiotic comments! :D
Hello OP, I understand your situation. Our family lives in Switzerland; my parents are in Italy, and my wife's parents are in Poland. Our 2yo enjoys skyping with them a couple of times per week, and I perfectly know the feeling when he pauses/mutes/hangs up the call ten times in a row. :)

So, what we did is:
- we got a cheap laptop that is only used for skyping at home. We have an Asus eeePC (an older one, I forgot the model now). If you get it second hand, it will probably be about 150 bucks. This solves the problem of having to hold the laptop away from the kid, those things are quite sturdy. It still gets smeared in all kinds of goo, but it's easy to clean it with an alcohol wipe. :)
- we installed an application to lock the keyboard (we're on Ubuntu and installed "lockkeyboard4baby", but I'm sure equivalents exist for Windows), so that the kid can't accidentally mess up the call (and the PC)

The idea of a sort of wall-mounted skype thingy is nice at first, and we did it on our living room TV. Until we realized that sometimes you want to call from the kitchen to show the grandparents how the kid is eating his spaghetti like an adult... or from the bathroom to show them bath time... or the toilet to show how he learned to sit on the loo... you get the point. So a portable solution is still the best one IMO.

Same Problem Here, Good Solution

[Anonymous Coward]

I have the same problem, want my daughter to SEE her grandparents more then once a year. This was conveniently fixed after i turned an old computer into my media server. Basically i dropped cable, signed up for online streaming services, dropped a couple cheap terabyte harddrives into it and bought a wireless keyboard/mouse combo. People are slightly confused at first seeing my 47" tv mounted on the wall that has a desktop background. But the TV is mounted on the wall above where my daughter can reach it. The webcam is mounted next to it. I also happen to have the added benefit of being able to stream any Barney or Dora episode that i want or acquiring countless kids movies to watch for family movie night.

I've found that this helps because now we don't have the tv on all the time in the background. We have to physically choose each episode or movie to play which means TV time is usually only 30 minutes long a day, enough time to do the dishes or something.

Re:Seriously??

[Anonymous Coward]

Oh, boo-hoo.

Anyone without a litter is lonely and sad, despite the fact that they have more time, energy and money for a social life and personal aspirations. Anyone who has bred is a gift to humanity, despite the fact that we live in a world creaking under billions of humans.

Why not use a $35 Raspberry Pi with a TV?

[flygirlishere]

Why not use a $35 Raspberry Pi hooked up to a flat screen TV mounted onto the wall? You can get internet connection that way, can have a cam setup and can also control it virtually from your home office. Best of all, toddler gets to see and be seen.

Tables

[Anonymous Coward]

"we don't want to spend forty minutes every night holding the laptop outside of baby arms' length"

Great new invention will serve this need well. They are called tables and are the shit at holding stuff for you. Try a fucking flea market for one of these bad ass things.

Projector?

[Anonymous Coward]

I hope I'm not posting this redundantly, but what about a projector? Buy a relatively cheap projector, mount it out of reach, connect it to a computer which you keep out of reach, and mount the web cam somewhere out of reach close to where the projection is.