If you're interested in keeping tabs on your babysitter or on who's sitting in front of your computer while you're at work, digital video and Web cameras offer a cheap and simple solution to this problem. Unfortunately, like most peripherals, PC-based video and Web cameras need a connected computer to broker your remote access to the Internet.

Webcam + 802.11b - PC = simplicity

The D-Link DCS-1000W is an IP-based video camera that takes most of the complexity out of setting up one or many cameras around a home or business. Requiring no PC to connect, the DCS-1000W is its own networking device, linking directly to either 802.11b (Wi-Fi) wireless access points or CAT-5 Ethernet cable-based networks. Still, users will need to have a network already installed to add the camera.

Supporting up to 20 fps video and resolutions from 160x120 to 640x480 at 24-bit color depth, the CMOS-based camera's video is viewable from any browser pointed at its assigned IP address. In terms of size, it's certainly not one of the smallest cameras we've ever seen. The shiny silver DCS-1000W is about the size and shape of your average brick, so if you're in the market for a nondescript, low-profile camera, this isn't it.