Macbook - Webcam led

anderssonj.com · anderssonj.com #1 (**permalink**)

12-28-2006, 06:43 PM

Is the green led to the right of the webcam on the top of my MacBook screen hardwired to the power supply of the camera - that is, if I don't see the green led, is there no way that the cam is active? (I'd open the case myself and have a little look, but I'm afraid that that'd do things to my warranty.

)

Best regards,
Johnny Andersson, Sweden

eric · eric #2 (**permalink**)

12-28-2006, 10:01 PM

that's how it's supposed to work.

no light, no cam.
green light, cam on.

anderssonj.com · anderssonj.com #3 (**permalink**)

12-29-2006, 11:37 AM

Still, we don't know (or do we?

) if the led is hardwired to the cam, and not software controlled. I know it'd be way over-engineered to design the hardware so that the led can be separately controlled by software, but you never know...

Starky · Starky #4 (**permalink**)

12-29-2006, 02:24 PM

So in other words you want to know if you can set up the LED to do crazy things like flash like mad or maybe morse code? =P

anderssonj.com · anderssonj.com #5 (**permalink**)

12-29-2006, 02:42 PM

Hehe... No, it's just that I want to be 100% sure that if the LED is no lit, then the cam is not active.

mimi8 · mimi8 #6 (**permalink**)

12-30-2006, 04:58 AM

I guess he is asking that question for security issues. Dont know if it is possible, but if someone could hack your webcam and have it active without you knowing. The only way we would know that the cam is on is when we see the green light... but what if the cam could be on without displaying the green light???

christm · christm #7 (**permalink**)

12-30-2006, 06:05 AM

so far on my imac when the led is off then the cam is off/not being used.

just check before you do anything that you may not want ppl to see !
but ya if the led is off then the cam should not be active

Cyclone268 · Cyclone268 #8 (**permalink**)

01-01-2007, 06:10 PM

If i was scared of a hacker looking at me thru my webcam, i would tape a piece of cardboard over the camera =P

Aptmunich · Aptmunich #9 (**permalink**)

01-01-2007, 08:04 PM

I'm pretty sure the light is software controlled.

But the only time I've ever heard of it not working is the other way around:
Sometimes the light stays on even after you've closed the application that was accessing the camera.

But I think it's safe to say that you can trust it.

If you're really paranoid, just open a program that uses it and minimize or hide the window.

Then the camera will be blocked from other applications using it.

anderssonj.com · anderssonj.com #10 (**permalink**)

01-06-2007, 06:14 PM

If the light stays on after you've closed the app that uses the camera, that could mean that 1) the camera and, hence, the led, is still on (but the app doesn't deallocate it before it crashes) - which should mean that any app you open won't have access to the cam, or 2) the app "closed" the camera but not the led.

If case 2) is true, that means that you could write a program that records the camera input without activating the led...

I'm not paranoid, just curious.

mimi8 #6 (permalink)
Member Since: May 18, 2006 Location: Baltimore, MD, USA Posts: 37 Mac Specs: 15.4" Macbook Pro Leopard 2.0GB RAM 2.6GHZ Core 2 Duo 250GB HDD	12-30-2006, 04:58 AM I guess he is asking that question for security issues. Dont know if it is possible, but if someone could hack your webcam and have it active without you knowing. The only way we would know that the cam is on is when we see the green light... but what if the cam could be on without displaying the green light??? - If we all lived by the rule "An eye for an eye" then we would all be blind by now.:blind: - Procastination is like masterbation, in the end you are only messing with yourself. - You never know, lightening might strike. -------------------------------------------------------------
	QUOTE Thanks

christm #7 (permalink)
Member Since: Dec 18, 2005 Location: Devon, England Posts: 2,295 Mac Specs: ibook g4, imac 2ghz c2d, mbp 2.4ghz c2d - 10.5.1	12-30-2006, 06:05 AM so far on my imac when the led is off then the cam is off/not being used. just check before you do anything that you may not want ppl to see ! but ya if the led is off then the cam should not be active my website-templemurray.com professional event photography updated daily http://www.last.fm/user/christm3 mac tips n tricks - http://uk.youtube.com/christm3
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Aptmunich #9 (permalink)
Member Since: Mar 09, 2004 Location: Munich Posts: 9,075 Mac Specs: Aluminium Macbook 2.4 Ghz 4GB RAM, SSD 24" Samsung Display, iPhone 4, iPad 2	01-01-2007, 08:04 PM I'm pretty sure the light is software controlled. But the only time I've ever heard of it not working is the other way around: Sometimes the light stays on even after you've closed the application that was accessing the camera. But I think it's safe to say that you can trust it. If you're really paranoid, just open a program that uses it and minimize or hide the window. Then the camera will be blocked from other applications using it. Mac-Forums Twitter \| Mac-Forums Blog My Twitter \| Jetplane Journal
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anderssonj.com #1 (permalink)
Member Since: Dec 13, 2006 Location: Sweden Posts: 30 Mac Specs: MacBook 2.0 GHz 1 GB	12-28-2006, 06:43 PM Is the green led to the right of the webcam on the top of my MacBook screen hardwired to the power supply of the camera - that is, if I don't see the green led, is there no way that the cam is active? (I'd open the case myself and have a little look, but I'm afraid that that'd do things to my warranty. ) Best regards, Johnny Andersson, Sweden
	QUOTE Thanks

eric #2 (permalink)
Member Since: Nov 04, 2006 Location: twin cities, mn, usa Posts: 8,800	12-28-2006, 10:01 PM that's how it's supposed to work. no light, no cam. green light, cam on.
	QUOTE Thanks

Starky #4 (permalink)
Member Since: Dec 08, 2006 Location: Bonnie Scotland Posts: 111 Mac Specs: Macbook: 2.00Ghz C2D, 2GB RAM, 120GB HD	12-29-2006, 02:24 PM So in other words you want to know if you can set up the LED to do crazy things like flash like mad or maybe morse code? =P
	QUOTE Thanks

anderssonj.com #5 (permalink)
Member Since: Dec 13, 2006 Location: Sweden Posts: 30 Mac Specs: MacBook 2.0 GHz 1 GB	12-29-2006, 02:42 PM Hehe... No, it's just that I want to be 100% sure that if the LED is no lit, then the cam is not active.
	QUOTE Thanks

Cyclone268 #8 (permalink)
Member Since: Nov 28, 2006 Posts: 28	01-01-2007, 06:10 PM If i was scared of a hacker looking at me thru my webcam, i would tape a piece of cardboard over the camera =P
	QUOTE Thanks

anderssonj.com #10 (permalink)
Member Since: Dec 13, 2006 Location: Sweden Posts: 30 Mac Specs: MacBook 2.0 GHz 1 GB	01-06-2007, 06:14 PM If the light stays on after you've closed the app that uses the camera, that could mean that 1) the camera and, hence, the led, is still on (but the app doesn't deallocate it before it crashes) - which should mean that any app you open won't have access to the cam, or 2) the app "closed" the camera but not the led. If case 2) is true, that means that you could write a program that records the camera input without activating the led... I'm not paranoid, just curious.
	QUOTE Thanks

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