A good webcam is a must-have for making or streaming video online, but many models have a serious weakness: because the mic and camera are turned on and off in software, they’re vulnerable to being hacked.
It’s so common that there’s a name for it: camfecting. If you want to be absolutely sure that your webcam can’t be hacked, you need the Arozzi Occhio - the first webcam of its kind with a feature Arozzi calls True Privacy.
Don’t let others control your camera
According to the security news site Wizcase, a single researcher was able to identify over 15,000 potentially accessible webcams that could be hacked.
Not only that, but in many cases, it was easy to gather additional information to work out the actual location of the laptop. That’s deeply disturbing: not only can a stranger watch you at home or work, but they can learn where you live too.
True Privacy makes that impossible. Instead of relying on software, the microphones are switched off with a manual circuit breaker - the only way to turn them back on again is to reverse the breaker, and to do that you need to be right there in the room. With the Arozzi Occhio, your webcam only broadcasts when you want it to.
That’s the audio sorted. What about video? Arozzi has thought of that too.
You can forget about sticking electrical tape over the camera, a method reportedly used by Facebook boss Mark Zuckerberg; Arozzi gives you a specially designed lens cover that attaches magnetically so it’s always in the perfect privacy-protecting position. Good luck hacking that.
A clever camera with really bright ideas
True Privacy is a great idea, and it’s not the only great idea Arozzi has come up with. The Occhio is available in two models, the standard camera and one that’s embedded in a ring light so you’re always showing yourself in the best possible light without having to buy extra equipment.
Ring lights are the secret weapons of your favourite streamers and social media superstars: they light your face evenly, reducing shadows and blemishes and making your eyes look even brighter.
Whichever version you go for, you can be sure of getting smooth 1080p video at 30fps, and the Occhio’s autofocus lens and clever light correction work constantly to deliver a crystal-clear video stream whether you’re indoors or out.
With the Arozzi Occhio, you’ll sound as good as you look. That’s because it has not just one but two omni-directional microphones to capture the full soundtrack to your stream.
The Occhio isn’t just easy to use. It’s really easy to install too. It comes with a specially designed multi-purpose mounting clip that makes it easy to attach to the top of your screen, and it also has a standard 1/4-inch screw hole that you can use to attach it to a tripod.
There’s no software necessary: the Occhio is completely plug and play. However, in a few short weeks, Arozzi will release new software to give users an array of configurable settings.
Made for gamers, streamers and socials
You might not know the Arozzi brand, but they’re a very big deal in mainland Europe thanks to their gaming chairs, desks, mice and mics as well as their webcams, which are ideal for games, streaming and social media.
Click here to find out more about the Arozzi Occhio, how True Privacy can protect you and why a ring light will light up your life.
