Peek-A-Boo

Good news? Surveillance and networking hardware is finally getting so easy to use, anyone can set up a camera and watch a space via any web browser. Bad news? If you’re not careful, the world can watch, too.

Thanks to default installations and, yes, Google, you can find hundreds of unsecured webcams that have the misfortune of being connected to the internet. Here are some Axis-brand cameras. Here are some Panasonic installations.

A preschool in Japan? A plaza in Macau? A recording studio in Florida? A fish tank? Also spotted have been laundromats, computer labs, beachfront stores, restaurants…

Many of these cameras allow remote control, so you can pan and tilt, and some even offer sound. Of course, you may stumble across a camera at the same time another web voyeur is messing with it, which can be surreal. And chances are, these cameras will be taken offline as their owners begin to notice something’s going on. [Via MeFi]