Need survalence to protect pc when not home

It might be a bit pointless to try and secure your PC by using its built-in webcam. Someone could sneek up behind it, disable the webcam and still walk off with the PC.

Better to install a stand alone IP camera and train that on your PC so if something happens the IP camera will upload video to you via email or ftp to alert you.

Something like http://www.amazon.co.uk/Wireless-Android-Infrared-Monit... should do the job.

in most cases a thief is not going to be someone you know so a video isnt going to be of much use unless the thief gets caught elsewhere.

honestly the best solution is either "out of sight" or "bolted or chained to the floor". consider that a thief is often in a house for only a few minutes anything too hard to secure is left alone. in any case cell phones, tablets and other devices are much easier to pawn off so are taken first. this goes for credit cards, cash and other such property.

Where would this webcam record too, and be powered from? Hopefully not the PC that's just been stolen  . You would need a dedicated home security system, which is going to cost a fair bit to setup.
Plus, a camera wont stop it from being stolen, it will only give you a lead (maybe) on who took it. Its a disaster recovery measure, not prevention.

I think you would be better off with physical security measures. Lock on the door and windows, hiding and/or bolting down the computer, making the thing as heavy as possible (Get a HAF-X, 16kg before you put anything in it  ).

Actually, the majority of in home thieves are friends and family, next up are people who work on your home. Random thieves are 3rd on the list. At least that is what every sales training class I've ever took told us.

So it could be useful, just don't tell your friends and family what is up there, so they don't know how to disable it.

i wonder if this would work? my web cam does have a motion detection sensor
http://www.contaware.com/content/view/44/46/