in Trivia of the Day: The World's First Webcam

in Trivia of the Day: The World’s First Webcam

The Trojan Room coffee pot was a beloved fixture in the University of Cambridge’s Computer Laboratory. To avoid the disappointment of finding an empty coffee pot after walking across the lab, researchers developed a simple application called xcoffee in 1991. This app allowed them to monitor the coffee machine over the network.

In 1993, they connected this system to the World Wide Web, enabling people around the globe to view the live camera feed. The webcam remained operational until August 22,2001, when the laboratory was relocated.