Reuse what you have

Turn an Old Laptop Into a Private Motion Camera

Give an unused laptop a focused job: watching one area with its built-in camera and a local browser app.

Set it up safely

Place the laptop where its camera can see the area, connect power, and keep the browser page open. Disable sleep only if that suits your device and environment. Rapid Cactus needs an HTTPS page and camera permission when you start monitoring.

Watch the useful part

Set a threshold, then add a Watch zone around a door, shelf, or workspace. Use Ignore zones to exclude a window, fan, or busy background.

Keep events in the browser

Saved evidence stays in the browser’s local Event History until you export or clear it. It is not a replacement for certified security equipment or a monitor that runs while the computer is asleep.

Turn an Old Laptop Into a Private Motion Camera

Set it up safely

Watch the useful part

Keep events in the browser

Use your old laptop camera