As if to remind us once again just how versatile these new fangled smartphone thingies are, we’re seeing more and more apps which are pushing the scope of what you can do with permanently connected 3G broadband technology and a decent camera. The latest iteration is to take the humble phone camera and throw yet another super valuable task at it…remote webcam or security camera.

IPWebcam is a freeware app that installs on your Android handset and turns your phone into a remote security camera, or webcam. The program is dead easy to use, just install and click on the icon and you’ll be given a suitable IP number which you use to access the camera from a web browser or using something like VLC video program.

The software comes with a bunch of options you can set if you want to ensure more password enabled privacy or additional functionality such as using the front camera rather than the rear one, and there’s also a nice useful connectivity page which flashes up in your browser to help you select the best option for access.

And yes, we know that this kind of software has been around for ages (we first mentioned Mobcam for Symbian back in 2004) but the new generation is definitely a cut above in terms of sophistication and resolution.