It used to be that watching surveillance cameras from a hand-held device was the kind of stuff reserved only for James Bond. Now pretty much anyone can do it (if you still want to call yourself 007 that’s fine with me).

The most recent camera I tested is the Belkin NetCam which was given to me by Verizon Wireless. Simply stated, the NetCam is a wireless camera (wireless communication that is, you still have to plug it in) that allows you to monitor whatever the camera can see from a mobile (iPhone, iPad or Android) device.

Let me start with what I like about the NetCam:

• It’s pretty darn easy to setup
• The app to view your camera is free
• It works in light or dark (day or night) and has a built-in microphone to allow you to listen in to whatever the camera is viewing

Here’s what I don’t like:

• The camera is stationary. In other words, you can’t move (pan) the camera if you want to see something out of frame.
• There is no dedicated iPad app. You have to run the tiny iPhone app on your iPad.
• The price

Unfortunately, this mix of likes and don’t likes has put me in a bit of a quandary. I clearly think the Foscam wireless camera which I own and which I reviewed back in March of 2011 is a superior camera. Just the Foscam’s ability to tilt and pan alone makes it a better camera.

But at the same time I have to admit the (cheaper and better) Foscam camera is a lot more difficult to set up. In order to get it to work, I had to open up ports on my router, download free software to spoof a fixed IP address and pay around $5 for a generic app that had to be custom configured to work with my camera.

Just reading those words is enough to scare most noobies away from the Foscam camera.

So if you’re looking for an easy to setup, easy to use camera to watch your infant, keep an eye on your dog or cat or make sure the babysitter stays in line, the Belkin Netcam actually fits the bill pretty well.

You can find the Belkin NetCam at your local Verizon Wireless store or online at Amazon.com.