I am trying out some webcam viewing software from
http://webcamviewer.deI can have the Arillas webcam on view all the time, irrespective of what other programs I am running.
Here are some details ....
WebCam Viewer 4 is a small tool which allows you to view WebCams without surfing to the appending website. You can also view the webcams in fullscreen. WebCam Viewer 4 is freeware.
The picture below shows the position of the webcam whilst I was typing this post.