SecureShot - When you need to know.

In case you haven't seen the latest, there is a technology that just came out called SecureShot. These are cameras hidden away in such a way that there are no more "tell tale" holes, lights or anything to make them suspicious looking. There are also no more SD cards sticking out the back or suspicious looking out of place jacks. This SecureShot line also has two cameras inside instead of one! The DUALLY automatically and instantly switches from a Sony Super HAD Hi-Res color camera to a Sony Ex-View super low light B&W camera (.0001 Lux) when light levels drop below .5 Lux. The astonishing results are a great color video by day and a great low light video at night!
This ground breaking line of hidden nanny cameras with digital video recorders or (DVR) is security recording made easy and economical. Motion activated real time video or high-resolution "still shots" are recorded on a tiny SD card, housed in a hidden compartment. All recordings are time/date stamped for professional security applications. Each system also includes (2) 1 Gb SD cards!
These cameras are built expertly into more than a dozen different everyday items commonly used in a household or business environment so as not to raise suspicion.
So if you're in the market for a state of the art hidden camera for your nanny, housekeeper, teen spouse, business, office or whatever, SecureShot warrants a second look!

Is Our Country Secure?

When Obama says he plans to "monitor the situation" at the border, how secure does that really make you?

I recently received an email about our Mexican border and how illegals have it down to a science when it comes to getting into our country. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm all for immigration if it is done LEGALLY! I have no respect for people who can't take the steps, learn the language, embrace our culture, etc. to become a true American citizen.
Now, in this email were photos of the underground tunnels made by previous travelers. It also stated that the coyotes had scouts who would watch the patrols on the US side and give a signal to illegals and drug traffickers for when it was safe to pass.
Now, I'm a little fuzzy on this one. Isn't the US, with all it's billions and advanced technology able to fight against a few scouts with binoculars? What is wrong with this picture? With trip wires, electric fences, hidden cameras, motion detectors and other technological advances, what is the problem? Is it just a lack of man power to patrol and monitor? I suppose there could be a few border patrol agents taking bribes, which is obviously a problem. But are we really not smart enough to fight against invaders on foot?
Yes, there are some serious drug problems in Mexico with all the cartels, and I genuinely feel for them. Of course, the US does have a federal plan committing $700 million to "bolster Mexican law enforcement and crime prevention efforts", so we are making an attempt to help them in their own country. And make no mistake! $700 MILLION is nothing to sneeze at! This federal plan is supposed to go along with the help the United States is already giving Mexico with training, equipment and enhanced intelligence cooperation.
So with all this money and 1,000 troops on the United States/ Mexican border alone, not to mention the other police officers, federal agents and border patrol involved, why is it still so difficult to stop traffic along the border?
Now, I'm not trying to start a political debate or conspiracy theory, but it seems to me that either we have some very lazy border agents, or there is something else going on. It escapes me as to why anyone would want to encourage illegal immigration and bring more crime, drugs, mouths to feed and kids to teach into our already crowded country.
Can someone PLEASE explain to me how and why illegals are still invading the United States?

Party Time?

Think back to the last time you had a party at your house, office or apartment. Don't you wish you knew who spilled that blood-red wine on your nice cream colored carpet? Or how that antique coke bottle just happened to disappear?

While hidden cameras are definitely useful for finding out this type of information, there is a new product on the runway you might want to consider. Sony Party-shot event photographer is a docked camera that pivots 360 degrees around and 24 degrees up or down searching for faces in the crowd. When it finds a face, it snaps a picture and then resumes it's search!

Now, most people would buy this just for fun and would love the results. But, this unit could be particularly useful for solving those at fault for party mishaps or just for some reliable gossip material when the camera spots the married accountant flirting with the near-teenage temp.

If you know who is socializing the best, you can plan your seating charts more efficiently, avoiding the uncomfortable silence at the table from the two unlikely characters that can't stand each other. This can also be informative for who you need to dis-invite next time around!

H.264 Compression DVR

If you haven't heard about the latest, here it is!

There is a new, state-of-the-art "S-Box" Series DVR that features superior video quality, iPhone integration, USB backup, and other unique features at an affordable price.
This DVR allows real-time recording, playback and also provides picture quality that is unmatched by any other standalone DVR on the market. The superb clarity of the recorded video is made possible by the H.264 video codec. With the unsurpassed video quality, this series of DVRs also take up very little hard drive space. It also supports Internet Explorer for network preview and easy USB backup function. Other features include Email notification, DDNS, Alarm input, Alarm relay output, Audio recording and much more.
This latest DVR includes software that allows you to access and monitor your DVR anywhere anytime! It currently supports the iPhone, Symbian OS, and Windows Based Smart Phones.
The iPhone will need an application for this service which is available through Apple.

Imagine the ability to view the security cameras in your home, office or business from anywhere you travel!

Do you want to be WATCHED?

If you've stepped foot outside your house at all in the last year, chances are you've been on candid camera from some type of surveillance system. They're everywhere you look, right?

There are usually at least 2-4 at an intersection. These can be used to monitor traffic patterns, catch red light violators and/or just to run every single person through a face recognition software. I know, you're thinking, yikes! While these monitoring cameras can sometimes be beneficial in clearing up who was at fault in a fender bender, it seems like an invasion of privacy. I'm sure I'm not the only one who drives with my visor down when I'm traveling through a big city. Not because I have something to hide! I just don't care to have my face analyzed 100 times in the course of a visit to Costco for my monthly food run. Call me paranoid, but I like my privacy and I don't like having the government involved in every aspect of our lives!
I know I'm not the only one, either. When the technology for police to monitor homes with infrared devices mounted on their dashboards came out, the public screamed "invasion of privacy"! And they were right to do so. While some crimes may have been stopped by using this technology, you and I both know that police are human just like the rest of us and would be tempted to check out every home in the neighborhood. The likely hood of them being able to watch your intimate acts would make you feel uncomfortable doing anything in the "privacy" of your own home.

Now, ATM cameras, I don't have as much of a problem with. It is a high risk area with cash being taken out by every single user. This temptation for criminals can make them salivate with anticipation.
However, I'm sure I'm not the only one who has watched cop or forensic TV shows. How many times have we seen them solve a case or get a significant clue from an ATM camera? This may not happen quite as frequently in reality as on TV, but the resource is still available. Again, I don't have a problem with using the ATM cameras to solve crimes, but it can also capture you hiking up your pantyhose or adjusting an irritating wedgie when you think no one else is looking. Seems comical, but it is still an invasion of privacy.

It would be easier to list the places that DON'T use security cameras, but I'm fresh out of ideas for the types of businesses that wouldn't want to use them. Banks, kids arcades, hotels, supermarkets, any retail store, the list goes on....we've all seen the obvious security cameras. And while these do protect your business, I'm sure every security guard or camera monitor gets a huge laugh at least once a week from watching the clumsy idiot that tripped and fell flat on his face on aisle 3.
It puts me constantly on guard...and I don't like that feeling.

Best Thief Deterrent!

When you think of home security, do you think of the best deadbolts and locks on the windows? Well, it's time to come out of the stone age!

Now don't get me wrong, these are essential to have, but there are so many other things available that can protect your home in more effective ways. And the majority of us probably don't think to install these extra security measures until it's too late and our homes have already been violated in some way.

The best thing you can possibly have to scare away a thief is a high-pitched alarm. There are many different ways to install a burglar alarm. You can opt to install it yourself, which, if effective enough, can usually scare away a thief.

And, of course, there are alarm companies by the dozen that will offer to set up your chosen system for you. These companies often require a monthly subscription to a service they provide, and this service will keep them apprised of any disturbances in your home. Usually your security system is set up to call the monitoring service automatically. The company then gives you, the homeowner a call to inform you that your alarm has been activated. Assuming you are at home, this situation can be an easy one to deal with. You check your house and surrounding area, then inform the security company that it is a false alarm. Alarm is silenced and no further action is taken. Usually if they don't get a response from your house, police will be dispatched to your residence to check out a potential break in. Sounds great, right? Well, sure, except when you stop to calculate the time spent on all these phone calls.

Suppose your alarm goes off and it sends an immediate trigger to the security company monitoring your account. The representative most likely has to look up your account to find your home phone number, right? 2 minutes tops. Then they place the call to your house. If you're not home, this phone call will last less than 1 minute. So then the security company tries your cell phone. There's another minute or two if you don't answer. The logical next step is to call the police, right? Assuming they dial 911 and are not put on hold, this call should take no more than 2 minutes. The dispatcher then gets on the radio to find the closest unit or dispatches someone that should be in that section of town. Now, we all love and respect our boys in blue, but we also know that they are only human and can only get to your house as fast as the traffic around them will allow.
So let's tally this up. We're looking at at least 7 minutes until the actual officers closest to your home are notified that there could be a crime in progress. If you live in one of the larger cities, the response time will vary, but on average it will be at least 5 minutes. So there are at least 12 whole minutes for your burglar to run through your house grabbing your precious keepsakes and antiques. If you have the patience, sit looking at a digital clock for a full minute. Now multiply that time by 12 and imagine yourself doing absolutely nothing for that period of time while your home is being vandalized.
The alternative? Absolutely have a burglar alarm connected to a monitoring service! My advice? Have your home equipped with hidden security cameras connected to a stand alone DVR that is remotely accessible via cell phone or internet.
So let's try this scenario again. Your security company calls you within 2 minutes of your alarm activating. You then take around 1 minute to access your cameras from your cell phone or internet connection. Assuming you see a burglar or broken window in your video feed, you can immediately call the police on your cell phone directing them to your house.

Well, let's see, we made that call within 3 minutes! So you have saved around 4 minutes and have been proactive in the process. You could even place a call to your neighbors and direct them to yell outside that the police are on their way!
I don't know about you, but I would definitely opt for the remote access cameras!

Recall for Home Products

Well, the latest scare would be fire hazards in the home. Back in August, there were more than 200,000 Frigidaire and Kenmore smooth top oven/ranges recalled. This was due to the fact that over 100 reports were made about the stove tops coming on all by themselves! Even more astonishing was the fact that this wasn't some short where it would come on and go off immediately. The elements will just turn on without being switched on, and they will stay on! Talk about a fire hazard! Several people have even been burned, not realizing the burners were on.
What if you weren't home? Suppose there was a dish rag or paper towel in contact with the stove top? How long do you think it would take for that paper towel to get hot enough to ignite? Not long enough, in my opinion!
Access to your home's security cameras via a streaming DVR would save thousands if not hundreds of thousands in getting fire officials to your address sooner! If caught early enough, a neighbor could even break in for you and hose down the fire.
While I hate to be obnoxious about the usefullness of security cameras, they are a definite necessity!

Reduce your risk!

We all want to keep our homes as safe as possible, right?

So put yourself in the mind of a thief. Unusual concept, I know....
But try it. If you were casing a house wanting to break in somehow, what would you look for? What specific features about a house would you avoid?

OK, I'll state the obvious. I would avoid the well lit house with close neighbors, barking dogs, or the place that had a sign posted for a specific security company.

Let's touch on the first issue.

Lighting for a house can be one of the best deterrents against crime. And, you don't even have to break the bank with a large electric bill either. Your best bet are any kind of security lights that have a built in motion sensor/detector. This way, your property doesn't always have to be lit up like a Christmas tree, but can still be secure. Just make sure the switch is always on or hard wire the light.

It has been proven that crimes are much less likely to happen when an area has sufficient lighting. This is one of the most cost effective ways to secure your home, as no criminal likes to be exposed by light.
Your best bet for positioning your lights are to keep them high with a wide range of visibility. It's a good idea to place them on several different areas of your home so that all access points will be thoroughly covered with light. It is also smart to put these lights high enough so that the average person cannot reach them and ruin the motion sensors.

Now, if you have money to burn, any kind of outdoor floodlight kept on all night will suffice. HID or High Intensity Discharge lights are somewhat energy efficient and will last quite a while. This will emit a blue-green looking light similar to Incandescent or Halogen lights. There are also high pressure sodium lights, these are the yellowish looking lights you often see in commercial parking lots. Instant on fluorescent lights are a great choice and you could also opt for metal halide lighting.
The latest development is LED lighting, of course. I have seen motion sensored LED lights, but they are battery operated. Why anyone would want this is beyond me. Yes, the LED is the most efficient type of lighting, but the batteries could fail you at a very inopportune time!
You could also go with the solar powered lighting, although I'm not sure if they would be consistently bright the entire night.
I'm partial to LED just because they are 85% more efficient than other lights, so whenever I can save a dollar here or there, I'm game! I also love the way the LED's look, but that's my personal opinion.
So what method of lighting will serve your home the best? Take care to select a security light that has adjustable settings of "ON" time. You don't want your lights going dim too soon after motion is detected. A well planned robbery can work around this. But, some neighbors will get a little agitated if your nice bright light shines right into their bedroom window any time the cat prowls around at 3 a.m. If your lights are positioned to shine downward instead of outward, you will alleviate a lot of this hastle. Remember, you care more about your house being invaded than your lawn or carport!
The lives of you and your loved ones are more precious than anything you could possibly own!

Trick or Treat??

Those pesky trick or treaters!

Want to know which neighbor's kid toilet papered your trees? What if some real damage was done? We all know teens tend to get a little rambunctious on Halloween. A hidden doorbell camera would capture all the Halloween activity around your house...all night long! So if your home does get vandalized or there is a nasty brown paper bag filled with...you know what....now you can know who did it!

Who cares if you're not going to the police with a video of a toilet papered yard. Most parents would ground their child for the next month if they saw them on video harrassing someone or damaging their property. Even if it is Halloween and only a prank.

To you, it's not funny!

You're the only one who is going to clean it up...Right??

Protect your property.

Practical Applications?

You really don't think you'd use a hidden camera, right? Think again!

Some would probably still laugh at the idea...not me! With the threats of robbery, terrorism, physical attacks, rape, or home invasions of any type, it's nice to know you can know what is going on in your home while you're away. Most of us think...well, that'll never happen to me! What about the recent shortage in jobs?
Do you think those people that are now jobless aren't going to have problems paying the bills or even keeping their homes? You'd be a fool if you didn't consider that crime rates WILL go up with the economy in this endless slump!
What if your teens come home from school and there is a knock at the door? Perhaps someone pretends to sell something or give your child something.....then forces their way in! Our imaginations can run wild with that scenario for sure.
But with the latest wireless hidden cameras, this concern can be all but alleviated. There are now wireless doorbell hidden cameras among others that you can monitor from any internet connection or capable cell phone. Wouldn't it give you peace of mind to be able to check on your teens to be sure they are safe? Even a phone call can't give you 100% assurance of that.
Think about it.
Next time...computer security