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The Advantages Of Digital Video Surveillance

The internet has brought many new and exciting technologies into the homes of most people and one of the great innovations that has come about because of the internet is streaming digital video. The ability to install a webcam and communicate with others many miles away from you via the internet has been in use for a while now, but if you take that concept one step further, why couldn’t you install multiple cameras in your home and monitor them all while you are away?

Well, the good news is that you can now do just that! In the past, the only video surveillance option that most people had was a closed circuit television system that broadcast it’s signal in analog format. If you were at home you could keep an eye on things pretty well with one of these systems. But what about when you were away? Well, analog signals don’t lend to being broadcast very far, so the only resort you had was to save the video to tape and view it later. Not only was that a hassle, but it didn’t allow you to actually keep an eye on things in real time.

But the internet has been the catalyst to developing more sophisticated digital technologies and video surveillance is one of the areas where major changes have taken place. Here is why you should consider a digital home security camera system now:

1. You can monitor everything at home in real time no matter where you are as long as you have a sufficient internet connection.

2. You can view the output from several cameras at the same time.

3. The digital picture is far superior to the old analog video and carries a lot more detail.

4. You can still record the video if you wish, but unlike recording to tape the video output will not degrade over time as it is replayed over and over again. Digital information replays exactly the same no matter how often it is played.

5. Digital files can be compressed and saved much easier, taking up lots less space than tapes.

There are advantages of digital video surveillance, but just these few should be able to convince you that if you need to stay in touch with the goings on around your home while you are away for any reason, there is no time like the present to set up a home security camera system to do so.

Jim Johnson is a successful author and publisher on consumer related matters. You can find out more about a home security camera system and home security surveillance by visiting our Home Security website.

Tags: security system, home security, wireless security, security cameras, security alarms

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5 Easy Things You Can Do To Improve Home Security Right Now

Oftentimes when thinking about improving home security, many people start immediately focusing on electronic devices like security systems, alarms, cameras, and so forth. And to be sure, all of those products have a role to play in a high quality home security plan. But actually there are some very simple things that anyone can do to raise the security level in and around their home with very little cost and effort. And here is our list of 5 things that can help make your home more secure right away:

1. If you happen to be one of those folks who likes to leave a key to the front door of your house hidden under your doormat, or over the door frame, or within easy reach of your front door, you are just inviting a home break-in and making it easy for the burglar. Experienced burglars know that lots of people hide the key to the front door in close proximity to the door to make it more convenient for them to get in when they forget their key for some reason. So they just check around the front door area and can often come up with easy entry into your home in a very short period of time by doing so. Its not a good idea to hide your key outside at all therefore, but if you must, at least hide it a good distance away from the front door where no one would think to look.

2. One of the other most common ways that burglars can gain easy access to your home is through an open or unlocked window. This just makes it way too easy for them. So if you happen to be one of those folks who loves to have your windows open, at least install safety locks that will only allow them to be open part of the way and not enough for someone to be able to climb through. And when you are away from the house, it’s best to have the windows shut and locked at all times.

3. Just drive down almost any street and you will find houses that have trees and large shrubs up next to the house where someone could hide. That is a bad safety strategy, and it would be good for you to go outside and look at your home from the standpoint of an intruder. How easy is it to get close to your home without being seen? Can someone gain access to upper floors of the home by climbing a nearby tree? If you spot possible hiding places close to the house, do whatever is necessary to eliminate that danger. Prevention is your best protection in this area.

4. Many home intrusions take place at night simply because darkness helps conceal suspicious behavior. So bright lights are an intruder’s worst enemy. In view of that, some well-placed motion detection lights can do wonders for your home security. They are cheap and simple to install, and can be very effective in preventing break-ins.

5. If you have nice possessions, like an expensive car, keep it in the garage. Try to do as little as possible to attract attention to any pricey posserssions that you may have. Burglars would rather invest their time and energy in homes that promise a good payday as opposed to those where they can’t really tell much about what is inside. So keep windows covered so that it is hard to see inside, and use shades at night to keep others from looking inside your home to see what valuables are there.

All of these ideas are very simple and easy to implement, but together they can raise your home security level right away.

Jim Johnson writes on many consumer related topics including home security. You can find out more about home security by visiting our Home Security Review website.

Tags: security alarm, security, home security, security camera, security system

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Photo Management

As digital cameras become more common, people are increasingly choosing to keep photo albums on their computers. Instead of going to all the trouble of having the photos printed out onto expensive photo paper and then filing them away manually, people can just put their collections into folders, by date, occasion, or something else entirely - you can even keep all the photos of one person in one folder, if you want.

To make it easier to keep your photo albums in folders on your computer, all sorts of photo management software has been developed. This software is simple, and often comes for free, but helps to make it much simpler to organise your photo collection, removing the chore of moving them around and categorising them manually. The software can also make nice presentations and slideshows, allowing you to show your photos off quickly and easily, and email them to friends and family.

Probably the most famous photo management software out there is iPhoto, which comes for free with Apple Mac computers. iPhoto allows you to see large numbers of photos at once in the form of thumbnails, and easily organise them. If you have a .Mac account, you can then put your photos on the web, allowing anyone to see them.

It’s a similar story with Picasa, now owned by Google. It used to cost money, but has been a free download since Google bought it in 2004. Picasa acts as basically a Windows version of iPhoto, something that Windows users have long wished for, and some claim that it is even easier to use. It allows effects like the removal of red eye from photos with one click.

If you’re considering paid software, you might want to have a look at Adobe’s Photoshop Album (there is also a free Starter Edition). Its main feature is that it uses tags instead of folders, effectively allowing you to put each photo in many different folders without making multiple copies of it. This can make it much easier to find the photo you’re looking for.

Tags: albums, photo, cameras

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FBI and FCC Seek Control of Software Industry

With government agencies, one often has to try to guess what they are hiding. A close look at a FCC policy document released at 9 p.m. on a Friday may shock you.

Controlling Software

The Federal Communications Commission has issued a policy paper that sets free speech back a few thousand years. Yep, the FCC is taking the position that computer software companies must first get approval from the FBI before they will be allowed to put software products on the market. Think about that for a minute and cringe.

The ostensible reason for Big Brother’s power grab is, once again, the pursuit of terrorist and bad, bad people. You see, Brother wants to make every software company put a backdoor in their systems that lets Big Brother access your computer on the sly to keep an eye on you. No doubt, many evil people use Adobe and Microsoft products!

Big Brother Out of Control?

Obviously, everyone is interested in catching terrorists and bad guys. The idea of giving the FBI carte blanche power over the software industry, however, goes way beyond such concerns. Let us consider a practical example.

What if construction companies had to seek approval from the FBI before building homes? The ostensible reason would be to make sure the FBI could place cameras and wire taps in every home to monitor and stop terrorist activities. Surely, nobody could disagree with such a noteworthy goal. On the other hand, how would you feel about having cameras in each room of your home?

For a counter argument, government apologists claim that the FBI would watch the computer activity of only a small number of people because the FBI doesn’t have the manpower to do anything else. This argument is so much nonsense. “Watching” computer activity doesn’t require manpower. It is a technical function carried out by a software program. The FBI already has such programs, including the controversial green lantern program. If it didn’t, why would it want this power?

FBI monitoring programs run automatically. They continually accumulate data, which can be accessed when needed. This data collection can be used in thousands of different ways by hundreds of different agencies. For instance, what if the IRS audits you? What is to stop it from accessing your computer data and looking at all of the sessions you performed online banking? Nothing. The IRS and FBI work hand-in-hand on numerous prosecutions.

The United States is supposed to be the land of the free. Just don’t assume as much when using your computer.

Tags: fbi, fcc, cameras, wire tapping, fcc policy document, software industry, software, big brother

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Spy Web Cams

Spy cams are small cameras that transmit video output to a remote receiver. What’s special about them in comparison to other types of cameras is the fact that they are very small, sometimes even as small as a key after they are hidden. A spy cam can be useful in a variety of situations. They are used mostly for surveillance and don’t harm anybody. A particular type of spy camera cameras is the spy web cam. The difference between a spy web cam and a normal spy cam is that the data is transmitted live on the Internet, rather than to a receiver.

Such cameras are used to spy on people, places, and actions in nature.

Browsing the net, one will surely find websites that have such direct live feed. Some of them are displaying adult content and others give viewers the chance to watch something unusual. Live Internet broadcasts such as pay-per-view events usually use more advanced technology than spy web cams. More advanced cameras are utilized for the benefit of the normal paying customer.

Spy web cams are often intended for somewhat immoral reasons. Many Internet sites use this technology to broadcast live places like a public bathroom, a sauna, a strip club, or something else related to naked women, men, or sex. Also, a type of worm has been developed that basically takes control of a normal web cam and broadcasts the signal and the live image to a certain person. Of course, this is against the law, but many people still get a way with doing it.

While some people use spy web cams for illegal reasons, they are usually used for wholesome purposes. People can find hundreds of sites that give viewers a live feedback of a local area or of certain animals in their natural habitat, as well as other actions that give pleasure to people without involving anything adult. They can be useful but at the same time they can be used to spy on unsuspecting people.

Spy Cams provides detailed information about spy cams, hidden spy cams, pinhole spy cameras and more. Spy Cams is affiliated with Discount Laptop Computers.

Tags: spy cams, hidden spy cams, pinhole spy cameras

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Photographic Quick Tips

DIY Lens Hood.

Can’t find your lens hood well like any scout out there you should be prepared! OK I don’t mean you should carry the items but at the very least should know what to do if it ever happens to you. You will need some cardboard and an elastic band. Here’s what to do cut the cardboard into a 2 inch strip (this can be increased or decreased depending on your lens) roll the cardboard around the lens and use the elastic band to secure the cardboard. Before shooting check that your new lens hood does not appear in your shots at your lens widest angle. This lens hood is great for shooting through glass as it cuts out reflection and you can press right up to the glass.

DIY bean bag.

Have you got one of those beanie bags that can be used for all sorts of things like resting your camera on down low and then shooting an image? Well to save some space and on your baggage allowance. Why not take a home made one. What you need before you leave is a small resealable plastic bag and a cloth outer the cloth outer can be easily made as follows with a square piece of material sew two edges leaving one open. When you get to your destination buy some dried beans, peas etc.. Fill the plastic bag with what you bought insert the plastic bag into the cloth outer hey presto home made beanie bag. When you have finished or coming home empty out plastic bag and you can then reuse on you next holiday.

Night Shoots.

When going on a night shot take a small torch may sound silly but many people don’t bother. When they get to the site of the shoot they can’t see their equipment in their bags the settings on the camera are difficult to read etc, etc… A torch makes it easy to read the dials. OK your camera has a backlight but this uses battery power and could end with you having a flat battery half way though a shoot. If you are shooting somewhere and know that there may be light from cars etc.. Have a black mat cloth handy to cover the lens note the length of time the cloth is covering the lens and then add that to your remaining exposure time. Use a tripod when shooting at night this ensures your images are clear and sharp. If possible also use a shutter release cable while the camera in on a tripod this stops camera shake, if you have not got a cable release more and more cameras now a days come with a self timer to open the shutter. Remember if you are near traffic.

Shooting Images.

When taking pictures remember to take loads why well the shot that looks good in your view finder may not be the shot that’s any good when you get home and look at it in you photo editing software it could be un-sharp slightly blurred etc… So take a lot of each image that way at least one will be of the required standard. I know this contradicts what I have just said but leave a few shots left on you media card for your journey home, you just don’t know what you might come across and it would be a shame to miss out just because your media card was full.

Buying a camera.

I always say buy the best you can afford. When you have decided on the camera of your dreams remember that the media card that comes with your camera proberly only holds a few images at the highest resolution of your camera. When I bought my Fuji it came with a 16 Meg card at the highest resolution I couldn’t fit one image on the card!!! Once you have your camera remember you will need some sort of media card to hold images I would recommend 512MBs for a 4 mega pixel models, and 1GB for a 6 mega pixels and up why? Well if you paid loads for your camera always shoot at the highest resolution that way if you manage to shot a politician or footballer doing something they shouldn’t be doing at a low resolution it would only be able to be printed at a credit size where as the higher the resolution the greater chance a magazine will buy or at least give you a by-line credit for your work which could pay for your camera! To see what size you image can be printed at in a magazine check out Commercial Printing Information (CPI) small program I wrote to see how large an image could be printed in a magazine.

Tags: cpi, photograhic, quick, shoot, beanie, diy, tip, camera, photo

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Hidden Spy Cams and Your Childcare Provider - Should You Use One and How

A hidden camera is one discreet way to assuage and alleviate concerns around your home. Parents find them especially helpful when it comes to keeping an eye on the person watching their children. But are hidden spy cams fair to those who are being watched? Do nannies have a right to know if they are being recorded?

There are many compelling arguments in favor of using a hidden spy cam to record your child’s caregiver. Few would disagree that the safety of a child comes first. However, is it really ethical to hide a small camera in order to spy on your nanny doing her job? Safety surveillance is not a black and white issue. Both parents and nannies have rights.

If you want to use a hidden camera to obtain video footage of your nanny at work, the best thing to do is tell her. A professional most likely won’t have a problem, as long you ask for her permission. Spy cams are extremely covert — it could be a teddy bear or in a house plant. You have the benefits of a hidden camera without the risk of losing a good nanny, should she find out and become upset about the use of spying.

A recent Arizona Central article raised an important point — while a parent is well within their rights to want to use a hidden spy camera to view their nanny, cameras shouldn’t replace thorough interviews and a background check. Even a good caregiver might regard the use of hidden cameras as an invasion of privacy. While you aren’t legally bound to inform your nanny, a spy camera could create a difficult situation.

Copyright © 2005 Evaluseek Publishing.

About the Author
Bob Whitehead is a successful freelance writer providing practical information and advice about video security for business, non-profit and home use. His numerous articles include tips for saving both time and money when shopping for video surveillance products; equipment reviews and reports; and other valuable insights. Learn more about CCTV cameras and CCTV systems when you visit Video-Surveillance-Guide.com today!

Tags: childcare, camera, covert, nanny, hidden spy cams, invasion of privacy, surveillance, safety, spying

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Night Vision

Everyone knows that one cannot see anything in darkness. But imagine you are in a place that is cloaked in darkness and you are the only one who can see everything, even in the pitch dark. Technological advancements of the 21st century have made this possible, through the invention of certain night vision equipment that has done away with the obstacles of human beings in places where there is no light.

However, there are different types of night vision equipment - night vision goggles, ITT night vision, thermal night vision, night vision binoculars and monoculars, and night vision digital cameras (both still and video). The first thing that might strike one’s mind is that night vision equipment might be a spy thing in an action film.

With suitable night vision equipment, one can see a person standing over 200 feet away in complete darkness. Night vision equipment can work in two very different ways, depending on the technology that is implemented. One is image enhancement, and the other is thermal imaging.

In image enhancement, light particles, called photons, are collected in small amounts. This amount of light includes the lower portion of the infrared light spectrum. The night vision equipment catches this light and then amplifies it to the point that we can easily observe the image.

With thermal imaging technology, the night vision equipment operates by capturing the upper portion of the infrared light spectrum. This light is emitted in the form of heat energy by the objects, in place of light reflection.

Tags: Night Vision Cameras, Night Vision, Night Vision Scopes, Night Vision Goggles

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Freelance Photography How to Begin Your Career

Photography is a vast world. There are many different types of photography and many different kinds of people that enjoy it. It’s a hobby that be relatively inexpensive or one that you can invest a lot of money on. Photos are so special because they give us memories of times and places and events in our lives. We can hold onto these memories forever with a photograph.

As much as people love photos, many people love taking them even more. Whether it’s a mother who takes photos at every of her children’s moments in life (first smile, first step, first spaghetti meal) or maybe it’s the father who never forgets his camera for a football or basketball game, or maybe it’s the young girl who loves nature hikes with her camera; these people are not exceptions. They all have an eye for those special moments and they all appreciate the camera’s ability to capture that moment and freeze it in time forever.

- What is Freelance Photography?

What if you love photography so much you wish you could do it for a living? I mean, you actually get paid for your photographs! But you work solely for yourself, selling each photo or series of photos individually. You don’t have a boss. You work sometimes on assignment and you may sell to magazines. That is freelance photography.

Freelance photography may be your entire career or it may start out as something you do in your spare time but begin making money from it. It’s just like freelance writing in this sense that many people turn it into a career and enjoy the freedom of working essentially for themselves on their own time and making money doing something they love doing anyway.

- How to Build a Portfolio

To start getting jobs as a freelance photographer, you need a portfolio. A portfolio will show samples of your work. Even if you have never had photographs published or publicly displayed, you can start a portfolio of your best work and then add onto it if you win photography contests or start receiving paid work.

- How to Get Jobs

As we mentioned, building a portfolio is the first step in submitting your work for pay but when it comes right down to it, it’s the quality of the photo that will determine if you get paid for it. Some people have more of a natural talent for taking great pictures than others but it is a skill that anyone can learn. There are schools dedicated to the art of photography and you can even get a degree in it. If you are just getting started, you can look into classes provided by your local community center or community college. Some cities have photography groups that meet to share photos and tips. There are also many groups online dedicated to photography and freelance photography.

You need to view as many famous photographs as possible. Take a look at what is getting published and compare it to your own photos. This allows you to compare and learn from other’s work. It takes more than just point and shoot to get a great photo. You need to learn about focus, lighting, colors and backgrounds and much more.

Once you start learning about photography and creating a portfolio, you can start submitting your photos to contests and magazines. Get a list of photography markets and start submitting to ones that accept your type of photos. Don’t expect to make it to the big times right away. Few people actually achieve this but you can start small and eventually make your way into a nice living from freelance photography.

Looking for information about Photography?
Go to: http://www.asaphotography.com
‘ASA Photography’ is published by Colin Hartness -
An excellent resource for Photography!
Check out more Photography articles at: http://www.asaphotography.com/archive

Tags: photography, camera, freelance photography, freelance photographer, freelancer, photo

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Night Vision Scope

What can you do with a night vision scope? Remember the movie "Silence Of The Lambs", there was a scene in which Jody Foster, an FBI agent, found herself alone in a basement of an old house with a crazed killer. She had the upper hand on her suspect until he pulled a fast one and flipped the circuit breakers. Immediately Jody found herself in total darkness. Sure, she had her pistol, but she could not see one thing. It was so dark in that old musty dungeon of a basement that she couldn’t see her hand in front of her face. The killer however had planned ahead for such an occasion and had purchased a pair of military night vision goggles. He could see Jody, but she couldn’t see him. Very scary.

So what else can you do with a night vision scope? Well, for one thing, if you are a hunter of animals that only come out at night you would be in a much better position to see your prey. I found a little family of racoons in my backyard this summer and spent several evenings looking for them with a flashlight. There was four little baby racoons and a momma. I usually found them with my hearing rather than sight. However, I think it would have been much easier if I had a pair of night vision goggles or a night vision scope to help me.

If you are in the military and are going to the front lines I believe that night vision equipment is standard issue. If you are going to own the dark, it is a must have piece of gear. I don’t think I have ever seen a picture of the other side using night vision scopes and I really think it’s a good idea to keep it that way.

Tags: night vision scope, night vision cameras, night vision camera, night vision

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Generous Bill

It’s a difficult time in your life when you are tired, old and ready to retire but can’t due to your financial situation. Some professions and many employers do not provide a pension. Jobs that are open to the older person are boring, pay little, and are sometimes dangerous.

Bill, a friend of mine, worked as a photographer until he was sixtyfive, then got a part time job as a night time security guard. He would come to chorus rehearsal in his toolarge uniform looking completely worn out. He came to me once and told me that he still had his original cameras from the forties. He said he would like me to look at them to see if they were worth anything, admitting that as far as he knew, none of them worked. I told him that I would be glad to look at them and perhaps even fix them.

The following week he presented me with a large cardboard box containing a half dozen old cameras. Among them was a four by five Speed Graphic, a five by seven view camera, two early thirtyfive millimeter cameras and a Zeiss Ikon folding camera. Since I loved all cameras, I was thrilled to have a chance at cleaning up his collection.

It took three months of tearing apart, polishing, reassembling and testing these gems of early photography to look like new. Most of the repair involved fine adjustments of the mechanisms and occasionally a part had to be milled out of raw stock. Cushioning each specimen in foam, I filled a large suitcase with the restored cameras, anticipating Bill’s expression when he saw the result of my labors.

At our next meeting, I arrived early to present to him the cameras. He was flabbergasted, holding each camera like a rare gem, turning them this way and that, marveling at the shine of newness not seen for fifty years. Later, in the parking lot, he thanked me again for fixing his cameras and insisted that I keep the cameras for myself, after all the work I did on them. He added that they were worth nothing in their abused condition so he wouldn’t be losing anything. Not wanting to upset him by arguing, I thanked him and went home.

I racked my brain for a way to compensate Bill for his generosity and came up with a plan. I would take his cameras to a large camera exposition and show where there would be photography dealers and collectors. I was sure that they would be interested in these original cameras. I added a few cameras that I had been given through the years. One, a wrist camera that took ten circular pictures and looked like a diver’s watch was a collector’s item. Others included an old twin lens camera and several folding cameras.

Except for the wrist camera, my dealings at the Photographic Exhibit were one hundred per cent successful. I collected four hundred and forty dollars from ten different dealers. At the next chorus meeting, I handed Bill an envelope with two hundred twenty dollars, half the take from the cameras. Since this occurred in the sixties, this money represented a month’s rent for Bill. He is now living by himself in a little room, surrounded by the memorabilia of six decades as a photographer.

A retired portrait photographer, I prefer photography to cameras.

Tags: cameras, Retirement

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Low Cost Video Surveillance Tips

What is the most important aspect of video surveillance, and why is it so important? The answer to this commonly asked question is that video surveillance is predicated upon location of the camera, consistency in viewing, and overall awareness of surroundings.

First thing to do with video surveillance is position the camera in a place that will allow for optimal views. This means that each camera should be out of the reach of anyone that might want to take it down, and at the same time, be effectively located in a place to capture the clearest images possible. A lot of this will come into play if you have an incident, or you think you see someone trespassing, and you must try to identify what is going on. If the camera isn’t in the right direction, the entire incident may occur without proper filming of it.

Next one should become a consistent viewer of the video surveillance tapes, and live feeds. This means that it should be a daily activity to watch the videos of your home surveillance to look out for any odd activity. Often thieves will case a house for several weeks before robbing it. This means that it will be, most likely, caught on tape before the incident occurs. Keep an eye out for any stranger, and then make any adjustments to keep them away from your property necessary.

Finally it is imperative to keep an open mind when dealing with video surveillance, and the surroundings of what is being filmed. There are often instances of one performing video surveillance that leads to false accusations, and general misunderstandings. There are many reasons that this scenario occurs, but it usually results in the video surveillance user to make assumptions before doing proper research to back up such assumptions. For example, one may be conducting video surveillance on their property, and see some random people entering the yard next door for nearly a week straight. Without thinking about it the activity is reported, but it is found out after that the house is for rent, and potential tenants have been looking at it for leasing purposes. It is incidents like this that highlight the need for caution when performing video surveillance.

When used properly, video surveillance can be a powerful tool in protecting your home, and others from potential disasters, and burglaries. Without video surveillance one may never see the imminent threats that are out there until it is too late.

Tags: Video Surveillance, home security, Surveillance Camera, home surveillance

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Home Security - Protect Your Children Online - Part 2

The Seven Signs of Unsuitable Use or Contact From the Internet

Home security is about protecting your family, and the most overlooked means of entry is sitting in your living roomyour computer. The Internet has become a vast and great resource for our children to learn things they would never have had the opportunity to learn otherwise. We all remember having to go to the library to research our next term paper using the World Book encyclopedia or the Periodicals catalog. The Internet Age has allowed our children to receive, almost instantaneously, information it would otherwise have taken days to receive. This “instantaneous” aspect of the Internet yields split second access to materials unsuitable for children to see or hear.

So with that said, here are seven warning signs that may show your child is using the Internet in unsuitable ways:

1 - Your child spends most of their home time on the Internet.
2 - Your child quickly turns off the monitor or shuts the computer down when you enter the computer room.
3 - You receive phone calls from strangers asking to speak to your child.
4 - You recognize outgoing phone calls, mostly long distance, from your residence to phone numbers you do not recognize.
5 - Your child begins receiving gifts from people and addresses that you do not recognize.
6 - Your child’s personality begins to change, becoming more combative when asked to reduce his/her computer usuage.
7 - You pull up pornographic or other unsuitable materials from your computer’s hard drive.

The major Internet access sites, including America Online, MSN, Earthlink, and others, have made it increasingly difficult for children to receive unsuitable material through their Internet connections. These services have also allowed the parent to restrict even more the online experience of their children. It is important that a parent reviews these increased security options and determine if they are applicable to the online situation.

However, most of these sites still allow access of minors to sites that are conducive to chatting and instant messages. It is these areas, as well as electronic mail, that provide the greatest risk to our children. Unlike the typical phone call, the Internet has no “face” or “voice” from which to somehow identify the person our child is communicating to. The person happily chatting with our child via the Weather Channel chat room about cumulonimbus clouds and the report the child is writing could just as easily be a 50 year old pedophile waiting for his chance to trap the child into divulging personal information about themselves and their location.

It is extremely important that we advocate to our school communities the hazards which exist for our children on the Internet. There are resources available to you that will expand on the signs of abuse and the steps to take in protecting your child from experiencing this unsuitable content on the Internet.

In the next addition, I’ll detail steps the parent can take in monitoring and helping to ensure that their child is not being exploited on the Internet.

©Walter Stone
Home Security Online
Security Systems, alarms, motion detectors
Read more on protecting your home.

**Usuage of content requires author name, bio & links remain intact as displayed.

Tags: Napco, camera, cct, child safety, home security, GE, DSC, Honeywell, system, Ademco

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The History of Video Surveillance - from VCRs to Eyes in the Sky

Mention video surveillance and most people think of video cameras mounted in the corners of train stations and banks or private detectives video taping an erring spouse for a messy divorce case. The truth is that the history of video surveillance is much more complex and goes back much farther than most people realize.

If you consider video in the simplest of terms, video surveillance began with
simple closed circuit television monitoring. As early as 1965, there were press
reports in the United States suggesting police use of surveillance cameras in
public places. In 1969, police cameras were installed in the New York City
Municipal Building near City Hall. The practice soon spread to other cities,
with closed circuit television (CCTV) systems watched by officers at all times.

Analog beginnings spur video surveillance

When video cassette recorders hit the market, video surveillance really hit
its stride. Analog technology using taped video cassette recordings meant
surveillance could be preserved on tape as evidence. The seventies saw an
explosion around the world in the use of video surveillance in everything from
law enforcement to traffic control and divorce proceedings.

England installed video surveillance systems in four major Underground Train
Stations in 1975 and began monitoring traffic flow on major highway arteries
about the same time. In the United States, the use of video surveillance wasn’t
quite as prevalent until the 1980’s for public areas, but store owners and banks
quickly understood the value of it.

Businesses that were prone to theft, including banks, mini-marts and gas
stations, began mounting video surveillance systems as a deterrent and in hopes
of apprehending thieves, particularly in high crime areas.

The insurance industry also found video surveillance compelling - worker’s
compensation fraud, bogus accident claims and a variety of other cases began to
turn in the industry’s favor when they could provide tapes of supposedly
disabled workers doing the limbo at a family reunion.

For the private citizen, analog technology was primarily used in the 1970’s
and 1980’s for capturing the worst side of human nature - cheating spouses and
poor parenting. Private detectives were able to provide more graphic and
compelling evidence of affairs and parental stupidity with film than with still
shots, and video tapes became frequent evidence in family court.

The drawback in many cases was that after a while, owners and employees would
become complacent and not change the tapes daily or the tapes would wear out
after months of being re-used. There was also the problem of recording at night
or in low light. While the concept was good, the technology hadn’t yet peaked.
The next step was the Charged Coupled Device camera (CCD), which used microchip
computer technology. These new cameras broadened the practical applications of
video surveillance by allowing low light and night recording possible.

In the 1990’s another advancement in the history of video surveillance made
great strides in practicality - Digital Multiplexing. When digital multiplexer
units became affordable it revolutionized the surveillance industry by enabling
recording on several cameras at once (more than a dozen at time in most cases).
Digital multiplex also added features like time-lapse and motion-only recording,
which saved a great deal of wasted videotape.

By the mid-1990’s, ATM’s across the United States and in most parts of the
world had video cameras installed to record all transactions. After the first
attack on the World Trade Center in February of 1993, the New York Police
Department, FBI and CIA all install surveillance cameras throughout the area.
Soon many countries are also using either CCTV or video taped surveillance to
cover major sporting events that could be potential hot spots, including the
World Cup Soccer games at Giants Stadium in 1994.

Digital makes video surveillance faster, clearer, more efficient

Digital video surveillance made complete sense as the price of digital
recording dropped with the computer revolution. Rather than changing tapes
daily, the user could reliably record a month’s worth of surveillance on hard
drive because of compression capability and low cost.

The images recorded digitally were so much clearer than the often grainy
images recorded with analog that recognition was immediately improved for
police, private investigators and others utilizing video surveillance for
identification purposes. With digital technology you could also manipulate the
images to improve clarity even further by adding light, enhancing the image,
zooming in on frames, etc.

The second wave of increased video surveillance corresponded with the
emergence of digital in the United States. From 1997 on, police departments
across the country installed more and more video surveillance cameras in public
buildings, housing projects and areas like New York’s Washington Square Park.
The NYPD also began using mobile surveillance vans at political rallies and
other large gatherings (including festivals and parades) under the auspices of
the Technical Assistance Response Unit (TARU).

In-home use soars with advent of nanny cams

As more women went back to full-time careers in the 90’s, digital video
surveillance manufacturers found a niche market that hadn’t previously been
tapped - monitoring what was going on at home when parents were gone. The nanny
cam was a huge success, providing a way for parents to observe what nannies and
housekeepers were really doing while at home with the kids.

The popularity of these cameras pushed the industry to develop ever-smaller,
higher resolution cameras that could be hidden almost anywhere. The result was a
boon to industry development, with new versions of digital video surveillance
cameras coming out nearly every month.

9/11 redefines video surveillance for the future

Nothing changed the concept of or the public’s awareness of video
surveillance as much as the tragic events of September 11, 2001 when the World
Trade Center was attacked by terrorists. Where once people saw video
surveillance as an issue that might never affect them, it was now an issue of
immediate and lasting importance.

Software developers began refining programs that would enhance video
surveillance, including facial recognition programs that could compare various
key facial feature points in order to match recorded faces to known mug shots or
photographs of terrorists or criminals. While the earlier versions weren’t
always reliable, the later versions became more refined and were phased into use
by law enforcement in some areas. In May of 2002, the United States Parks
Service installed face recognition software on the computer video surveillance
cameras at the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island.

That same year, the Sydney International Airport in Australia installed
SmartGate, an automated border crossing system used for all airline crew
members. Using photo biometrics, the video surveillance systems scans the crew
member’s face and compares it to the passport photo and confirms the match in
less than ten seconds, speeding the border process markedly.

In December of 2003, Royal Palm Middle School in Phoenix, Arizona installed
face recognition video surveillance as a pilot program for tracking missing
children and registered sex offenders. It has split the community, but is
supported by many in favor of it as a potential way to track abductors and child
molesters.

The Internet revolution in video surveillance

The internet has enabled video surveillance to be instituted virtually
anywhere and be watched from anywhere in the world. With satellites bouncing
signals around the globe, you can now watch anyone anywhere from your laptop.
The eye in the sky is a reality with digital streaming video.

Sadly, the least common denominator in streaming video is the peek-a-boo
industry of amateur porn sites that have proliferated on the web, but these
real-time streaming videos use the same technology as many genuine surveillance
operations.

Streaming video is set up as a remote system so that you can monitor your
site from anywhere in the world with Internet access because the images are
video archived on a remote web server. The quality is outstanding, with high
compression (1800:1 in some cases) for storage and features like
motion-activation and email alerting when there is activity if you wish. The
Internet has truly revolutionized video surveillance by removing all boundaries
for viewing anywhere in the world.

What does the future hold for video surveillance?

The newest trendy, must-have fun gadget for consumers these days is the
picture phone that can instantly send snapshots and streaming video to family
and friends with just a click. What those fun television ads don’t say is that
those telephones can just as easily be used for video surveillance. Nearly
everyone has a cell phone in their hands these days, so someone standing on a
street corner is so unremarkable that virtually anyone could be filming you
without your knowledge.

Rather than mounting obtrusive cameras, future law enforcement agencies may
begin using these phones as integrated devices, combining video surveillance
with public phones in one package for 24/7 public watch dogging. Police officers
and federal agents may eventually be issued phones with streaming video so that
they can immediately send pics of suspects they are tailing back to a database
for matching against a face recognition program. When new Amber alerts are
issued, video clips could be sent to all law officers quickly and efficiently.

It’s clear that with digital technology and streaming video we’ve moved into
the era of being able to conduct comprehensive video surveillance and store the
resulting evidence indefinitely. We can reach around the world or across the
street with surveillance equipment, but we are still making advances, as the new
video cell phones clearly illustrate. The future is sure to see even greater
strides that will eventually become part of the history of video surveillance.

This article on the “The History of Video Surveillance” reprinted with
permission.

Copyright © 2004-2005 Evaluseek Publishing.

Tags: monitoring, pol, surveillance cameras, VCR’s, video surveillance, history, closed circuit television

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Do You Have Flaws

Have you ever met anyone who has a character flaw so obvious that everyone around them sees it, but they are blissfully and completely unaware that it even exists. This is what I call a “blindspot”. When you mention something they fear about themselves, they think you have “hidden cameras” on them because you know their secrets. But to everyone around them it’s obvious. We all have them to varying degrees. I have them, and yes even you have them.

The lighted mirrors to these blindspots often occurs in very close relationships. An ancient prophet once said “iron sharpens iron”. God created relationships for many reasons. One of those is that we can cause and prompt each other to grow up and into our destiny, purpose and maturity; taking full responsibility for our own actions and character development.

There are many different blindspots we can have. Often we don’t notice them, as much as we notice their effect on other people. When these things happen, we often think it is them that is flawed, or has hang ups. Where in truth they are often reacting to what you’re putting out there. Part of our growing up process is about humbling ourselves to be teachable and really listen to what people and events around us are trying to tell us. Some of these blindspots or characteristics could be:

1. being condescending or patronising

2. being unteachable

3. not listening to the heart of what someone is trying to say

4. being insensitive

5. being arrogant

6. being competitive

7. being rigid and having lots of rules about things

8. being intimidating

9. being a perfectionist

10. holding people to a double standard

These are just a few. Do you recognise these characteristics in anyone else? Can you perhaps see any of these things in yourself? Or has anyone ever told you that you are being any of these things? Have you just shrugged it off and put it down to being their problem?

Becoming better and personal growth is about starting to recognise and deal with some of these things. We all need a wake-up call once in a while.

Take 5 minutes right now and think about what some of the people who care about and are close to you, have tried to tell you. If you’re feeling brave and are really serious about this, you could even ask someone who loves you, to be honest with you about their observations of your blindspots. You don’t have to take it on as truth. Though it is certainly their true perception of who you are being at certain times.

It does not bring out the best in you or others, and is therefore not an empowering model of behaviour. Who are you? What do you stand for? How do you want to be remembered? Maybe now is a good time to be humble and teachable. Be gracious to yourself and others. Choose to be a bigger person with more empowering values and start behaving as who you have consciously decided to be. Learn to catch yourself when you aren’t being your best or living according to your values, and with practice, you will get better at it.

Choose your values and live them everyday!

Tags: hidden cameras, lighted mirrors

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