Chris Pirillo » home-security

What Wired or Wireless Network Camera is the Best?

Chris — Wed, 20 May 2009 22:43:37 +0000

What Wired or Wireless Network Camera is the Best? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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If you listen closely to the beginning of this video, you’ll hear Wicket bark. I was doing a pan and scan of my living room downstairs, using a camera connected to my network remotely. I couldn’t believe he wasn’t caught lying curled up on the couch. That’s where he tends to spend most of his time when he thinks I’m not looking.

Having a camera like this gives me a better idea of what is going on around my house at any given time, without having to get up and physically walk to another area of my home. Yes – I’m lazy! If I’m busy working, I can glance at my screen and see who is where in the house, and what the dogs are up to.

The resolution is nice, and the quality is decent. I can easily change the image quality and brightness, to match the lighting in each room. This particular camera has a built-in web interface even. In fact, I could give you the link to my camera feed, and you could watch what’s going on in my house.

The Panasonic Wireless 802.11 b/g Network Camera and Pet Cam can be viewed and controlled from a standard web browser. Place cameras in your home, office, vacation home, or almost anywhere else that you’d like to keep an eye on things, with no PC required on location. They are easy to install, easy to operate and require no additional software for your viewing PC. Each camera also comes with a free web address which can track the camera automatically.

All you need is a browser. All of the software comes included with the camera. Cameras are attached using a regular outlet and router or Ethernet connection. Therefore, you don’t have to have a computer sitting there to have it connected to.

Simplify your life, and grab yourself some extra peace of mind. Grab one of these for yourself today.

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Which Wireless Security Cameras are the Best?

Chris — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:30:50 +0000

Which Wireless Security Cameras are the Best? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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If you look at this little device, you’ll see it looks like a phone. It’s not, though. It’s picking up audio and video from the wireless signal in my bedroom. I can use this tool to pick up up to four of these little wireless cameras. I picked this up from Safety First. It’s marketed as a baby monitor, but it can be used for any time of home monitoring you may need.

The Safety 1st High-Def Digital Monitor provides a 100% clear connection anytime, anywhere. Its state of the art wideband audio clarity ensures no static, no interference, and guaranteed privacy while monitoring.

The battery doesn’t last very long, so I suggest using the AC adapter whenever available. I’m likely going to get three other devices for my home, so I can flip between all four. This way, I can keep an eye on who may be at one of the doors. Basically, I can keep an eye on any place in my home that I can’t physically be in at the time. This will give me more peace of mind, and help keep me focused on my work instead of having to run around the house to see why my dogs are barking.

The features include:

100% private, no static, no interference
Remote digital zoom and pan
DataLock technology means no dropped picture or sound
Indoor/outdoor range: 650+ ft.
Auto-night vision
Auto channel selector
Secure sound lights
Low battery/out of range indicators
Rechargeable parent unit with belt clip
Baby unit is battery operated or can be plugged in

This does not interfere with wireless networks. It has a belt clip so you can carry it around with you. If you’re looking for a wireless monitoring tool, every indication has been that Safety First has the premier setup. Don’t be fooled into thinking you have to have a baby or child in the house to buy one of these little setups for your home. If you want to feel more secure in your home, this will cover all your bases. It’s wireless, it’s affordable, and it’s expandable.

There you go – my initial review of the Safety First High-Def Digital Color Video Monitor is quite good. I am happy with my purchase of it, and I think you will be, as well.

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What Kind of Home Security Do You Have?

Chris — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 09:54:58 +0000

What Kind of Home Security Do You Have? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Nearly a decade ago, I was on the cutting edge with a web cam. I didn’t even have broadband back then, but I had a semi-live web cam. People would watch it and save images from it. I received an email question, asking if I knew of something that would work to help him do surveillance with his computer and web cam. He’s using a Mac, and asked specifically for a Mac application. However, for you Windows users, you can check out webcamXP.

webcamXP is a powerful webcams and ip cameras management and streaming software for private and professional use. it offers unique features and unequaled ease of use to let you broadcast and manage multiple video sources on the same computer. it is the perfect tool to secure your goods.

For the Mac, I use Periscope.

Periscope is the next generation of web cam software that lets you use your iSight to capture activity in front of your Mac’s camera and then save or share that image simply and automatically.
Within seconds, you can configure Periscope to monitor a room for motion, sound or on a timer. Periscope will send real-time images to your e-mail, .Mac web page, or FTP site, and can upload to Flickr!

The configurationg of Periscope is simple. You can set it up on air, and then make the configuration selections that are right for you. Choose how and when it captures photos, and decide if you want to add timestamps or text overlays. Then you can choose from a variety of places to publish the photos, including iPhoto or your .mac account.

Periscope has the potential to be just right for your home surveillance needs. It’s only $25.00, and works very well. It doesn’t record video, but it is quite full-featured otherwise. The images from this are high quality, as well. Whatever you’re doing, Periscope is fun and functional.

Sd Specialist - Surveillance Detection.

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What Do You Do to Keep Your Home Secure?

Chris — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 05:28:46 +0000

What Do You Do to Keep Your Home Secure? is a post from Chris Pirillo

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Home security is important. Crime doesn’t go away, it keeps growing. There are many things you can do to keep yourself, and your home/possessions, safe. Thanks go out to Joe for sending in some tips on how to keep your home safe.

The first and the most important tip is to purchase a homeowner’s insurance. Purchasing separate insurance for your most valuable possessions is a next step. If you have the proper insurance, even if all your security measures fail, you may still be able to recoup a portion of lost valuables. Many of the insurance companies will require you to install some type of the security system before an insurance policy will be issued to you.
Tip number 2 is to store the most expensive and most valuable items (including jewelry, money, etc.) in a safe deposit box in the bank. This step will definitely protect your valuables. The expensive items that are needed in the house can be kept in the safe.
Tips number 3 & 4 are to install an alarm system and sign up for the alarm monitoring service. When you are installing the alarm system, make sure that the fire and smoke detectors are integrated with the system. The alarm monitoring service is also very important. Without the monitoring, you can not be sure what time will pass before someone will notice the fact that the system went off and will call the police. With the alarm monitoring system, the police department is contacted right away.
Tip number 5 is to include motion detectors as a part of your alarm system. Motion detectors can be installed inside the house, near windows and doors. With motion detectors, you will become aware of any movement inside the house. The alarm system will be triggered by the detector and the monitoring company will be notified. It is also a good advice to have a motion sensor light outside your house.
Tip number 6 deals with the situation when you are installing video cameras as a part of your security system. When you are installing video cameras, you should purchase the cameras that provide infrared functionality. There cameras will usually switch to the black and white mode and will turn infrared LEDs when it gets dark.
Tip number 7 deals with the power down situations. You should purchase and charge the back up power supply in advance. In a case of a power down situation, a back up power supply will keep your security system up and running… and your house protected. Without a power supply, you risk a complete stop in the functionality of your security system.
Tip number 8 is to go wireless. If you have wired cameras, you should probably upgrade them to wireless cameras that don’t need a wire connecting them to the VCR. Wireless cameras are easier to install, manage and hide. It will be harder for a criminal to notice a wireless camera than a wired one. If you signed up for the alarm monitoring systems, you should check if the security company has a wireless option (when the system can use cellular link to contact the company if the alarm goes off).
Tip number 9 is to make sure that you lock your doors and windows every time you leave the house. Also, don’t forget to turn your alarm on before you leave and turn it off when you come back. If you don’t do these simple steps, even the most expensive security system may not be able to protect you.
Tip number 10 is to join a neighborhood watch program, if there is one. This is definitely very important. If you are not at home, some of your neighbors may be. If they can keep an eye on your house, this will provide an additional level of security. Talk to your neighbors and see if you can join a program. If there is no neighborhood watch program in place, it might be a good idea to discuss the possibility of creating one with your neighbors.

The above tips, especially the first one, don’t only apply to keep yourself safe from criminals. Please, please make sure you are properly insured, even if you rent. My assistant, Kat, nearly lost her home due to fire recently. She didn’t have renter’s insurance at the time, as she thought it would be too expensive. She called the day after this near-tragedy happened, and is now fully insured. What she went through only goes to show you how quickly something can happen, when you least expect it. Ponzi and I are both very glad that Kat, her family, and her home are ok. I hope to be able to say the same about all of you in the future, as well.

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Home Security and Electronics

Chris — Sat, 04 Nov 2006 22:02:49 +0000

Home Security and Electronics is a post from Chris Pirillo

Ken Thomson in San Francisco, CA sent me an email this morning with a handful of helpful hints – especially if I’m trying to build the geekiest Fort Knox on the planet:

Being a retired real estate broker, I can tell you how to accomplish what you want. You are right; brand new is best of all because it lets you have all the other things on your wish list with ease. In addition, if you can find a builder who will work with you (i.e., let you know when the plumbing, electrical, and duct work will be roughed in and who will get out of the way while all the extra goodies are placed inside the walls).
I have never bought a house in my life. Every house I’ve owned, I’ve built myself under the theory that if you want it done right, you’d best do it yourself. Here are some of the things inside my walls…
1,000 feet of high-quality TV cable originating from a central point at the front of a house closest to a telephone pole. In the bedrooms, the TV outlet should always be on the side of the bed furthest away from the door. Telephone wires should be on the side of the bed nearest the door.
An intercom system with transmitter / speakers in the bedroom, in a hallway, and in the garage / workshop area. That way, you won’t have to get out of bed to answer the door and it makes getting rid of a pest a lot easier if you can talk to them through the front door speaker.
A blinker circuit with a LED in a shady jam of all doors and garage doors that blinks every 3/4ths of a second. It warns potential burglars that there are other surprises in store for them and they will go elsewhere.
A relay that makes a loud clack when the pressure mat under the front door mat is stepped on. And it also turns on the overhead light. this is even more convincing to a potential burglar.
Access to a hidden switch that, when activated, opens the garage door. This will take care of the times when you lock your self out.
Concealed wiring running between the living room wall where you plan on putting the stereo equipment and where you want the speakers to be in the living room and a second set of wires going to the master bedroom.
A small relay running off 24 volt AC that when tripped by the mailman putting your mail into the slot will tell you that your mail has arrived.
In a multi story building, wiring from near the front door, in the garage and upstairs that will cause the garage door opener to function. Saves you running up and down the stairs.
An off switch for the door chime if you don’t want to be disturbed.
A warning light circuit that will inform you if the garage door is not fully closed.

Some of those features would be wonderful to have, though I may go the wireless route if I can. Not only would wireless units be more easily upgradable, but I wouldn’t necessarily have cords and cables flying all over the place (inside the walls or otherwise). Wireless intercoms, wireless monitors, etc. I think as long as we have Cat5e strewn about the house, most of our wired needs will have been met. Ken continues:

Getting your own home built can often be cheaper than buying an existing home if you play it smart and get the land cheaper than anywhere else. One way to do this is to decide on one or two towns where you’d like to live, and then gong to the town hall tax assessor’s office and asking how you go about bidding on the auction of city properties foreclosed for non-payment of taxes.
For example, in NYC you write to: The Department of Real estate, 2 Layfayette St, New York, NY 10007 and ask for a copy of the nest ‘IN REM’ sales booklet and they will send it to you. In San Francisco, you bring a SASE with extra postage on it (to cover future postage increases) and they will send it to you. Once you get one, you will have to go back and give them another SASE. That’s how I got my lot at a cost that’s way less than the runaway prices in San Francisco.
Good hunting! Remember: building a house is not a big job. It is a thousand little jobs. It’s a lot like eating an elephant – you keep at it until there is nothing but bones left on your plate.

How to Handle Remote Tech Support

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 06:30:00 GMT

Using GoToAssist is the easiest way to view and control another person's computer online. Use it to provide instant technical support to family, friends and customers. Start a session with just one click, and instantly connect with the other party.

Network Tools for Windows

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

You need these network tools, no matter which operating systems and networks you have to support. SolarWinds ipMonitor: Affordable Network Monitoring for SMBs. Get turnkey network, server and application availability monitoring with SolarWinds ipMonitor v9.0. This easy-to-use, reliable solution for SMBs delivers out-of-the-box availability monitoring so you always know exactly what's up with Active Directory, DNS, Exchange, FTP, Web, IMAP, MS SQL Server, and SMTP. Download your free trial today. Or, try their totally free tools! And, through 2/29, save 20% when you purchase ipMonitor 9.0.

Get Your Own Web Site

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

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VMware and Parallels for Virtual Machines

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 06:30:00 GMT

It doesn't matter if you're running on Windows or Mac OS X - every power user needs either Parallels or VMware (or both). There's never been an easier way to test software without destroying your primary operating system's stability. Think of how many times you wish you could press a 'reverse' button on your computer. Plus, there's no easier way to try new Linux distributions - see what all the fuss is about. Run Windows in OS X, run Linux in Windows, but the best way to do either is with VMware and/or Parallels.

Coupons for Online Shopping

chris@lockergnome.com (Chris Pirillo) — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 07:56:13 GMT

This feed is fueled by Lockergnome Online Shopping and Coupon Codes

Before you shop next time, see if we have a coupon first.