Safety for Kids Piece of Mind for parents

March 3rd, 2010     Orem, UT Nanny cams have become high-tech tools for parents who must leave their children with caregivers while they’re at work. With so many options, it’s hard to realize just what you need to know before you buy a nanny cam. This article will cover some of the basics so you can feel more secure in your buying decision.

What is a Nanny Cam?

Nanny cams are video cameras that are used to record activity that happens when you’re not at home. The original idea was to review the recordings later in order to ensure that your children are being well taken care of in your absence. These cameras are generally quite small and may be hidden in other objects so that the caregiver is unaware he or she is being filmed.

Oftentimes, the nanny cam utilizes a motion sensor that switches it on when someone is in the room. This keeps the homeowner from needing to review hours of pointless footage. It also saves on electricity and the lifespan of the camera. There are other cameras, however, that are always on. One of the benefits of this type is that you can monitor it from the Internet to check in when you are away. This gives you a real-time view of what is going on in your absence.

The term “nanny cam” is now used to refer to other uses for surveillance cameras, as well; even those that are just filming an empty vacation home or a storage unit.


What to Know before You Buy a Nanny Cam

There are a few things to keep in mind as you choose which nanny cam to buy. Of course, cost is going to be a factor, and it will be influenced by several factors. For example, a smaller surveillance camera is likely to cost more. Also, the quality of the image will impact the price. Finally, you will need to determine if you want to have a feed to a secure website so you can monitor it from a remote location.
If you are planning to utilize your camera in order to protect your home from intruders, you want to consider making it more noticeable. A would-be burglar is more likely to skip a house where a surveillance camera is obviously in use. In the long run, it’s a much better idea to deter a criminal than to try and pick up the pieces after you’ve been victimized.

A final consideration to make when you buy a nanny cam is the legality of using it. In the U.S., it is generally considered legal to record a person’s image, even if they are unaware that you are doing so. It isn’t always legal, however, to record speech. Also, there is no guarantee that footage from a nanny cam will hold up in court. Problems can arise, however, from caregivers and other visitors to your home who discover they were recorded without permission. When asked, most childcare professionals are fine with being recorded, as long as they are aware in advance. Finding out after the fact has led to more than one childcare provider walking off the job with feelings of deception and betrayal.

Each consideration is something that should guide you in choosing and purchasing the right equipment. Understanding the realities of the situation will help you make a more informed decision, and ensure that you are aware of what you need to know before you buy a nanny cam.

Contact Pinnacle Security for more safety tips and information on how you can have your own home security system installed today. http://pinnaclesecurity.com/

Acumen Cameras Tested By Laboratory

After a series of tests for thermal stability and water resistance, Acumen International (known as brand "AI") has sent their cameras to put on trial again.

Mar 31, 2010 – The independent laboratory SGS Taiwan, Ltd. has tested Acumen's all-weather bulletproof IR camera, Ai-IR93.
This time the camera was hit by special testing equipment (it resembles something like a hammer and an anvil). The camera was placed in a metal box and tightly pressed to its walls.  After that the special hammer performed a series of bumping from distance of 40 cm., despite the force of impact (the hammer weighed 5 kg, and the impact energy was 20 Joules), the camera not only shown no visual damage, but also found no harm in its characteristics and performance, according to Acumen.

This result should credit to its special zinc alloy in design.
According to the test result, the mechanism of the camera provides excellent protection not only for deadly ramming,
may also for bullet-proof, and the manufacturer further claims..

A New Range Of Wireless 3G Dome CCTV Cameras from MEL Secure Systems

High speed 3G HSUPA connectivity provides rapid access to evidential quality recordings from any suitably equipped mobile phone, laptop or PDA

Mar 25, 2010 – MEL Secure Systems, the leading developer of CCTV surveillance and security solutions, has launched a new range of 3G rapid deployment CCTV dome cameras.  Using high speed 3G HSUPA connectivity combined with the latest compression technologies, they provide users with rapid access to evidential quality recordings from any suitably equipped mobile phone, laptop or PDA.

The new MEL 3G HSUPA equipped cameras have been designed in partnership with government agencies and security services for quick and easy deployment on street furniture, buildings or other fixed structures.  The IP65 rated casing includes a built-in DVR and transmission unit.  Users can access the system from any remote location with full pan, tilt and zoom functionality and 360 degree vision to view live or recorded images stored on the built-in DVR.  Recordings can also be downloaded for review offline.    

The new MEL 3G HSUPA-capable dome cameras have automatic fall-back to HSDPA, UMTS and GPRS.  They also include wireless transmission allowing high speed download to a Wi-Fi enabled laptop at distances of up to 100 meters.  As an option, the cameras can also be equipped with the latest COFDM H.264 Video and UHF Telemetry links enabling high quality, interference free images to be received at distances of up to 4km away from broadband access points without requiring line of sight.

Pinnacle and GE introduce new interactive touch screen

By Martha Entwistle

01.14.2010   PROVO, Utah—Summer-model company Pinnacle Security announced this week that it collaborated with GE Security and will be the first customer to launch a new interactive touch screen in 2010.

“In 2009 we worked closely with GE to not only strengthen the security offering, but to add additional features that we believe will provide our customers with value,” said Kelly Walker, Pinnacle Security president.
 
The new touch screen—which works with the standard GE Security Simon system and incorporates features supplied by alarm.com—can be attached to a Simon panel, attached to a wall, or it can sit on a kitchen counter. Customers would likely put the Simon panel in a closet, and have three or more touch screens in different locations around the house, Walker said.

Walker estimates that 65 percent of Pinnacle’s new customers will want to take advantage of this new system. Pinnacle sold roughly 100,000 systems in 2009.

What kinds of features are included? The touch screen has an intuitive interface with simple icons so homeowners can easily navigate the security and home automation features, Kelly said. There’s a thermostat control feature and customers can get weather reports from the touch screen. The panel can send homeowners text or email notification of power outages, floods, fires, unlocked doors, windows or intruder entries. There’s also a feature where customers click an icon to reach Pinnacle’s customer service department. Pinnacle then calls back the customer. This will save the customer and Pinnacle time on hold and help Pinnacle streamline its customer service staffing, Walker said. There’s also a message marquee for messages from Pinnacle.

Dave Nark, product marketing manager GE Security intrusion Americas, said the product, called the “two-way talking touch screen,” was developed for the overall market, with input from Pinnacle. It “will bring together all the things a homeowner wants easy control over into one device,” he said. “Lighting, thermostat control, all the things homeowners interact with on a daily basis that were previously independent are brought together in one sleek, well designed user interface.”

The touchscreen can also be “white labeled with the channel partner’s name and logo,” he said. “Pinnacle’s name will appear on the screen, that’s something that’s customizable … in this case by making a changing a code in the software.”

Walker believes this new touch screen will help decrease attrition: “The more we can drive customers to the panel, give them a reason to arm and disarm the system that will have a large impact on attrition.”