CCTV Cameras – With Live Monitoring

Having already made a few posts about our latest push to fill out our “city pages” for our Security Cameras in Texas. I just realized I had neglected to mention one of the coolest things from Texas that I have seen this week.

This cool thing is a video of an actual materials theft from a construction company. The theft was recorded by a CCTV monitoring firm. Yes a firm that monitors your security cameras in live time. That was of course no random thing as the construction company had contracted with a firm to insure that their CCTV security cameras were monitored in live time.

This live video monitoring works much like a traditional alarm system. When the intruder came over the fence the video monitoring company noticed the crime in progress and called the police. As you will see in the video the thief was caught red handed.

So if you have ever considered having your GeoVision security cameras monitored in live time, in Texas, or anywhere in the country then watch this video and perhaps you can imagine how a live CCTV monitoring service could work for you.

To request a qutoe to have your security cameras monitored you can call www.CameraSecurityNow.com at 877-422-1907

Litterbugs on CCTV in the UK

Ok, if you have read any of my past editorials on CCTV and Crime in the UK you may have picked up on my opinion that the UK has gone to far with their saturation of CCTV cameras across their little island. I have said that they have more cameras than they can afford to monitor. I have said that putting video surveillance in the hands of any government, is by the very nature of government, the most inefficient and at the same time dangerous thing to do. BUT there is a new idea coming out of the UK today that I just can’t help but like.

The likeable idea is using CCTV Security Cameras to fine litterbugs. Because if there is one thing I hate, outside of thugs, drug dealers, etc.. it’s litterbugs. It’s impossible to go anywhere here in the US without watching some one throw a cigarette butt on the ground, a sandwich wrapper out of their car window, or any amount of trash blow out of the bed of a pickup truck driving down the road in front of you.

Not that I have ever had the urge to hug a tree mind you. But the needless and senseless assault on our own communities at the hands of people who are so lazy and stupid that they lack the common sense of a dog who knows by instinct alone not to poop in it’s own cage, is more than I can take.

Apparently the Councils of Bournemouth and Poole will be giving this a try this summer. With their existing CCTV infrastructure, and even the cell phone video of the general public, they hope to catch and fine drivers who throw rubbish from their cars.

Though as one UK Council Leader pointed out: “This government’s law often doesn’t match what’s on the tin, and very often has unintended consequences.” I agree as from my past observations governments often care little about the practical ability to implement or enforce most new laws. That being my theory I am hopeful that trend will continue this time. Because of course I hate litterbugs that much.

So if you share my passion on this then please keep an eye out for any new information on the story. If you find any please stop back and leave me an update. Till then best of luck to my fellow litterbug haters in the UK.

Microsoft Volume Licensing

Just wanted to thank my friends at Xponex Media Services  for the nice job they did cleaning up all of our Microsoft pages on our Computer Service Now website.

They gave it all a nice navigation structure and added additional content to pages like those on Microsoft Volume Licensing.

The pictures and the updated Microsoft News box with links to our other pages ,such as the Microsoft AER Program, really bring a common theme and look to all the pages.

So ultimately this is just another example of using a web design company to get the job done so I can have more fun on other projects, like home remolding.

A Blog Too Far

Operation Market Garden comes to mind as I ponder the first post in my new Projector Blog. In particular I find myself focused on the bridge at Arnhem, which was of course the farthest point of the allied advance during the largest airborne operation of World War Two. If you are movie buff you will recognize the bridge at Arnhem as the subject of the 1970’s movie “A Bridge Too Far”. Which brings me back to my concern over this new blog: Is this a blog too far?

If we had more time or more troops we might be able to take that bridge… I mean if we had more man hours from a larger staff of writers we might be able to keep this blog active, but as it stands I fear for the worst.

Perhaps if we give it a good try 30 Corp. will break through and relieve us before we are completely overrun. If I only had Sean Connery, Anthony Hopkins and Gene Hackman leading the attack on the blog I might feel better.

But as it stands it’s just Alex Solis, Kyle Thompson, Bill Rogers, and myself. Also for the record, even in the movie, Robert Redford, Ryan O’Neal and Elliot Gould were not enough to save the day… So here it goes anyway.  LOL 

Marketing Computer Service – The Fun Side

As most of you know, I am a Technical Writer for
Xponex Media Service. My days are often spent writing about some rather dry material. Even though I am a former technician / computer hobbyist, and still do a good deal of consulting for both the computer service and security camera industries, even I find it hard to get over-joyed about theMicrosoft Education Reseller program.

However there are a few things I have always enjoyed about my employers attitude. That is they believe, as do I, that to do something well, and especially marketing, that you must be able to do it or present it in a way that you find enjoyable. Because after all, if that fun is not there for you, it will show in your work and the product of that work will suffer.

This of course leads me to the reason I chose to call this article “Marketing Computer Service – The Fun Side”. The reason is simple. This project we are on for Computer Service Now allows me to write content using my imagination. No one tells me not to mention famous quotes from history, no one tells me not to let my imagination run wild, and most importantly no one tells me to stick to the dry facts.

If you look at the recent pages I have written for California Computer Service, Illinois Computer Service, New Jersey Computer Service, Illinois Computer Service or even
Texas Computer Service, I hope that you can tell I enjoyed creating that content.

Enjoyment in ones work, to me at least, really makes the day goes fast. On the down side, as there is always more work to do, having the day go by so fast can be a bit depressing.

So if you have any free time I hope you visit our recent project for our favorite Nationwide Computer Service Company and take a minute to see if you can tell what is still “dry facts” and what I had fun with.

WiMax – Nothing big is ever easy.

I just came across an old post by my co-worker Alexander Solis from last October. Alexander wrote a little WiMax Primer on our Computer Service Blog.

 One of the first lines in that post mentioned that WiMax should be hitting big in 2008. So wanting to see how “big” it had gotten I started to do some more research. Of course the first thing I notice is that several months after Alexander’s post there was a big problem between the two major WiMax players. (Those players of course being Sprint and Clearwire.) It appears that late last year Sprint lost their CEO and WiMax champion, ultimately putting the billion dollar deal in a tail spin.

However within the last few weeks it looks as if new hope on the horizon, as Intel has agreed to kick in two billion dollars to get his big project going. So all is not lost when it comes to the dream of roaming the country on a super fast high speed wireless network, but it may be the only big WiMax thing that happens this year is more talk and more back room deals.

Cheap Consumer Technology Victim

What CCTV Is Beginning To Stand For: Cheap Consumer Technology Victim

A new acronym I just came up with  that describes how today’s security minded public is falling for low cost video surveillance solutions, pushed by the nations largest retailers, that are little more than toys.

If some of you think I am being to harsh then consider the cost of a Play Station 3 at roughly $499. Then put yourself in my shoes and listen to the calls I take each week from customers who tell me how badly they need a security system at their home or office and yet balk at spending more on a Digital Video Recorder than they would have spent on a game system.

So bad has this become that I recently visited the website of one of the above mentioned toy pushers to take a look at what sort of camera systems they were selling these days. This site just so happens to belong to the nation’s fourth largest retailer.  Using their store search bar I type in the words “CCTV” and the site comes back with one lone result: that being a Suzuki Concertino Collection Trumpet.

When I changed the search to “security cameras” I did get an entire page of results, an entire page of Digital Cameras.

But if you look hard enough on their site you will find what you are looking for, and once you manage to get to the right spot you can’t help but notice they sell an almost complete 4 camera “security system” for as little as $299. (Offer valid through Feb 22 and reqires a coupon) Again judging by the calls I take from customers looking for help getting these system installed they sell quite a few.

I did learn something about this company’s target market the other day when I was speaking to a lady who told me she saw an entire 6 camera system installed for less than $1,000. When I politely explained to the caller that you need to be careful when buying security cameras that are that cheap she replied: “What do I care what the picture looks like?”. In my opinion this lady was a Cheap Consumer Technology Victim waiting to happen.

I did see on their web page that this giant retailer had one of their security systems featured on the Today Show just 4 days ago. I quickly followed the link to see this great product. Though I wish I could say I was surprised I was not, as the page for this great product simply read “This product is no longer available”. But even if the product were there I would imagine this disclaimer , and it’s implications, listed on the bottom of the page would go unnoticed more times than not: “UnNamedBigReatilStore.com offers merchandise which complements our warehouse product selection. Therefore, most items available on our web site are unique to UnNamedBigReatilStore.com.”

In case you don’t see the problem with that let me explain it. They are saying that they are selling what they have in stock. That it may be uniquely sold by them, and if you ever want to buy a compatible unit, or parts at a later time, don’t get your hopes up because these may be one of a kind systems. Again pardon me if I am being insensitive but who would read that and say “yep sounds good, lets buy that camera system”?

So as more and more of the American media and the American consumer fall victim to this mindset that a video security system can be had for less than the cost of a Play Station 3, I can’t help but be disappointed by the thought that these some day once tragedy strikes these people will  learn the hard way how worthless their video surveillance systems actually are.

*In the spirit of full disclosure Andy Wendt is a writer for Xopnex Media Services and Camera Security Now

Miami Security Cameras

This post is my personal welcome aboard to our new partner in the Miami Security Camera business.  That partner is Spencer Udell with Stealth Security Solutions. Spencer is our new Miami CCTV Security Systems installer and he covers the entire south Florida area. With this new partnership your CameraSecurityNow.com GeoVision DVR system can be locally installed by an experienced professional.

To learn more about this new partnership and our Miami Security Camera systems visit my Miami CCTV web page.

The Birth of the Middletown Fire Department

Technology and history have been both my hobbies and my main source of employment now for well over 25 years. So you can imagine my interest in locally produced videos on topics such as the History of the Middletown Fire Department.

Though I lack any experience in video I truly appreciate the work and effort that local fireman and videographer David Von Bargen has put into this excellent video linked below. In this seventeen minute video David takes us though some early history of Middletown and the birth of the Local 336 Fire Fighters Association.

I understand that David is working on a new video using interviews from retired Middletown Fireman who were present at one of Middletown’s largest fires on rerecord. That sounds very interesting and hopefully that project will be completed shortly.

To read more about Middletown visit the Middletown Ohio Community Website and follow this link to see David’s video on The History of the Middletown Fire Department.

Spineless Yahoo Sends Two Innocent Men To Jail

Though I would much prefer to keep on the lighter side this issue needs all the attention we can give it. Earlier this week members of Congress showed no mercy to Yahoo Chief Executive Jerry Yang whose firm has been blamed for the imprisonment of two innocent pro-democracy advocates in China. 

You see in China there is no concept of the internet being an open and free medium on which to exchange ideas. As evidence of this just do some quick reading on The Great Firewall of China. Instead the internet is looked upon as just another tool by which to monitor and arrest those who speak out against that state. The two men mentioned above, both Chinese nationals and monks I believe, were arrested and sentenced to ten years in prison for leaking “state secrets”–namely, forwarding an e-mail that detailed press suppression to an overseas advocacy group. The mention of such a subject was in itself a violation of Chinese law.

Congress called Yahoos actions “spineless and irresponsible” and to that I must agree 100%. But in a larger sense I think we as members of “the free world” must accept some responsibility and we must realize that despite our efforts to be better global citizens we have looked at China through a blind eye.

We as a society shun those who are not friendly to the environment, we boycott those accused of employing slave labor, we protest against those who might be perceived to be restricting our freedoms, yet we ignore the constant repression of an entire people. How can we be so blind? How can we be so hypocritical? How can we hide our heads in the sand and think that these problems will not affect us some day? How can we not see that our own addiction to cheap and deadly Chinese goods only serves to empower one of the largest police states to ever exist.

You see a real Police State such as China, that is so willing to deny basic human rights to its own people, will not hesitate to act in it’s own interest in a much broader scale regardless of the consequences to others. So while we bide our time in this self induced state of denial the Chinese Police State grows ever stronger and we, the entire free world, become ever more dependant and closer to our day of reckoning.