HowToSurveillance Blog

China Daily reports that a mass public surveillance system of 250,000 security cameras will be installed over the next two years in Wuhan, China:

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I recently installed a Foscam FI8918 IP camera and after installing the software on my Windows 7 PC noticed that the shortcut created by the installation program (for the IP Camera Tool) on the desktop didn’t seem to work. I kept clicking on the shortcut but the IP Camera Tool (used to detect the Foscam camera on your network) would not start at all.

This is apparently due to the installation software creating the shortcut on the desktop with a path pointing to C:\Windows\System32\IPCamera.exe which is the path you want for a 32-bit operating system. However, if you have a 64-bit version of Windows 7 the appropriate path is C:\Windows\SysWOW64\IPCamera.exe.

After navigating to the SysWOW64 folder I located the IPCamera.exe file and right-clicked to create a shortcut on the desktop (with the correct path of C:\Windows\SysWOW64\IPCamera.exe).

I was then able to click on the desktop shortcut to start the IP Camera Tool program which assisted in me in finding the settings for the camera.

This is one of those little quirks in the world of IP camera installation (of which there are many right now) so I wanted to get this out there in case others are experiencing it.

By the way, this problem and the solution to it is described near the back of the User Manual (on page 43). They really ought to put this near the beginning of the manual!

After some work on the network settings and router port forwarding I did get the camera to function just fine and am now enjoying this IP camera.

WTVA.com reports: “According to local security system companies more-and-more people are installing security systems in their homes, but now surveillance is being used like never before.”

“We’re used to seeing security cameras in places of business as a deterrent against shoplifting or robberies but now more than ever, residents are calling wanting the same service.”

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In Ramsgate, England a man was caught on video surveillance violently swinging a cat by its tail. The man (who apparently has issues with cats) has turned himself in to authorities who are investigating.

CNBC indicates that due to the flooding in Thailand (a major producer of the worlds hard drives), shipments of computers may be delayed. While the article from CNBC focuses mainly on PCs, the hard drive shortage may also have an impact on pricing and availability of security camera DVRs which utilize hard drives for storage.

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From KENS5.com San Antonio: A home security camera system provides video surveillance of a criminal casing a neighborhood prior to thefts. This information is being used to help police identify the perpetrator(s).

Security camera maintenance is important in order to get the best image quality for your video surveillance. Be sure to inspect and clean security cameras every 6 months (or more) for dirt build up, especially on the lens. Obstructions on the lens, such as dirt, spider webs, etc. can cause false alarms to trigger video recording thereby squandering memory storage resources.

Bugs tend to be attracted to heat sources, such as security cameras as shown in the photo.

From twice.com: “Swann, a manufacturer of security monitoring products, introduced this week its first high definition wearable video camera with a detachable LCD viewer. Dubbed the Swann Freestyle HD (available now at a $280 suggested retail), the video camera records 1080p video and up to 8-megapixel JPEG still images, using a 3x digital zoom lens.”

Sounds like a fun camera for the outdoor enthusiast who wants to record their travels and adventures.

The take-anywhere camera, is weather resistant and can be positioned for hands-free action shooting.
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From WSVN news: Surveillance cameras captured the thefts in progress outside the NDT Solutions in Hollywood.

Thieves stole an air conditioning unit (apparently for the copper wire and metal) and were not deterred by being potentially electrocuted. What makes this interesting is that the thieves appeared to be a mom, dad, and their child (along with what is possibly their dog). This gives new meaning to the concept of family night out! Thieves across the country are stealing copper due to soaring metal prices and the broken economy.

To add insult to injury, a few days later, a man seen on a bike scavenges the remnants of copper wiring from the scene!
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From Sacramento Bee: “Farmer owners use RADWIN 2000 to protect their livestock, and game farmers use live video to monitor poaching and to protect endangered species. RADWIN’s systems transmit video with excellent image quality, and their rugged reliability and advanced technologies enable them to operate flawlessly in non line-of-sight and severe weather. This makes them the best video transmission solution available in the market today.”

Some of the systems are claimed to be able to transmit video over a 300 km range.

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