Surveillance In Your Own Home
Copyright © 2006 Todd Concklin
Concklin Internet Affiliates
http://www.safe-tcam.com

Hidden cameras have reached such a sophisticated level that they
can operate in almost any environment and are becoming
increasingly difficult to detect. Not only is this surveillance
device increasingly versatile, it has become increasingly
affordable. Now surveillance devices such as the button camera is
not simply stuff of spy movies and it has become cheap enough to
be used anywhere at anytime.

Long ago, surveillance cameras were bulky or too expensive to be
an effective device to monitor a person's home or office. Now
with the use of wireless devices and improved optical technology,
cameras have become an effective way of keeping an eye on your
property and eliminating the need to rely on your neighbor to
"keep an eye on things."; Several environments that
people benefit from hidden cameras have been the family home or
at the office/business premises.

Spy Camera Development

The use of surveillance cameras has increased, particularly in
public places, and their effectiveness is clearly seen everyday
in news reports. How many times has viewers seen footage taken
from security camera showing illegal acts taking place? Who could
forget the incident in 2002 when a mother hit her four-year-old
child in the car park of a department store after checking to see
if anyone was watching. There was someone watching, but the
witness was sitting in front of a monitor in a remote location
studying the activity on one of the many cameras installed around
the parking lot. That footage ultimately spread around the
world.

Surveillance cameras have been used increasingly by law
enforcement and the media. In this decade, with the help of
advanced miniaturization technology, surveillance footage has
become a powerful tool in the fight against illegal activity.
It's hard for a criminal "caught in the act" on video to deny
what they've done.

Now cameras are becoming increasingly common in public areas. Why
not have those same levels of security in your own private
space?

The rise of the use of hidden camera has resulted in several
privacy groups raising concerns about the use of the hidden
cameras, claiming it is an invasion of privacy. Dana Hawkins and
Margaret Mannix wrote in an article published at the National
Workrights Institute, that hidden cameras have become a
significant threat to people's private space:

"Technological advances and the spread of online discourse and
commerce have led to ever more pervasive intrusions into our
private lives: hidden cameras in bathrooms, the explosion of
random urinalysis by companies and schools, and parents and
spouses installing surveillance software on their home PCs to
catch cybershenanigans. (Hawkins and Mannix, 2000)"

Much of the debate on the hidden camera has been on its use in
public space, or in private space where the owner is unaware of
the surveillance.

Hidden Cameras Available

The hidden camera is now also extremely versatile. For example at
www.safe-tcam.com, a business specializing in surveillance equipment, they sell over 70 everyday objects that conceals a camera. Hidden cameras
are available in products from soft animals, to keep a watchful
eye over children and their sitters, to smoke detectors and
briefcases for the office environment. Video doesn't lie.
Employees cannot deny theft or other misdeeds on the job when the
employer shows them the video.

There are even "dummy cameras" that look like the real thing.
They have blinking red LED lights and a real looking cable.
Mounted in plain sight, people think they are being observed and
act accordingly. They are a great low cost (around $30.00)
deterrent.

Hidden cameras are becoming increasingly popular because they are
easy to use and provide more security.

Using a Hidden Camera

When using a camera it is important to be smart as to where it
would be placed. Hidden cameras have improved in quality but have
limited remote maneuverability. It would be difficult and
expensive to cover every square inch of your house. It is smarter
to use a camera in areas where it would be most effective.

For nanny cameras it would be best to position a camera so it can
monitor such places as time out areas. For example, a troubled
child would regularly be sent to a time out area. By having a
camera keep track of these areas a parent can keep track of the
child's behavior and how a sitter might deal with that
behavior.

Remember most people you are attempting to keep an eye on have
already been invited into your home or office, so a hidden camera
in hallways or overlooking doorways would only capture limited
activity and may miss significant moments. Have cameras in
positions that clearly record activity around valuables in the
house.

Most cameras, especially the wireless ones, can be relocated
easily, so if you notice that things have been moved around in
your house, place a camera near those areas.

Todd Concklin
Concklin Internet Affiliates
PO Box 605
Montgomery, NY 12549

For more information on hidden cameras and their
applications, visit http://www.safe-tcam.com
or contact us at: info@safe-t-cam.com


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