Google,home security and the drones have opened up a world of possibility

Google has recently become known for snapping up fledgling companies. These are companies that seem to produce products that at first sight seem to have nothing to do with what we all regard as the main Google business model. This business model of course being the world’s largest and most popular search engine.

The Google algorithm has always been the most closely guarded secret and a complete mystery. However now perhaps an even bigger mystery is as to why would Google buy a home automation company and perhaps even more bizarre a company that manufactures solar powered drones.

The former is Nest. Nest has built its success on a cleverly designed thermostat that is controlled remotely through a smartphone app. It’s key selling point is it learns the behaviour of the home owner and  adjusts the temperature automatically helping reduce heating bills and suiting the customer’s needs.

In addition NEST has just released a smoke detector combined with a carbon monoxide detector that works in tandem with the thermostat. In essence Nest is Googles entrance into the home automation market, but is this where it stops?

Titan Aerospace is another recent acquisition, Titan develops solar-powered unmanned aircraft. These flying inventions are able to remain airborne for months, even years and their purpose is to beam wireless signals back to the ground. This solar plane brings endless possibilities but the foremost is internet for the millions in the developing world. This is a clear strategic aim.

How then does this relate to security?

Well home automation is now very much linked to home security, intelligent door locks and self-monitoring CCTV systems can all be integrated together under a home automation package. All the features are accessible through smartphones and information retrieved and sent through the App. Now with the drone technology opening up huge new areas of internet coverage, every home on the planet can be protected and automated.

Even more intriguing and perhaps a little worrying is all this information will be flooding to and fro via the Google cloud. The internet giant will be able to profile each household and as a result direct its unique form of advertising to pretty much everyone…… and with worldwide coverage and a virtual foot inside everyone’s door Google will become an even greater force in all of our lives.

 

 

 

 

HD CCTV, maintenance and deterrent

Maintenance has always been a critical part of ensuring that a HD CCTV system operates correctly and gives the optimum picture quality at all times. It is easy to forget that a CCTV is a 24 hour seven day a week 356 day of the year operating system. Not many other products are asked to perform such a task so it is no surprise that it needs looking after. CCTV monitors are often at the forefront of problems. Too many companies simply sell monitors that are not fit for purpose and quickly burn out as a result. The same can be said for the cameras. It is so easy to go on line and buy Chinese manufactured products at a fraction of the price of some of the bigger more proven makes on the market. It is as always the same story though . You will get what you pay for . So either you have a system that has constant blank images on the split screens where cameras have gone down or you pay a lot of money calling out engineers to mend what you have.

Alternatively of course you can buy quality goods. A good example of this is when we talk about HD products is one of the best products on the market right now for both quality and reliability. It  is the HD Predator by 360 vision.

This camera is unique to the market place and has some fantastic features. You can have IR ,white light as well as HD and what is more you get multiple views from this camera . The camera concentrates on deterrent and crime prevention as its main selling point and below is an excerpt from the 360 website describing the benefits. Prevention is always better than cure . Any act of theft or vandalism that is prevented and this ultimately pays of the capital cost of the CCTV system. So what can the Predator do for you?

In the words of 360 themselves “The Patented Combined IR/White Light Technology on the 360 Vision “Predator” Rugged Camera range is widely recognised to be off a massive financial benefit in relation to its deterrent nature.

Security Managers have spent hours and hours trawling through pre-recorded video footage after an incident has occurred trying to locate relevant small sections to the respective incidents.

However, it is widely established that combined IR/White Light Technology deters many breaches of security occurring in the first place, there by eradicating the need for expensive, labour intensive post event video searches.

An aspect most prudent Senior Security Managers in Local Authorities, Blue Chip Companies and Public Utilities readily recognise the benefit, especially during the current tough economic climate.”

So going back to the subject of maintenance we know that buying a quality product will reduce costs in the long run. Buying HD will increase the value of the system to the end user and produce results worthy of the initial cost of the system. Combining the two and adding deterrent features will give you the best value in the long run.

 

 

CCTV lighting plan

What ever form of lighting you chose to compliment your HD CCTV system it is crucial to think hard about your CCTV lighting plan before you deploy any security system. The thought and planning required needs to be considered with the same level of thought as you would apply when you choose your  cameras and your recording solution.
An HD CCTV system without either an ir illuminator or White light LED’s is not going to work . One requires the other.  Without white lighting you will not see anything because HD CCTV is far more sensitive to light levels than analogue. This seems to be a point that installers seem to forget to let their customers know when selling HD CCTV. Ambient lighting will help but will not be sufficient. Once again we reiterate get your CCTV lighting plan right.
Camera manufacturers are including IR illuminator LED’s within their camera unit itself in an effort to ensure pictures are usable at night. Although the pictures will be improved it is not the solution because although these cameras work well  there is always a scenario where a White light illuminator will be needed, this is of course where colour images at night are important.
So don’t forget your CCTV lighting plan when designing HD CCTV systems and think White light illuminator for colour images at night and IR illuminators with dual chip cameras for covert lighting. Whichever way you design a CCTV system, the CCTV lighting plan is probably as important as the camera system design itself. Clarius illuminators or Raytec are the market leaders.

 

Are you a factory manager? Then read this. Clarius Illuminators for all your lighting needs

We recently visited a site that had just had over 100 of their cameras either upgraded to HD or their existing cameras linked into an Avigilon software platform. The upgrade was designed to and sold to allow them better image quality both day and night. This is where the problems began because there was no doubt that the daytime images had been improved beyond all expectation. The HD cameras provided amazing clarity and crystal clear pictures, there is a but though, these pictures were only of any use during the day.

At night the decline in the image quality was remarkable, although the cameras were dual chip and had adaptive IR, the pictures just did not live up to the customers expectations. Dark, blurred and grainy would be the best description and it seemed to be in areas where light was clearly present.

The issue of course is where before the customers analogue cameras would work to a much lower LUX level his perception of the new images was that they were not good and rightly so.

The solution was simple and cost effective. His maintenance department was in the the process of replacing some of the older sodium and Halogen lighting and having been recommended Clarius white light illuminators as a way of providing good working lighting for their employees they decided to take this route across the factory. This lighting on our recommendation was also added into the areas where the camera pictures had deteriorated.

The results were stunning not only did the pictures improve dramatically but they remained in colour. This was something that had always been important to the customer and he was delighted with the results.

The best part though is the Clarius illuminators were very easy to install. Available in 12volt, 24v or POE using existing mains supplies and powering the PSU locally to the light or just picking up from a local IP switch makes installation quick and efficient. A built in PEC means they only operate when needed reducing power consumption even further.

The ongoing cost of lighting has been reduced dramatically and the Clarius illuminators will need little or no maintenance over the next 10 years or so. No more cherry pickers and wasted days changing bulbs.

So if you are a company who is considering lighting upgrades either for security reasons or you just have a programme to replace old halogen lighting then look no further than the Clarius illuminators.