Choosing a Wireless Hidden Camera

On the subject of deciding on a wireless hidden camera system, there are several issues that should be considered. With the incredible selection that is accessible throughout the marketplace today, it's vital you have a good concept of exactly what you need.

What type of camera do I need?

With the assortment of hidden cameras out there, picture the environment in which the camera will likely be placed. If you would like it to oversee the nanny, then a wall clock, digital picture frame, or mantle clock may be proper. If you might be looking over workers, then maybe a good industrial-style wall clock or electrical box might fit in. Covert cameras appear in a number of styles and sizes and are constructed in a number of well-made disguises. These disguises have to blend into your setting so as not to draw interest from prying eyes.

Transmission Range

Wireless video cameras operate by transferring information to a receiver via a wireless transmission. Unless it includes an internal recording device, the range of transmission can be 50 feet to hundreds of feet, dependent upon the signal strength. Be sure to purchase a device which provides adequate range to accommodate your necessities, but don't spend cash on an extended range system if you do not require it.

All-Inclusive?

Most systems available on the market have a corresponding receiver. Normally it's a bundle. Nevertheless, before jumping into a wireless camera system purchase, be certain that it comes with everything you need.  If a camera seems like a wonderful deal it may just be because the receiver is not included, or it may be sub-standard equipment made with cheap components that won't last.

Resolution

The resolution is calculated in horizontal by vertical pixel lines. 640 x 480 is standard VGA and is satisfactory, but anything larger than that is more effective. Also know that there is a difference between camera resolution and recording resolution. If a system claims to record at 720P HD (1280 x 720), but the camera is a 380TVL (television line) camera, then this "high definition" claim is merely interpolated. The system will "blow up" the pixels to fill the 720-line frame, which actually decreases the resolution.

Go with Quality

The SleuthGear Covert Wireless line of hidden cameras are absolute top of the line devices, meet or exceed all the criteria you would ever need, and are the best security camera system to use if you require a covert aspect in conjunction with a wireless application. They are available with your choice of RCA, USB, or IP receiver. Learn more about the SleuthGear Complete Wireless Covert line of professional-grade hidden camera systems.

Monitor your Children or Teen's iPhone or Android Smart Phone Activity

Can you remember the days (I'm talking early 80's here folks...I'm not really that old!) when we could only go as far away from the phone as the old coil-type telephone cord would stretch? I recall begging my Mother to buy an extra lengthy cord so I might get a little bit of privacy while speaking to my girlfriend for hours on end every evening. Although it was an eyesore, hanging all the way to the floor and coiling and tangling itself up, she purchased one for me because she respected my privacy. Even though I had it stretched to its maximum length so I could lay down on the floor in the other room in hopes that nobody could listen to my slushy conversations, Mom nevertheless had a rather good grasp on what was going on in my life.

Fast-forward to 2011. What was earmarked only for the affluent back in our day is now in the palm of our children's hands! There are so many ways for them to get in touch with virtually anyone, it's difficult to even list them. First it was chat rooms, then it was MySpace, then Facebook, then cellular phones and text messages. Then around came "smart phones", which put ALL OF THE ABOVE directly in the palm of their hand. We've come a long way from the telephone cord stretched around the doorway into the other room! With these free lines of communication from virtually (no pun intended) ANYONE directly to your son or daughter, it's more crucial than ever for we parents to have a handle on what is actually going on in our teenagers lives, in respect to smart phone usage.

The individuals in my family are iphone owners, so the product I use functions specifically with Apple iPhones, but there are equivalent products for other kinds of smart phones. Specifically, there is a Droid version. I wanted to get the word out simply because there are not many of these variety of devices that do work together with iPhone, and from practical experience, testing, and recommendations, this one is the very best. So if you're a concerned parent that would like to learn how to spy on iPhone users, read on.

It's called the iRecovery Stick - but does much more than that. Here's how it operates. With the iPhone connected to a computer (which is a very unsuspecting place, as this is where it is usually connected to charge), plug the iPhone Recovery Stick right into a free USB port on the same computer. The process of recovery is going to take a couple to several hours depending on the memory size of the iPhone and just how much data is actually on it, so it's best to do this overnight. Once complete, what you get is an organized display of the recovery of any deleted data, text messages, contacts, call history, internet history, calendar entries, and GPS data points. A quick note about GPS. I am not sure if you are knowledgeable with the massive media blitz concerning iPhone saving GPS data points on iPhone. Some customers were outraged that the iPhone was storing this data (which is only recoverable via forensic computer software, such as the iPhone Recovery Stick), but it got so much unfavorable media attention recently (May 2011) that Apple promptly retaliated with an update to their operating system (iOS 4.3.3) that did away with the logging of GPS data feature. Therefore, if the iPhone is running any iOS previous to 4.3.3 (e.g. 4.3.2 or earlier) the GPS data can be retrieved. If it has been updated to 4.3.3, it does not. I also want to speak a bit about iPhone memory and the recovery of erased information. Such as a computer, even though you delete something, it isn't truly deleted unless the hard drive is completely wiped or if the data is overwritten. If neither of these things has happened, the data may be recovered. Thus, the more current the data, the more likely it is to be recovered. Don't expect you'll run a recovery on an iPhone and get deleted text messages from years earlier. It is possible, but I wanted to discuss that subject!

For you Android customers out there, there's even a Android Smart Phone Spy version!

Wireless Hidden Camera Systems

For easy set up of your home or business surveillance system, you can't beat the convenience of a wireless hidden camera system. Having no wires visible adds to the covertness, and you save the hassle of running wires through walls, over ceilings, and under floors. A wireless camera consists of a camera with a transmitter and a separate receiver which attaches to your TV for real time monitoring or a recording device, be it a digital video recorder (DVR) or video cassette recorder (VCR). There are also models that, rather than having a transmitter and receiver, have a DVR built in, and usually records the covert video to a secure digital (SD) card (some models use micro SD).

To make it 'hidden', the camera is built into an existing everyday object that you would usually see in your home or business. Some popular items are wall clocks, alarm clocks, digital picture frames, lamps, plants, teddy bears, air purifiers and more. A wireless camera can be tailored to fit into your home or business, and since it looks natural being plugged in the wall there is no need to disguise the power cord.


Typical applications:

- "Nanny cameras" are becoming more and more popular in helping parents. You can keep an "eye" on your children while you're away and they are under the care of a nanny or baby sitter. Now, if your child is injured you'll know exactly what happened, and you'll see exactly how your nanny treats your children!

- Is the cash register coming up short lately? Install a covert camera and find out what's really going on!

- Going on a week-long cruise and leaving the teenagers at home? Find out how they treated your home while you were away.

- Keep an eye on the repair man doing work in your home.

- Make sure your housekeeper is really doing her job.

- Keep an eye on your pets.

- Possibilities are endless.

The bottom line is that a quality wireless hidden camera is going to show you what the REAL story is when you are away.


Benefits of a wireless hidden camera system:

- Portability. It can be moved easily. You can even take it on vacation! Watch your children during the day and watch your front door at night. Move the receiver and watch from any room in the house!

- Evidence. A camera lens doesn't lie! Most of the laws dealing with video recording privacy issues tend to allow covert recording and monitoring of video activity under most circumstances without notification of any of the parties involved. The footage is also admissible as evidence in a court of law in most cases. Did you know that the arrest rate for burglaries is 15%? Help raise that statistic.

Always check your local laws before purchasing and using covert video equipment.

Learn more and see some specifications on the top of the line SleuthGear wireless hidden camera systems - now with IP technology.

SD Card Speed Class

Many of our products come equipped with a built-in DVR that records to an SD card. For these devices we recommend a class 6 or better SD card. Here's why:

There are two types of SD Card Speed Class, "Speed Class" and "UHS Speed Class". "Speed Class" cards are classified as either class 2, 4, 6, or 10 (based on their speed class - class 2 is 2Mb/s, class 4 is 4Mb/s, and so on) and are designated for normal and high-speed bus interface, while "UHS Speed Class" 1 is currently the fastest performance category and defines bus interface speeds of up to 312 megabytes per second, and are used only for SDHC and SDXC devices (none of our products are SDXC yet, while any of our units that accept 16GB or 32GB cards are SDHC compatible).

In standard flash memory, transfer speeds are variable, which makes it difficult to reliable record streaming content (like video) because it required a writing speed that is constant. Speed Class provides this constant that is required for the capturing of video because it designates a minimum writing performance so that speed is guaranteed for devices with video recording capabilities.

Notice on the chart below that class 2 is designated for standard definition recording and classes 4 and 6 are designated for high definition recording. Since most of our products are exceed VGA resolution and most are now high definition, we recommend class 6 for our recording devices. This is because the card memory is divided into units, and the recording devices write data onto memory units where no data is stored. Over time, available memory again divides into smaller memory units, which leads to fragmented storage. As more and more fragmentation occurs, write speeds become reduced. Thus, faster speeds help to compensate for fragmentation.

When purchasing an SD/SDHC card, speed logos are provided to identify the cards that comply with these standards (see logos in the chart below).

Image courtesy of the SD Association

Michigan State Police Need a Cell Phone RECON!

While some other cell phone data recovery devices are making the news, the Cell Phone RECON from JLM Security Products is the ONLY cell phone data recovery device that supports continuous data recovery.

The Cell Phone RECON is an online solution that is software-based and requires physical possession of the phone only once. After this initial software install, it allows you to covertly monitor all the activities on your cell phone. It will log all calls (incoming and outgoing), log all text messages (incoming and outgoing), log all e-mail (incoming and outgoing), and track the phone’s location via GPS. The data can be stored for up to 5 years!

All this with a surprisingly low price tag makes it an obvious choice – maybe should be the choice of some State Police and other law enforcement agencies we’ve heard about?

Learn more about Cell Phone RECON and see what it can do for you!