IP Camera Systems and Surveillance Blog

Technology Review of 2020

Posted on December 31, 2020January 24, 2021 by Bob Mesnik

Is there anything nice we can say about 2020? Not much except maybe, I don’t think murder hornets killed anyone. It certainly was a challenging year, and we are all happy to say goodbye.

It was a year of the pandemic and of science finding vaccines in record-breaking time. It was a year where we worked at home and discovered we could do this anywhere in the world. It caused an upheaval in the real estate market as we moved out of big cities and corporations downsized. SpaceX changed how we went to space, and engineers developed face recognition panels that checked our temperature as we entered the building.

This article reviews some of the technology for the security and surveillance market introduced in 2020.

Comparison of Commercial IP Camera Systems and Home Cameras

Posted on December 27, 2020March 24, 2025 by Bob Mesnik

Comparison of IP Camera Systems

What’s the difference between a home surveillance camera and a commercial IP camera system used in schools, office buildings, and hospitals?

Home IP Cameras cost between $20 and $100, while the professional IP cameras range from $150 to over $2,000. There is a difference. This article compares the capability you should expect from a home camera versus a commercial surveillance IP camera system.

Technical Jokes and Cartoons-71

Posted on December 14, 2020December 24, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

A guy spots a sign outside a house that reads “Talking Dog for Sale.” Intrigued, he walks in.

“So, what have you done with your life?” he asks the dog.

“I’ve led a very full life,” says the dog. “I lived in the Alps rescuing avalanche victims. Then I served my country in Iraq. And now I spend my days reading to the residents of a retirement home.”

The guy is flabbergasted. He asks the dog’s owner, “Why on Earth would you want to get rid of an incredible dog like that?”

The owner says, “Because he’s a liar! He never did any of that!”

You might not recognize one of the holidays. Hogswatch Night was created by Terry Pratchett, who is one of my favorite authors

IP Paging Systems Provide Advanced Functionality

Posted on December 8, 2020December 24, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

This is Not Your Father’s Paging System

Paging systems have changed over the years. Remember the old days when the principal would make announcements on that old PA system. You were lucky to hear anything that was said.

The principal had a microphone attached to a clunky amplifier. It had a large knob that adjusted the volume. All the speakers were wired to this central amplifier. Many of these old paging systems have reached end-of-life, and people are looking for replacements.

The world of paging systems has changed. Now, it’s all digital. This evolution has made paging systems much simpler to install and provide new functions that were not available in the older systems.

Access Control Systems Good Practices

Posted on December 1, 2020June 25, 2021 by Bob Mesnik

Installation Practices for Door Access Control Systems

There are several things to consider when selecting and installing a door access control system.

These safer practices increase the overall security of the system.

System security starts with the correct type of door-reader and secure wiring. It requires the right electric lock and an exit methodology for maglocks. It is also essential to select the right management software and additional security and safety features.

Technical Jokes and Cartoons-70

Posted on November 15, 2020November 19, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

Two young boys walked into a pharmacy one day, picked out a box of tampons, and proceeded to the checkout counter.

The pharmacist at the counter asked the older boy, ‘Son, how old are you?’

‘Eight,’ the boy replied.

The man continued, ‘Do you know what these are used for?’

The boy replied, ‘Not exactly, but they aren’t for me. They’re for him. He’s my brother. He’s four.”

“Oh, really?” the pharmacist replied with a grin.

“Yes.” the boy said. “We saw on TV that if you use these, you would be able to swim, play tennis and ride a bike. Right now, he can’t do none of those.”

Face Recognition and other Technologies for Disease Mitigation

Posted on November 9, 2020November 9, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

Review of the Technologies that Help in a Pandemic

So is face recognition good or bad? Does it invade our privacy, or does it make us more secure? Facial recognition has had a difficult time in the market. When it was first introduced, it was a promising technology, but it was costly. Over the last few years, the price has become more reasonable, yet this biometric technology faced many challenges. There were concerns of reliability, and more recently, it was attacked for impinging on our privacy.

Access Control Enhanced With Intercoms

Posted on October 30, 2020June 25, 2021 by Bob Mesnik

How to Control Visitors

An access control system allows people with a credential to enter, but what happens when a visitor comes to the door? One easy way to handle the visitor is to add an IP intercom. An IP camera, and some additional software, can be added to provide a safe way to allow visitors to enter. This article describes how you can enhance your access control system.

Technical Jokes and Cartoons-69

Posted on October 11, 2020December 28, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

An art student got tired of working at a fast-food restaurant and decided to get a job working as a laborer at a construction site.

Being an over-confident arts student, he soon began to brag to the other workers about all sorts of things.

One day he decided to brag that he could outdo anyone in a feat of strength. He made a special case of making fun of the senior engineer on the site. After several minutes, the engineer had had enough.

How a Power Supply Works

Posted on October 9, 2020December 28, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

Access Control, IP Cameras, and Intercoms Need Power Supplies

Designing a power supply is one of the first electrical engineering tasks I did in college. I remember those days. We learned many things, such as don’t drink a lot of beer before the lab class. Don’t put your finger in the electric socket. Always try to guess what’s on the test. And, stay away from courses about antennas because they were terrifying.

Power supplies are in computers, IP cameras, access control systems, IP paging, and intercoms. It is one of the most underrated components of a computer system. When you specify a computer, you think about the processor speed, the memory, storage, and display card. The power supply is never considered. Of course, if it fails, none of the other components will work. Sometimes it’s the most unsophisticated part of the system that is the most important. Does anyone remember the old joke about the argument between the various parts of the body*?

This article describes how a power supply works and some things you should consider when purchasing a power supply.