IP Camera Systems and Surveillance Blog

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.

Integrating Access Control and Temperature Screening

Posted on September 27, 2020September 29, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

How to Integrate Temperature Scanning Biometrics with Access Control systems

Access control systems can be enhanced to increase safety by adding biometric (face and Palm) access credentials, temperature scanning, and mask detection. The biometric temperature scanning panels can be used by themselves or added to existing access control systems.

Integrating Access Control and Temperature Scanning

Why add biometric access control? Mostly because it provides better security. A card credential can be stolen, forgotten, or even copied. Even though my mother told me that I could lose my head if it weren’t attached to my shoulders, I’m sure that I will have my head (and face) when I get to work. The face recognition or palm readers provide a very secure way to provide identification. One other thing about biometrics is that you don’t have to purchase cards or keyfobs for all the people in your organization. A typical card credential can cost over $3/credential, so if you have 500 people in the organization, it can save you money.

Technical Jokes and Cartoons-68

Posted on September 18, 2020March 18, 2021 by Bob Mesnik

Giuseppe excitedly tells his mother he’s fallen in love and that he is going to get married.

He says, “Just for fun, Mama, I’m going to bring over three women, and you try and guess which one I’m going to marry.” The mother agrees.

The next day, he brings three beautiful women into the house, sits them down on the couch, and they chat for a while

He then says, “Okay, Mama, guess which one am I going to marry?”

Mama says immediately, “The one on the right.”

“That’s amazing, Mama. You’re right. How did you know?”

Mama replies: “I don’t like her.”–

IP Camera Systems Are Getting Smarter

Posted on September 7, 2020September 8, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

IP Cameras are getting very intelligent. Should we be worried?

There is a transformation taking place in IP Camera Systems. One that could change the way we think about surveillance.

The latest IP cameras are getting very smart. Smart enough to recognize different objects, such as people, vehicles, and animals. Intelligent enough to reduce false alarms, increase awareness and response time, and even deliver information for demographics (Business Intelligence) purposes.

The addition of Artificial Intelligence (AI) provides a much more effective and efficient IP camera system. This AI provides critical alarms and reduces the time it takes to review and find the vital video. This article reviews the new capability of IP surveillance cameras that include artificial intelligence.

I think that I shall never see
a computer made like me.