IP Camera Systems and Surveillance Blog

Security Provided by Access Control Systems

Posted on March 19, 2018March 31, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

What You Can Do to Improve Security

With all the gun-related tragedies at schools and other facilities, what can we do to increase our security? Securing your facility, school, sporting events, or concerts have become more complicated.

IP camera systems used to be enough to monitor the facility, but today we want to do a lot more. We want to prevent unauthorized access to our buildings, prevent people from bringing in weapons, and we want to provide campus-wide paging systems that keep everyone informed of any emergency.

Access control systems include more than just a door reader. They can include intercoms, cameras and even walk-through metal detectors. Each of these security systems adds another level of safety. The different components play unique roles in your overall security. This article reviews the various parts and when to use them. It provides guidance about what technology to use and an overview of how they work.

How Walk-Through Metal Detectors Work

Posted on March 9, 2018March 31, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

Anyone who has traveled by airplane has probably gone through a walk-through metal detector. These security devices have also been used in schools, sporting events, government offices, and concerts. They are part of a total security system that includes cameras, door access control, and emergency paging systems.

Metal detectors are effective and safe. Just like IP cameras and door access control, they add to your safety and security. Here’s how they work.

The Science Behind Metal Detectors

The metal detector utilizes the laws described by a Scottish physicist named James Clerk Maxwell (1831–1879). He discovered that magnetism and electricity are related. An example of the relationship is a coil of copper wire wrapped around a metal nail. When current is applied to the coil, the metal nail becomes magnetized.

When an electric pulse is sent through a coil of wire, it creates a magnetic field. When the field hits a metal object, it reflects back and can be detected using another coil of wire. The size and timing of the detected pulse is used to define the size and position of the object.

Technical Jokes and Cartoons-38

Posted on February 19, 2018March 20, 2021 by Bob Mesnik

Infinity – where no-one can get, but where all lines meet.

Some Puns:

Have you ever tried to eat a clock? It’s very time consuming.

The other day I held the door open for a clown. I thought it was a nice jester.

The meaning of opaque is unclear.

I used to have a fear of hurdles, but I got over it.

Did you know they won’t be making yardsticks any longer?

What is a thesaurus’s favorite dessert? Synonym buns.

Technical Jokes and Cartoons-37

Posted on January 26, 2018March 20, 2021 by Bob Mesnik

If you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the precipitate.

Right now, I’m having amnesia and deja vu at the same time.

I think I’ve forgotten this before.

You can’t have everything. Where would you put it?

Just because nobody complains doesn’t mean all parachutes are perfect.

A chemistry joke:

What kind of fish is made of only two sodium atoms?

A: 2 Na fish.

Security Technology Review for 2017

Posted on January 21, 2018March 31, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

In 2017 there were a number of technology advancements. Faster processors provided higher performance IP cameras that enhanced the security provided by IP camera systems.

Other technology introduced included, long-range PTZ cameras, new biometric door access control readers, and more advanced network attached paging and intercom systems.

Over last year, technology for IP security systems continued to add new features that made it easier to use and improve our safety. This article reviews some of the key technology introductions.

How to Protect IP Camera System from Cyber Attack

Posted on December 28, 2017March 31, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

Protecting Your IP Camera from Hacking

IP camera systems are supposed to protect us. That is their purpose. However, do we need to protect the camera system? It turns out that in this brave new world of cyber threats, even our cameras are vulnerable.

There are some things you can do to protect your IP camera system from cyber-attack. Some of them seem obvious, yet many of us have not implemented them. Your IT staff can implement many of these things, but we do have a simple solution that can be installed by almost anyone. Here is a list of things you should do to protect your IP camera system.

Technical Jokes and Cartoons-36

Posted on December 19, 2017March 20, 2021 by Bob Mesnik

Jack made his way through veterinary school working nights as a taxidermist.

Upon graduation, he decided he could combine his two vocations to better serve the needs of his patients and their owners, while doubling his practice and, therefore, his income.

He opened his own offices with a shingle on the door saying, “Dr. Jones, Veterinary Medicine and Taxidermy – Either way, you get your dog back!”

Here are some silly puns and jokes.

An invisible man marries an invisible woman. The kids were nothing to look at either.
Deja Moo: The feeling that you’ve heard this bull before.
A man takes his Rottweiler to the vet and says, “My dog’s cross-eyed, is there anything you can do for him?” “Well,” says the vet, “let’s have a look at him.” So he picks the dog up and examines his eyes, then checks his teeth. Finally, he says, “I’m going to have to put him down.” “What? Because he’s cross-eyed?” “No, because he’s really heavy.”

Biometric Door Control Misconceptions

Posted on December 6, 2017June 20, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

Do You Believe Facial Recognition Readers Store Your Picture?

There are many misconceptions about science and technology. One of the misconceptions is that biometric IP door readers store a picture of your fingerprint or face. Another one is that the Earth is a flat disc that rests on top of four elephants, on top of a turtle*.

For clarity, biometric door readers do not store a picture of your fingerprint or face, and the Earth is not flat. This article describes the technology behind biometric door readers.

Technical Jokes and Cartoons-35

Posted on November 27, 2017March 20, 2021 by Bob Mesnik

Some groaners:

Back in the 1800’s the Tates Watch Company of Massachusetts wanted to produce other products and, since they already made the cases for pocket watches, decided to market compasses for the pioneers traveling west. It turned out that although their watches were of finest quality, their compasses were so bad that people often ended up in Canada or Mexico rather than California.

This, of course, is the origin of the expression; “He who has a Tates is lost!”

A three-legged dog walks into a saloon in the Old West. He sidles up to the bar and announces:

“I’m looking for the man who shot my paw.”

Long Range Camera Systems – Custom Vs. Off-the-Shelf

Posted on November 27, 2017December 26, 2025 by Bob Mesnik

Review of Long-Range Day-Night IP Camera Systems

If you want to detect an object many miles away, you will need a special long-range PTZ camera. While custom-made cameras are best for very long-range applications, the latest off-the-shelf cameras provide some of the same capability for less money. These long-range PTZ cameras are very cost-effective, and allow you to detect a person almost 4-miles away. They have built-in IR-illumination or an additional thermal imaging camera that allows you to see an object over ½ mile away. Prices range from less than $3,000 to about $25,000.

The basic difference between the off-the-shelf cameras and the custom made cameras is their performance. The custom long-range cameras take much longer to build because they use special components. The custom long-range cameras generally will provide much better operational distance, especially at night. Custom-made systems can view objects at night that are over 8 miles away. They include very long distance lenses, specialized laser illuminators, special thermal cameras, and very high-performance pan tilt mechanisms. Off-the-shelf long-range cameras cost less than $25,000, while custom cameras range in price from $50,000 to well over $150,000. Here is a summary of the systems available: