About Technology Archives

Emergency IP Paging Using Panic Buttons

Posted on October 20, 2014June 1, 2020 by Virginia Fair

Emergency paging increases safety because it provides immediate notification of dangerous situations. By adding panic buttons, you can make these emergency pages very quickly.

Push the button and the paging system will let everyone know that the school is in lockdown, or that they should exit the building. These prerecorded announcements can cover many emergency situations.

Of course, you don’t have to use just the panic buttons, a person can still make a manual announcement. Since IP Paging systems connect to your network, they can handle many different emergency situations. They also can be used not only in one building, but in multiple buildings, or even on multiple campuses.

Here’s how to add an emergency IP paging system that includes panic buttons to your organization.

The Ubiquitous Intercom

Posted on September 22, 2014June 1, 2020 by Virginia Fair

The intercom has been with us for a long time, although we rarely acknowledge its presence. That’s because an intercom on its best behavior prefers to avoid the limelight and let the voice take all the attention.

Like any staple of technology, the Intercommunication Device has seen its share of change over the years.

Comparison of Door Access Control Systems

Posted on September 17, 2014June 1, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

Remember when door readers were connected to the central control panel and how difficult it was to run all the connections?

Oh wait, people are still doing that. The new IP connected readers have been available for a number of years and it’s surprising that they haven’t made more of an impact in the market. I talked to a number of people about this and the conclusion is that security dealers like to do what they know and find it difficult to work with computers and networks.

Are the IP door readers actually better, or as some people say, too expensive?

In this article, we reviewed the cost of the two technologies for an 8 door system.

Biometric Authentication – the New Kid on the Access Control Block

Posted on September 15, 2014June 1, 2020 by Virginia Fair

Once residing only in the realm of science fiction, biometric authentication has moved into our everyday worlds. And if it’s not part of yours, hold on, it soon will be.

Once upon a time a driver’s license or photo ID was all it took to gain access to a secure building. Life was simpler then. But then, terrorism reared its loathsome head and made it apparent that these simple tokens of identification are woefully inadequate. Today’s security climate demands that secure access control be based on identity authentication. It is not enough that a person may already have security clearance.

Biometric authentication has stepped up to fill that need since the cardinal rule of authentication is that proof of identity be based on a trait or characteristic that is unique to the person, not just a piece of plastic or badge that has the potential of being misappropriated.

IP Camera Low Light Test and Evaluation – Sony vs Samsung vs Axis

Posted on September 10, 2014June 2, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

We tested a number of IP cameras so we could recommend the right camera for low light level applications.

Other key features include resolution, wide dynamic range, and frame rate, which we evaluated in our other posts.

In our latest product test, we compared the low light performance of the new Sony SNC-VM630, Samsung SNV-6084R, and Axis P3384 IP cameras.

The Samsung dome IP camera includes a built-in IR illuminator which we turned off for the test.

IP Camera Test and Review of Wide Dynamic Range – Sony vs Samsung vs Hikvision

Posted on September 9, 2014June 1, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

Some applications require IP cameras with a wide dynamic range (WDR). What is a wide dynamic range? It means that the video will look much better in situations where there are very wide light differences in the scene. You may have seen this type of problem, where you are viewing a person in front of a bright background. The background is clear, but the person is very dark and hard to see. The older IP (and analog) cameras used “Back Light” control to enhance the darker area (foreground) and ignore the background.

In this case, you can see the person but the background is lost in a bright haze. If there are people in the background you can’t see them. Today’s new IP cameras use a wide dynamic range to allow you to view both the foreground and background.

Wireless IP Camera Systems

Posted on September 9, 2014June 1, 2020 by Bob Mesnik

Wireless IP cameras can be used whenever you can’t wire the camera to your network switch. Cameras with built in wireless radios are used indoors, while cameras with external radios are used outdoors and in remote locations.

Cameras with built in radios are usually for indoor home use. But when it comes to outdoor use, cameras that use external radios are preferred because they are reliable and can cover much longer distances.

There are two types of wireless connections; Wi-Fi radios that use a dedicated connection between two points, and 3G / 4G that use the telephone wireless network.

Sony SNC-WR632

Posted on August 28, 2014June 1, 2020 by Virginia Fair

The SNC-WR632 is part of the Sony W-series of PTZ IP camera systems. Representing the high-performance outdoor model, this 2.0-megapixel camera is a good choice for your greater exterior surveillance needs, like parking lots, stadiums, and other such areas.

The Sony W-series is known for its superior performance. Each of these camera systems is highly reliable, offering sophisticated video technology to increase your chances of identifying an individual’s face in a wide range of applications.

As a PTZ, or pan, tilt, zoom camera system, this unit can be remotely manipulated with a full, 360° endless rotation, a 220° tilt, and a maximum optical zoom of 30x.

Intelligent Surveillance Software

This camera system features intelligent video and audio analytics, including intelligent motion detection, face detection, object removed, object left behind, passing, and intrusion detection.

Video Quality

This camera system features a resolution of 2.0 megapixels, at 1920 x 1080 and a maximum frame rate of 60 fps.

A sophisticated video processing chip helps the camera to capture quality images under even challenging lighting conditions. With a 130 dB of wide dynamic range, it can recognize objects against a very bright background. Meanwhile, a low-light sensitivity of 1.4 lx for color images and 0.15 lux for black and white images lets you continue to record under dark conditions.

A gyro-based image stabilizer provides for greater clarity when viewing objects at a distance. Even if the camera is mounted on a less-than-stationary surface, you can still expect to recognize a face viewed at 30x zoom.

Extras and Peripherals

The camera has a slot for an optional SD/SDHC memory card for local audio and video recording. Recording to the memory card can be triggered by events, like attempts to tamper with the camera system.

Protective Features

This camera has tamper detection, allowing it to trigger an alarm when it is interfered with.

Designed for outdoor use, this unit is IK10-rated for vandal resistance and IP66-rated against environmental hazards like water and dust. It can also operate reliably in temperatures from -40C to 50C.

Sony SNC-WR602

Posted on August 28, 2014June 1, 2020 by Virginia Fair

The SNC-WR602 is part of the Sony W-series of PTZ IP camera systems. Representing the economical outdoor model, this 1.3-megapixel camera is a good choice for your smaller exterior surveillance needs, like front doors, small parking lots, or similar regions.

As a PTZ, or pan, tilt, zoom camera system, this unit can be remotely manipulated with a full, 360° endless rotation, a 220° tilt, and a maximum optical zoom of 30x.

Intelligent Surveillance Software

This camera system features intelligent video and audio analytics, including intelligent motion detection, face detection, object removed, object left behind, passing, and intrusion detection.

Video Quality

This camera system features a resolution of 1.3 megapixels, at 1280 x 1024 and a maximum frame rate of 60 fps.

A sophisticated video processing chip helps the camera to capture quality images under even challenging lighting conditions. With a 130 dB of wide dynamic range, it can recognize objects against a very bright background. Meanwhile, a low-light sensitivity of 1.0 lx for color images and 0.03 lux for black and white images lets you continue to record under dark conditions.

Extras and Peripherals

The camera has a slot for an optional SD/SDHC memory card for local audio and video recording. Recording to the memory card can be triggered by events, like attempts to tamper with the camera system.

Protective Features

This camera has tamper detection, allowing it to trigger an alarm when it is interfered with.

Sony SNC-WR630

Posted on August 28, 2014June 1, 2020 by Virginia Fair

The SNC-WR630 is part of the Sony W-series of PTZ IP camera systems. Representing the high-performance indoor model, this 2.0 megapixel camera is a good choice for any interior location where you need superior resolution and low-light sensitivity, like banks, malls, and casinos.

As a PTZ, or pan, tilt, zoom camera system, this unit can be remotely manipulated with a full, 360° endless rotation, a 220° tilt, and a maximum optical zoom of 30x.

Intelligent Surveillance Software

This camera system features intelligent video and audio analytics, including intelligent motion detection, face detection, object removed, object left behind, passing, and intrusion detection.

Video Quality

This camera system features a resolution of 2.0 megapixels, at 1920 x 1080 and a maximum frame rate of 60 fps.

Extras and Peripherals

The camera has a slot for an optional SD/SDHC memory card for local audio and video recording. Recording to the memory card can be triggered by events, like attempts to tamper with the camera system.

Protective Features

This camera has tamper detection, allowing it to trigger an alarm when it is interfered with.