Crashes, Cams and more cams

It has been a few months since our last blog and wow...Cams in Action has undergone so much change. New products were tested, those that didn't make the grade were removed. Based on high demand, our sale on Contour  Cams was extend from the initial 3 days to nearly one month! However, you can still grab yourself a Contour Roam2 for just $244. Recently a friend of ours recorded his Quadbike accident on one of these Cams, it's hilarious but frightening at the same time as the rider came way too close to being seriously hurt. You can view the vid through the link at the bottom of the page Just wait for him to reach the top of the hill.. and then it all goes COMPLETELY wrong.

We've also had a resupply of the Optrix Chestmounts, so if you're a Runner, Snowboarder or Surfer, you can strap and protect your iPhone to film your best run/trick/stack.. and immediately post it to us! :)

Finally, we just want to announce that at Cams in Action, we wholeheartedly support all current and former members of Australian Police Forces, Defence Forces and Public Services. We want to thank you for keeping us safe, protected, out of harms way and attending to our needs when things go wrong. If you fall into any of those categories and you have specific Action Cam needs. Please contact us via the contact us form or our Facebook/Twitter page and we will endeavour to arrange a package that will suit your needs and budget.
http://www.camsinaction.com.au
We hope you all enjoy your weekend and get a chance to get active.

Watch the quad bike crash here.. please stay safe!

15 Personal Safety tips from CIA!

Over the last few weeks we’ve had to give advise to a few friends after their place was burgled. So after looking into questions of personal and home safety, we arrived at these tips for you to put into practice. If applied, these will give you and your household greater protection.

1. This might seem obvious, but you’ll be surprised how many suburban homes are unlocked somewhere. So make sure all doors and windows have locks/deadlocks, USE THEM!

2.  When you arrive home have your key handy so you are not standing there fumbling around making yourself an easy target.

3.  Keep doors locked even when you or family members are at home.

4. Have locks installed on your fuse boxes and external power sources. 

5.  If you arrive by car at night always leave your headlights on until you have opened the front door or garage.

6. Have motion lights fitted or leave on an outside light at night. 

7.  Make sure you know who is at the front door before opening it.  Have a door viewer fitted so you can clearly see them and they can’t see you. The old chain-lock you find in cheap hotels, DO NOT offer protection.

8.  When you first purchase your house or apartment get the locks and keys changed. 

9.  Be aware of unknown visitors at your door asking to use the phone or some other item. Ask them to wait in a well lit area away from your door and make the phone call for them without letting them in (you will know whether to call their number or the Police based on how they respond).

10.   When someone phones with a wrong number never give them your correct number.  Should you receive an obscene phone call, hang up and call the police.

11.  Try to remain anonymous by:

·    Not using your full name on Facebook and other online social sites.

·    Not using your photo for a profile and have your security settings set high so only your friends can see your photos.

·   Do not use you name or initials as a customized vehicle number plate, in fact keep the standard number plate, they’re harder to remember and that’s a good thing.

·   Get rid of those ridiculous “My Family” stickers. (Why tell the stalker you have more than one daughter?)

12.  Think about putting in a monitored alarm system.

13.   Have security cameras fitted with a recorder so that if you are burgled/robbed there is a record for the police.  It is important to have a dated and timed recording.

14.  When you arrive home if you are suspicious that someone is inside your house go immediately to the local Police or another secure place (relatives, friends or known neighbor’s house).

15.   If you are still concerned for your safety, try the GSM watch with available from Cams in Action, which will dial your emergency or next of kin contact at the press of one button and send an SMS to that number with your GPS coordinates! Pretty cool gadget really!

Well hopefully these points will help you solve some of your safety concerns. Remember the list of tips does not stop here or guarantee total protection. When thinking of possible personal safety scenarios, we always came back to the term ‘situational awareness’. If you will let your guard down in the safety of your home, make sure you have systems in place to make your home “safe”. If you have specific concerns or if you have experienced threats, contact the Police straight away.

Protecting the wild with Trail Cameras

It’s a wonder to see animals roaming around in their natural habitat. It can also be quite difficult and for a good reason. If you walk through the country side or your local nature reserve, oftentimes you may not come across any wildlife at all. But that does not mean it’s not there!

Animals have very quickly learned that in general, humans are a threat. Whether it is to their safety through hunting or trapping or their habitat through re-zoning and destruction of natural land reserves. Speak to wildlife workers in Africa, Canada or the US and you will learn that even certain apex predators (top of the food chain) will be intelligent enough and opt to stay well away from sounds and smells of ‘people’.

So how do scientists and animal trackers find and follow the specific animal they are searching for? Well there are of course conventional methods like searching for tracks. Depending on what it is, the animal may have also been previously tagged. But the big issue lies in the fact that many animals move around at night, simply because it is either safer or more comfortable given the local climate. Now you may choose to spend your Saturday night sitting in the bush with a Nightvision to spot your wildlife. But in reality unless you are a pro, the animals will hear you and smell you long before you know they are there.

The best option to track night-time movements, is to locate the nearest animal trail, or water source and set up a ‘Trail Camera’. Then you simply return the next day or even a few days later and review the footage.

The beauty of these cameras is that even if the animal you are tracking works out that the camera is there, quite often it becomes curious. From Trail Camera footage that we have reviewed so far it’s fascinating to see how many walk up for a ‘sniff’. You might even spot something you never expected to see!

How Trail Cameras can offer Information and Protection 

Monitoring animal movements and migration plays a key role in preservation of endangered species and on the other end of the scale can help farmers monitor and protect their livestock and property from unwanted visitors (both wildlife and human).

In Australia, introduced species like Foxes, Pigs, Rabbits and Wild dogs are a threat, not just to crop and livestock, but to property as well. This is why farmers and people who live in areas near wildlife reserves need to build sturdy fences to keep these pests away. On occasion, these animals (including Kangaroos) will find a way to break through the fences and wreak havoc inside the paddocks and properties. To tackle this issue, the farmer simply needs to consider the use of a Trail Camera much in the same way as a security surveillance camera. Attach it to the fence post, gate-post or in a tree, really it’s up to your imagination. You can then very effectively identify exactly which critter (or person) is causing the problem.

The camera needs to be weather proof and must be activated automatically, through motion or sound detection. Trail Cameras were developed with this in mind, they can withstand a variety of different weather conditions and are equipped with night vision. At Cams in Action we have Trail Cameras like the Ibex Trail Camera or the MINOX Trail Camera DTC 500 provide you with high-resolution video and still photographs of your surroundings.

Example of Trail Camera use

The first example that comes to mind is species translocation through animal bridges or tunnels. This image is a wildlife bridge located in the Netherlands.

Animal bridges and tunnels are designed to help animals cross highways in safety and have also been effectively employed in Canada and the US. 

Through the use of Trail Cameras animal populations have been observed to dramatically increase and become (genetically) much healthier, because the bridges and tunnels don't just protect wildlife from being hit by cars, they also connect fragmented habitats and help populations intermingle and breed, or in other words to improve their genetic heterogeneity. With a little help from Trail Cams ;)

The 'How to avoid being pick-pocketed' Guide! (A must read for tourists, locals and business owners!)

How to avoid losing your valuables or your business to theft?

This week on the Cams in Action blog we would like to discuss Pickpockets. The highly skilled thieves move fast and are trained to steal your wallet and other valuables without you even knowing it. According to the New South Wales (NSW) Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research, stealing or theft accounts for the greatest amount of reported crime and pickpockets are the absolute professionals in this domain. What seems like a commuter going about his or her day can actually be a thief waiting for their mark to be off guard.

You can never be too careful whenever you’re in a public place. Many pickpockets roam busy streets and intersections to find a victim, known as a mark, among the crowd. Once they have picked their victim’s pockets, they blend in with the rest of the swarm of people and the poor pedestrians never knew what hit them. There are, however, some pickpockets who take a much bolder approach. They enter public places such as restaurants, libraries, and internet cafés looking for someone who is too busy going about his or her business to notice that their purses, wallets, cell phones, and other valuables have already been stolen.

Pickpockets Caught on CCTV Cameras

Many public establishments install CCTV cameras to prevent criminals from robbing the business. However, instances where footage taken by these security cameras was reviewed to help pickpocket victims within the store is not uncommon. 

Take a looked at the attached video. We see how easily a pickpocket was able to carry out his theft within the premises. It’s easy for pickpockets to find a mark in places like internet cafes, because people are usually busy, focused on something on what is in front of them and situationally unaware. Most of the time, the thieves target those who leave their belongings unattended or those who hang their jackets and bags on the back of their chairs.

If the establishment has invested in CCTV, the cameras are able to capture every second of the incident, from the time the thief has found his mark to the time he leaves with that person’s phone, wallet, or purse. With the thief’s face caught on camera, it easier for Police to identify and catch him or her. Experienced criminals do try to keep their head down and wear baseball caps or dark glasses to hide their faces from the watchful eyes of the CCTV cameras. However, even the clothes worn by the pickpocket can help in his or her identification.

The footage of the theft can be used as evidence against the thief if and when they’re caught. Although the damage has been done by the time the footage is reviewed, if just one pickpocket is caught, it can still have a major deterrent on future theft attempts at the premises.

Protecting yourself from Pickpockets

The easiest way to get your pockets picked is to be unaware. A person who looks lost or clueless is an easy target for professionals and is most at risk of having their belongings stolen. If you really want to keep pickpockets at bay, you need to stay alert to your surroundings and make sure that all your valuables are close to your body at all times. A good habit is to have any bags kept in front of you, place your foot or rest your arm over the bag or one of the straps. This way if you don't see the pickpocket approach, you may feel that the bag is being handled. Remember there is no better deterrent than to be aware of the risks, if the pickpocket sees this it is likely that they wouldn't even bother with taking the risk of being caught and simply exclude you as a mark.

A daring thief may still try to steal your things by distracting you, but if you pay enough attention to your surroundings, you may be able to catch the thief before he or she runs off with your things. Another way to keep your belongings safe inside restaurants, internet cafés and other establishments is to sit within the range of a CCTV camera. A thief would definitely take note of where the cameras are before he or she strikes and will avoid stealing in clear view of any form of surveillance equipment.

Tips for business owners

Finally, if you are a business owner, particularly of an establishment like a cafe, internet cafe, restaurant or bar. Consider what experience your customer will have if they are pick-pocketed within your premises? What impression will it leave about your business if you have pick-pockets actively operating on your premises? Your solution is to have an up to date CCTV system, get the optimal resolution within your budget, minimize blind spots and most of all, keep an eye on who enters your premises!

 

Hope you all enjoyed the read, please leave a comment, share a view or an experience and stay safe over the holiday period!

CCTV Cameras: Saving Small Businesses

Shoplifting and theft has been a problem for small business owners for a long time now and no matter what shop attendants and owners do, people seem to find a way to get away with stealing things like packs of gum or a whole tray full of jewelry.

Despite the precautions shop owners take in order to safeguard their property and inventory, shoplifters and thieves are still able to do what they set out to do without getting caught. It may seem tricky at first, but for professionals, stealing from small businesses is a piece of cake. One of the most common modus operandi used by thieves is to come in groups. While two or more members of the group distract the attendant or store owner, one of them is already taking items off the shelves or display cases and stuffing them in their bags or even hidden compartments in their clothes. Once they have what they want, they leave, and the attendant is none the wiser. Other criminals take a less subtle approach and use knives, guns and other weapons to rob a store or other business establishments.

How Does Theft Affect Small Businesses?

For a small convenience store, jewelry store or electronics store, every piece of inventory counts. Unlike superstores that have boxes of stock of a particular item in their warehouses, small businesses will lose a chunk of their capital and profit whenever an item is stolen from their shop. It doesn’t matter what they steal, anything missing from the shelves has a big impact on the store’s bottom line. When a store is unprotected, especially after an incident of theft, the chances of these incidents repeating increases, and soon the business would suffer a loss big enough to close it down.

Losing inventory is just one problem a small business has to deal with when incidents of theft occur. Another thing shop owners and attendants should worry about is their safety. These people put their lives at risk whenever they try to protect their premises against criminal elements with guns and knives. They not only lose valuable merchandise, they can also potentially lose their lives.

Protecting Small Businesses

Small business owners know that protecting their establishment is equal to protecting their livelihood. Many of them install security systems and other gadgets that would alert the police when a robbery is in progress, but in most cases, these aren’t enough. What small businesses need are deterrents like CCTV cameras. These cameras not only capture video that can help catch robbers and shoplifters and prove that they have indeed committed a crime; they also serve as a deterrent. Thieves will think twice about stealing something from a store that has cameras recording everyone’s movements.

Theft has always been, and will always be, the number one problem small businesses face. As long as there are stores that are left unprotected, there will always be criminal elements waiting to take advantage of the situation. This is why it is important to address this issue before it gets out of control.

CCTV Cameras for Your Home and Small Business

There was once a time when closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras were used only by big enterprises and people living in very large houses. Today, the technology used for surveillance cameras and other forms of security systems are so widespread that anyone on any budget can now install CCTV cameras and protect their homes and small businesses.

What CCTV Cameras Can Do For You

There are so many uses for CCTV cameras in your home or business. They not only protect you from dangerous elements outside, they can help you spot threats from the inside as well.

·         A CCTV camera installed in your home can:

o   Prevent incidents of break-ins and theft.

o   Serve as a baby monitor to keep track of your child when you are in another room or even away from home.

o   Serve as a “nanny-cam” to monitor your babysitter’s behavior and make sure that your children are being treated properly.

o   Help identify robbers and intruders in your home.

·         A CCTV camera installed in your place of business can:

o   Prevent break-ins, theft, and acts of vandalism on your property.

o   Monitor and record any altercation between your employees and customers.

o   Help identify thieves and other criminal elements that enter your business.

o   Help law enforcement officers catch known criminals.

Different Types of Home and Small Business CCTV Cameras

 

There are various types of CCTV cameras that are great for use in the home or in your business. Most home and small business surveillance cams are meant for indoor use, and unlike those heavy-duty cameras you see in office buildings and apartment lobbies, home CCTV cameras are portable, compact, and easy to conceal. Choosing the right camera to use for your home or business depends not just on your budget, but on your needs as well. Each camera type and model has its own features that make them worth installing. The more features there are, the more expensive they become, so make sure that you’re getting your money’s worth when you choose a camera. Here are some of the finest, most innovative CCTV models available that’s perfect for home or small business use:

·         IPS-EYE01W – This camera doesn’t require any special installation to get started. All you need to do is plug it in and start recording. The video feed is streamed over the internet through an RJ45 connector or a wireless internet connection. You can access and control the camera from a web browser or from an android device or iPhone. It also supports 2-way audio, so you can hear what’s happening at home and communicate with your family as well.

 

·         IPS-EYE02W – Just like the 01W model, this camera has all the features you need to monitor your home even from another country. With this model, however, you don’t need a separate storage device as it can support TF cards up to 32G. It is also mountable on the wall, so you won’t need to find a space on a shelf or table to mount it on.

·         IPS-EYE03W and IPS-EYE04W – The 03W model is slightly bigger than the two previous CCTV camera models, but it has almost the same specifications as the others. Aside from its size, it’s also bigger in other ways. It captures video at a higher resolution and can send email alerts when the motion detector is activated. The 04W model has all the same specifications and can support P2P.

Using just any old web cam to monitor and protect your home or small business just won’t do it anymore. To really be able to capture, record, and view your footage properly, you need a CCTV camera that has the juice to do the job, and much, much more.

Ho Ho Ho! Catch Santa in the Act!

Christmas time conjures up images of a fat and jolly man in a red suit sliding down chimneys to deliver presents to good little boys and girls. If you’re reading this, then you’re most probably old enough to know that dear ol’ Santa Claus [spoiler alert] is not real. Shocked? Maybe not, but for the sake of argument (and the sake of those who have just been devastated by the news), let’ say that jolly ol’ Saint Nick is real. How can you catch him in the act?

Keeping an Eye on Your Home for the Holidays

 In this day and age where CCTV cameras and other home surveillance gadgets are easily accessible, finding out who’s sneaking in, out, and around your house is a breeze. Here are a few easy to use gadgets and cameras you can use to catch a glimpse of what’s happening while visions of sugarplums dance in your heads as you sleep.

·         IP Home Cams – These handy plug-and-play cameras are great for indoor use. Chances are, you won’t capture Santa Claus binging on the milk and cookies you’ve laid out for him, but you can spot intruders as they fumble around your home. The IPS-EYE01W, 02W, 03W, and 04W model cameras can be controlled remotely over WIFI or IP using a computer, tablet or smartphone, so you can check on your house when you and your family are out for the Christmas holidays. These cameras also support two-way audio, so you can tell your kids to go back to bed if you catch them sneaking out of their rooms to take a peek at their presents before Christmas morning.

·         Listening and Tracking Devices – For die-hard North Pole believers, another way to prove that Santa really does exist is by installing listening devices such as the superbug in your home. This voice activated tracking and listening device allow you to monitor conversations going on in your home. For the complete home surveillance experience, the Tornado Bug is an all-in-one solution for all your home security needs. This compact surveillance device not only captures and records audio; it can also capture photos and videos which you can save on a MicroSD card. These gadgets run on a GSM network and can be controlled via SMS. They also serve as tracking devices just in case the Grinch decides to sneak into your home and steal Christmas. Just place them together with your valuables and you can connect to the device using your mobile phone and get the GPS location of the bug, along with your most prized possessions.

Kidding aside, protecting your home from intruders during the holiday season is a must. With so many people going away for the holidays, burglars and other criminal elements just can’t help themselves. Don’t let incidents like these ruin Christmas. By installing CCTV cameras and listening devices in your home, you can sleep better at night knowing that your family and belongings are protected. Hey, you may just catch Santa Claus sliding down the chimney after all.