Webcam busts burglar
By Donald Melanson 
posted Feb 17th 2005 11:11AM
posted Feb 17th 2005 11:11AM
Serial burglar Benjamin Park picked the wrong place to rob when he broke into software developer Duncan Grisby's Cambridge flat. You see, after being burgled three years earlier, Grisby set up a webcam that would feed images to an email address whenever motion was detected. So while Mr. Park made off with over £4,000 worth of equipment, he stuck around long enough to be caught striking a few poses that soon found their way into the hands of the police, who promptly arrested him. Next time wear a mask, ok?
[Thanks everyone who sent this one in]
Microsoft's Power Tool TimerShot can do this for you:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx
Why is it that, without the picture having much in the way of focus or resolution, and without reading the article, I can tell that this guy is British?
Because that's the most Dickensian stereotype of a burglar I've ever seen. Couldn't his parent tell, by the time he was like five, that he was going to grow up to be a purse snatcher?
Brad, may be less of a mongrel factor over there possibly?
Funny-face jokes aside, inexpensive hardware and flexible software could transform the formerly-marginalized - and expensive - security business. The impact on society as a whole could be significant: imagine if these things become as common as phones and PCs in everyone's home, place of business, school, or community facility.
It's another example of technology influencing human behaviors - hopefully for the better.
Carmi
http://writteninc.blogspot.com
Cracking up laughing at Brad's comments.
Brad
If only it wasn't just as obvious from the other side of the pond!!!
I dunno, looks like a drunken Lance Armstrong wearing a sad attempt at a toupee to me...
Brad, it's because young Mr Park is obviously a chav.
LOL X5 over here about comments #2 and #3.
Some casual observations:
*The 17th century called, they want their Cockney boot-black back.
*One of Dad's drinking buddies OR alcoholic Uncle Philintheblank
*That guy trying to sell the used Chrysler LeBaron (white) that smelles funny inside and the mirror thing didn't work.
*That guy at the fish market with the skewed wool cap and fingerless gloves that grew up arou d here.
Does anyone else think it's completely ridiculous that the guy has "more then 13 previous convictions" and only gets 11 months? What a bunch of crap.
I think anyone running a 24/7 PC should connect up a security webcam.
I have a short log on my setup:
http://www.zapwizard.com/Projects/HTPC/Camera/Index.htm
I love my camera, I can check my camera from work, any internet PC, even my cell phone.
It keeps both videos and stills of motion.
I have it e-mail all still to my gMail account.
Coupled with a door alarm, I feel very safe knowing my apartment is watched over.
I had thought about doing somthing like this, but I didn't know of anywhere to upload the photos to. What a brilliant idea to use a webmail account. I have an always-on computer, I think I will try this.
I wonder if it's occured to anyone that this guy kinda looks like AL BUNDY, but 20 years older?
Hi I have a creative web cam 3 however I cant get it to send stills to my gmail account has anyone resloved this problem? Please email me on harrysahota@yahoo.com thanks. Harry
Did Harry Sahota solve his problem?
I have a Logitec Quick Cam Pro 3000 but the software for it requires that one uploads to a whatever account! I want to paste it in my Website Directory as I can do with TimerShot but TimerShot's reolution is so pathetic - it can do much better (think 640 x 480)
see http://www.evoigt.com/webcam.html
???