FakeTV emulates human watching the tube, supposedly discourages thieves

What else can we say? The concept here is pure genius, and it totally makes those pricey security systems seem way pointless (okay, slightly less critical). The FakeTV is a strobe that sets up in an occupied room at night and flashes up beams of light. From the inside, we can imagine it looks fairly curious, but from the outside, it gives prospective burglars the idea that someone is actually awake and watching a television program. It promises to produce the effects of "scene changes, fades, swells, flicks, on-screen motion and color changes," just like they were generated by a bona fide set. We can't speak for how well (or not) this thing actually works, but at just $49, we'd say it's a solid buy if you're the paranoid type.

[Via BoingBoing]

[jhoff80 Posted May 21st 2008 4:27PM]

It's not a guarantee, but it makes your house less attractive to rob than your neighbors in general, and it's more likely that they'll take from a house that's easier to get into.

[yuppicide Posted May 21st 2008 4:07PM]

I think this is a pretty good idea, until you look on their website and find that the model that emulates a High Def TV is $300!

http://www.apunkalypsenow.com

[jhoff80 Posted May 21st 2008 2:05PM]

The best deterrent is an alarm system hooked up to a central monitoring center. Not that its the most educational program, but it does show a lot, if you're interested in this sort of thing, you should check out "It Takes a Thief" on Discovery Channel, 5pm weekdays, to see how easy it is for someone to get into most houses.

[galfridus73 Posted May 21st 2008 2:35PM]

I had lunch with an ex-girlfriend the other day and we went back to her house to talk... and the front door was unlocked.

Granted, she's in a suburb (that some would consider lily-white), but to leave it completely unlocked? Another ex-girlfriend of mine did the same thing, in a rougher suburb, when we were dating 13 years ago.

Me: Brink's system. In addition to a fearsome beagle (and he is kind of a dick to strangers) and an overly licking pit bull (not that I would want to be opposite her if she felt threatened).

[(Unverified) Posted May 21st 2008 2:06PM]

A simple collection of claymores in the front, side and back yards always does the trick.

[(Unverified) Posted May 21st 2008 2:17PM]

Very messy, though. Will raise your homeowners rate, too...

[(Unverified) Posted May 21st 2008 2:27PM]

Not too mention the problem with squirrels....

[Gipper Posted May 21st 2008 2:34PM]

What squirrels?

[HDE Posted May 21st 2008 2:27PM]

Are there that many TVs now a-days that don't have built in timers? 3 of 4 of my tvs have timer features, and my family and I have been using them as deterents for at least 10 years. Schedule them during your normal tv viewing times and you don't have to worry about the wear and tear.

[psyclotron Posted May 21st 2008 2:33PM]

Ryan, put the crowbar down!

[(Unverified) Posted May 21st 2008 4:13PM]

$49 for that?! :'(

[(Unverified) Posted May 21st 2008 4:22PM]

I really think most people are missing the point here.

"Leave your tv on all the time"
TVs, new and old, take a lot of juice. This thing has some crappy little computer chip and an array of LEDs, which uses a tiny fraction of the amount of power your TV uses (probably < 1/10th), and only when it's needed -- at night.

"Now people think you're loaded because you have multiple TVs".
Um, okay, if you're wealthy enough to own a two-story house where potential burglars can't see this device on the upper floor, you're probably wealthy enough to afford a normal tv for daytime watching and a cheap little 27" tv (which this device simulates) in the bedroom. It's not that hard to imagine.

[OneLove Posted May 21st 2008 4:57PM]

I just use a rotating cardboard cutout and a lamp.

[(Unverified) Posted May 21st 2008 5:19PM]

How about dogs? Or bees? Or the dogs with bees in their mouth so when they bark they shoot bees at you?

[ChuckM Posted May 21st 2008 5:40PM]

Looks like a Light Bright to me...

[jamesFF Posted May 22nd 2008 1:38AM]

What many people don't realize is that most TVs use 50% of it's power on standby.

After February you can use your old analog TVs as a deterrent.

[(Unverified) Posted Jun 4th 2008 7:42PM]

I think this is a super cool gadget----plus, that burglar is kinda cute!!

$49 is cheap, considering what it could cost if someone did rob your house.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 29th 2008 4:49PM]

Here is another tip. If you make your apartment looks occupied while you are away, then you have an opportunity to substantially decrease a chance of burglary. Lights and noise in your apartment are the best burglar deterrents. These CDs have prerecorded household sounds and bathroom noises that make an impression that your apartment is occupied, even if nobody is there.

You can let CD play nonstop while you are away.

Two sites make similar products: www.DeterrentSounds.com and www.audioguard.com.

Hope this might help!