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Mushroom Networks ThirdEye makes surveillance mobile, peeping on perps goes wireless
Wires are messy -- especially, if you're running lines for (homeland) security. But for those sectors specifically concerned with keeping tabs on potential miscreants, Mushroom Networks' ThirdEye is poised to get the job done while dispensing with all of that unnecessary, tethered clutter. The currently available device, pictured above, utilizes the company's Broadband Bonding tech to mesh bandwidth across several cellular data cards into one high-speed connection for PTZ cameras (pan-tilt-zoom), letting corporate or government users patrol their perimeters remotely in real-time. The cost of this surveillance freedom won't come cheap for Uncle Sam and friends either, with prices starting at $3,190. Unless you're the Howard Hughes homebound-type, you won't be needing this level of protection. No, that's what the Slomin Shield is for. Official PR after the break.
Daily iPhone App: Total Control
Total Control is for the surveillance camera owner who wants "total control" of his or her arsenal of cameras. I recently installed two surveillance cameras in my home and use this app to observe both the interior and exterior my house when I'm traveling. Total Control has a comprehensive database of supported cameras and can connect to over 500 models from 100 different manufacturers. I have a Panasonic and a Foscam camera and the app had pre-configured profiles for both models. Once I installed the cameras on my network, setting up the Total Control app was as easy as selecting the right camera model, entering my camera's network and password information and then hitting save. The app can also connect to DVR channels and other video encoder streams. The app grabs the video feed from the source and displays its in a grid on the main screen. You can see one video feed or an infinite number of feeds, depending on the version of the app you bought. I purchased the eight camera version, so I can add additional cameras in the future. The app isn't just for watching; if your camera supports remote control, you can use Total Control to pan, tilt and zoom. You can also take a screenshot from the video feed and save it your camera roll. The app works over WiFi and 3G without any limits. It's also one of a few apps that connect directly to the camera. You don't have to use a third-party server or run software locally to get it to work. The Total Control iPhon app is available in several different versions that differ only by the number of cameras you can view at once. The single version costs US$4.99 and lets you follow one camera. There's a four camera version that costs $5.99, an eight camera that costs $7.99, and so on. The top app is the ultimate version which lets you watch as many cameras as you need for $45.99.
AIST shows off full-color night vision camera, well lit Bullwinkle figurine (video)
You might know them for seemingly ridiculous innovations like Segway shoes or the HRP-4C pop star robot, but the folks at AIST have put away the gimmicks for their latest invention -- a full-color night vision camera. Produced by Nanolux, an arm of AIST, the camera uses a series of algorithms to read and process wavelengths reflected by objects lit with infrareds, allowing it to successfully reproduce reds, blues, and greens in the darkest of conditions. The company hopes to make the device available by the end of 2011 at a price point lower than conventional night vision cameras, and says they will work with different lenses to improve long-range photography for the device. Such an invention could have serious implications for fields like surveillance and wildlife observation, but fear not, AIST hasn't lost its sense of humor -- the company used a Bullwinkle figurine rotating on a Lazy Susan to demo its latest invention at Printable Electronics 2011. Check out the video after the jump.
Pennsylvania spycam case heating up
A student who says he was spied on by school officials on his Mac laptop has filed new claims in the case. Harriton High School sophomore Blake Robbins claims pictures were taken of him while he was asleep and only partially dressed, and instant messages that he sent to friends were captured. The Lower Merion school district is now conceding that the effort it was making to keep track of school owned laptops was misguided, and today the district said it would release the results of its own internal investigation "good and bad." In a court filing, Robbins says the school captured more than 400 webcam images and screen shots using his computer. Robbins lawyer says that thousands of pictures were obtained from laptops issued to students by the school tech staff. Lawyers involved in the case met Friday for a status check and to discuss pending issues. According to an attorney for the Robbins family, school technology coordinator Carol Cafiero refused to answer questions during a recent deposition, citing her 5th Amendment rights against self-incrimination. The suburban Philadelphia school has issued Mac laptops to 2,300 students at two high schools. The FBI joined the case in February. [via the Philadelphia Inquirer]
Recon Scout gets new job at prison, isn't any fun to hang out with
You may remember this little dumbell-looking Recon Scout drone we saw last year, when it had just been implemented in the military. If you'll recall, the robot selflessly allows itself to be thrown into wild and unpredictable situations deemed "too risky" for people, then transmits grainy video back to an Operator Control Unit. Well, it turns out that the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation was interested in this rugged bastion of self-sacrifice, too. They can apparently envision all kinds of nightmare scenarios where prisoners have weapons and no human wants any part of it -- which is why they've agreed to a rental contract where they get ten devices and developer ReconRobotics gets feedback from the Department in exchange. Seriously though, aren't there any jubilant tasks we could set this guy to? He's getting to be such a killjoy.
