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Someone asked about car alarm reviews, so here's a few that I dug up:
Audiovox APS996A Prestige Review (Remote Start Car Alarm)
Bulldog 6002PRO Professional Car Alarm & Reviews (reviews are under the product spiel)
Car Alarm Reviews at Epinions (they have a big variety, though a lot of stuff is just listed without having reviews).
As a homeowner, home video surveillance may simply seem like a good home security measure. You may like the idea of keeping an eye on the babysitter or other hired help, but if you were to reverse the scenario, how would you like finding out your employer has been secretly watching you at work?
Nanny cams and other types of hidden surveillance cameras can present an ethical dilemma. On the one hand, you want to know that your kids are safe with whomever you leave them with, but what about watching the maid to make sure she doesn't steal (read Nickel and Dimed for an interesting look into the lives of low wage workers, including maids, from a writer who goes undercover and tells it from the other side)? Is it ok to spy? Is it a violation of basic rights?
Here are a couple recent news articles that have contemplated this issue:
Nanny cams create dilemma: Is it OK to hide and peek?
Is it right to tape your maid?
How would you like a house that adjusts to changes in temperature (by it self), saves energy (by itself), and cleans (yup, by itself)? The Eneo Labs showcase home in Barcelona, Spain is a two-story smart house with a weather monitor on the roof that hooks to controls that shut off the sprinkler when it rains and unfurls the awning when it's sunny. Small vents along the floorboards act as vacuum cleaners that will suck up any stray dust in reach.
According to the AP Wire article, Europe May Be Gaining in Smart Home Tech, smart homes aren't so uncommon in the U.S. but Europe has traditionally been slower to adopt the technology. It looks like times are changing!
ActiveHome Pro is X10.com's software that allows you to start automating your home (i.e. turning on lights) without spending a lot of money. Last week, Wired offered this short ActiveHome Pro Review, the end result of which is: "...for anyone looking to get started with home automation, ActiveHome Pro is worth a shot. The product is easy to set up, even for non-geeks, and the price is right: A starter kit with the software, interface and several modules, remote controls and sensors costs just $100."
ActiveHome - Home Automation Software and Controls is available direction from X10.
Home automation is, at its simplest, any technology that offers remote or automatic control of household appliances such as lights, electronics, and home security systems. According to Detroit News article Making plans for a hi-tech home is exciting; options are unlimited the choices are unlimited and the challenge lies in figuring out where to start.
Almost everyone is interested in security, the article says, and that is perhaps the most logical (and practical) place to start. For modest homes, a package might start with a simple front door intercom. From there, you could add a security camera to the intercom system and a link to a telephone line.
No need to stop there if the bug gets you. Home automation isn't just about security. "...the process is advancing: lamps that turn on automatically when someone arrives in the room; speakers playing music that follows a person from room-to-room; portable touch pads that control everything from the television, to the room temperature, to the lights, which brighten or dim to fit the occasion or to match the light outdoors. Draperies or shades that not only open and close with a remote, but are programmed to automatically go up and down based on the time of day. "
While these types of features may be pricey now, as with everything, the price will come down over time, and we'll start seeing home automation in all the new homes coming on the market.
ActiveHome - Home Automation Software and Controls
Protector Plus Security System
MSN Money has a helpful article with tips for preventing identify theft called 10 ways to stop identity theft cold. Written by the reformed thief that also wrote Catch Me If You Can, the biggest tip he offers is "Don’t think it can’t happen to you." Those people make the easist targets. The article offers not only tips but an explanation of why it is so easy to assume someone's identity. If you've shrugged identity theft off until now, this article could be a needed eye opener.
Some people get a kick out of automating their homes through their PCs while others regard their computers with a suspicious eye, wishing for the simplicity of a remote. A couple of months ago, PC Magazine published a sort of home automation for beginners article. I got a kick out of the introduction where author Bill Howard writes, "One of life's ironies is that those of us who can dim the living-room lights and switch the stereo to soft jazz at the press of a single button are probably the geeks who can't get a date and take advantage of the romantic atmosphere." The articles goes on to explain the basics of diming lights and what's on the horizon for the quickly evolving home automation field.
A homeowner's insurance forum where you can ask and receive answers about insurance, who knew there was such a thing?
Security cameras and home surveillance are becoming a commonplace part of home security plans. But what happens if a security camera isn't enough? A Las Vegas news article When Security Cameras Aren't Enough, What's Next? illustrates an example of a homeowner making use of security cameras only to have numerous break ins, regardless.
"Randy Hertzig thought installing a home surveillance system would put his family out of harms way...But the cameras don't seem to be stopping the criminals from coming to their house. On the tape from four months ago, you can see a man walk up to the house, realize there are cameras, then rip it down."
Although an arrest was made based on the security camera's tapes, the house seems to continue being a target. The best the article can offer at the end is to use a Neighborhood Watch system in your area as part of a home security plan.
Sponsors:
Protector Plus Security System
Vanguard Video Camera System
MSN House and Home advises homeowners to get what they need in home insurance (without overpaying) by insuring the house instead of the land, shopping around and talking to at least 3 different insurers, and increasing the deductible (it's cheaper in the long run to pay for small damages out of pocket than calling on your home owner's insurance--this may cause rates to rise in response).
Related:
Remember when pens that were secretly wireless video transmitters were the things of movies? Well, that technology is here. An article online at the Washington Times says Homeland Security is driving a lot of the new surveillance tech, creating "networks of wireless sensors, miniature video cameras and low-power transceivers, all with the ability to process, send and receive data" (Wireless World: Security monitoring grows). While the primary goal is national security, it will be interesting to see how this new technology funnels down to the average consumer. The article mentions that big companies like Motorola are working on wireless surveillance tech in relation to hone security applications. "The company... has developed a wireless home monitoring and control system comprising cameras, sensors and software that consumers can operate from a desktop computer at the office."
At the very least, all this snazzy spy stuff should soon give us some devilishly tiny and subtle nanny cams.
The recent Cincinnati News article Practical Guide To Home Security is worth a read if you're new to home security or just looking for some cheap ways to make your home less attractive to thieves. The article discusses perimeter defenses, doors, lighting, guarding points of access, basic alarm systems, and ways to make your home unappealing to would-be burglars by making it seem that people are home when they're not (i. e. using timers for the lights and other home automation to turn things in when you're not around).
Keyless entry devices usually go on your keychain. The simplest ones will lock and unlock your door while more complicated ones can be rigged to the horn or a car alarm system and even start your car remotely. Remote keyless entry systems work by combining a radio transmitter and radio reciver. The transmitter goes on your keychain and when a button is pressed, it sends a signal, usually at 300-400 Mhz, to the receiver inside the car which is tuned to that particular frequency. The transmitter then sends a unique code.
In the beginning, keyless entry systems were fairly simple, but for security purposes, they have become more complex. Today's transmitters and receivers are synchronized and use a rolling code that constantly changes. This helps thwart people who use radio scanners to try and capture your code.
Remote keyless entry makes a lot of sense from a personal safety and security standpoint. If you're fiddling with your keys in a dark parking lot, you're opening yourself up as a target. Better to be able to get in your car quickly.
Source for this information:
Browse Keyless Entry Systems:
Remote Engine Start and Keyless Entry System.
Code Alarm Remote Start System With Keyless Entry
Audiovox APS-45B Keyless Entry System
Car alarm installation will vary from car to car and alarm to alarm but DIY help site eHow has a thorough article called How to Install a Car Alarm that I recommend for those who are looking for the basics or maybe wondering what's involved before they commit to installing an alarm themselves. The articles offers a step by step guide both of what's needed for preparation and what to do with the actual installation. Helpful tips are included.
An online newspaper offers the following tips for preventing car theft this season:
"Always lock your car after parking it.
Do not leave valuables in the car.
Do not leave keys in the car. Keys left in the car often result in the car being stolen.
Park in well-lighted areas.
Mark your car radios, other car equipment, CD's and tools with your operator license number.
Lock your packages and gifts in your car's trunk, especially during the holiday season."
For more tips, read the full article: Prevent car theft this winter.
Other resources on preventing car theft:
Learn about the Types of Car Theft and more on Car Theft Prevention
I've mentioned X10's Active Home Professional software before in relation to home automation and home security, but I found an article that relates Active Home to up and coming wireless technologies that are competing for attention in the homeowners' market. The writer, Rob Enderle, discusses current X10 technology, Z-Wave, Smarthome's Insteon, and tying it all in to make a fully computerized home.
The Custom Electronics & Conference Expo is a convention for professional electricians, contractors, computer systems integrators, and the like, but it looks interesting enough to intigue anyone curious about the latest technology and gadgets related to home elctronics and home automation. They have their calander posted for Spring 2005, so take a peek if it sounds like something your interested in.
