Nahshon Roberts asked:


Hidden surveillance cameras have evolved from devices limited to the rich and famous, into affordable items for the average person. If you want to take care of your family, even when you’re away, install surveillance systems in your homes.

About twenty years ago, when people were asked if they would ever install hidden surveillance cameras in their home, they usually brushed the question aside, or they would tell you that such devices were only good for mansions, business establishments, and for the movies! But who could blame them? Twenty years ago, surveillance systems were much too expensive for the average Joe, not too mention too technical and complicated.

Why Surveillance Cameras Are Suddenly So Popular

Today, with the rapid advancement in technology, companies have been able to develop affordable surveillance systems so that almost every home is secured and equipped with one. They have also managed to simplify these devices so that you would not have to hire computer technicians to install the surveillance systems in your home.

But there’s another reason why surveillance systems have become so popular. Unfortunately, it’s the rising rate of crimes in homes. People are learning, through stories of crimes and unsolved cases shown by the media, that if they want to keep your family safe and have justice served, they need a surveillance system in their homes.

Among the most popular surveillance device is the hidden surveillance cameras. These covert cameras work by recording every movement in your home without letting everyone know that they are being watched.

Different Surveillance Cameras

These hidden surveillance cameras come in many different and unsuspecting forms. Among the most popular are the teddy bear, radio, and the wall clock. These are everyday items that blend in easily in any room. You can place one in the bedroom, in the kitchen, or in the living room, and nobody would know these were recording their every move.

Why Parents Rely On Hidden Surveillance Sytems

Most parents choose hidden surveillance cameras to monitor their babysitters and their kids while they are away at work. Time and time again, stories of robbery, child abuse, and molestation feed the media. And every story runs along the same line - parents leave their kids to harmless-looking babysitters and later find out that these harmless-looking nannies are really child molesters or abusers or thieves.

If you want to know how your kids are being cared for, you will definitely need surveillance cameras installed in your homes. Put these in places where the nanny usually interacts with your kids - the living room, your child’s bedroom, and in the kitchen. If you want to be extra cautious, you can even place one in every part of your house.

You might think that these cameras will only be useful in providing footages you can view when you get home or in producing the evidence you might need after crimes have been committed. Yes, they will definitely give you the evidence you will need to have the perpetrators sent to jail, but these cameras can most definitely keep untoward incidents from happening.

As long as you have access to the Internet in your office or wherever you may be while away from home, you can check on the video footages recorded by your hidden surveillance cameras any time of the day. So when you see something bad happening, you can immediately call the police or drive home to rescue your kids.

WrenSolutions asked:

For more information, please contact Steve Yusko at stephen.yusko@wrensolutions.com.

Sharon Macdonald asked:


Take a look around the internet for a just a minute to see all of the amazing new technology in “body-worn” surveillance cameras. Hats, neckties and pens can all contain video and/or audio recorders.  And the slimmest of digital audio recorders can be slipped into a pocket without detection.

How are these “body-worn” surveillance gadgets different from other covert surveillance tools from a legal standpoint?

Video recording (without sound) is usually okay - even if the camera is hidden on your body somewhere - unless the person(s) being recorded has a reasonable expectation of privacy, the taping is done for some illegal purpose or there was trespass to record the video. If the space in which you are recording is a public place, most courts will find that there is no reasonable expectation of privacy by anyone using the space.

There is a federal law which makes it a crime to secretly capture photo or video images of people in places and situations in which they have an expectation of privacy.  Most states similar laws.  These laws are often referred to as “video voyeurism” statutes. 

These laws make it a crime to secretly record or distribute images of people in places where they have a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as bathrooms, dressing rooms, locker rooms, hotel rooms and tanning salons. The federal law prohibits anyone from recording images of an individual’s “private areas” without consent when that individual has a reasonable expectation of privacy.  So, stay away from the bathroom and someone’s private bedroom when you’re sporting that necktie camera!

If the “body-worn” surveillance camera records sound as well as video (like the Pen Camera with audio currently available), you must comply with federal and state wiretapping and eavesdropping laws.  You will need consent of one or all parties to any recorded conversation, depending on your jurisdiction. The federal wiretapping statute allows phone calls and other electronic communication to be recorded with the consent of at least one party to the conversation. 

This means that if you are one of the people taking part in the conversation (and using your new Pen DVR), the conversation can be recorded (because one person - you - has consented to the recording).  If you are not taking part in the conversation or if you choose to leave that Pen DVR sitting on top of desk while you leave the room, at least one of the people in the conversation must know about and consent to the recording.

Just to make things a little more confusing, each state and territory has its own statutes regarding the recording of conversations.  Most state wiretapping and eavesdropping laws are based upon the federal law and allow recording with the consent of one party to the conversation (usually you in a “body-worn” hidden camera situation). 

The states which allow “one party consent” recording of oral communications are: Alaska, Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.  The District of Columbia also allows people to record conversations with the consent of only one party.  Nevada has a one party consent statute but there is some question as to how the law should be interpreted by the courts - it could be considered an “all party consent” state.

The states which definitely require all parties to a conversation to consent before it can be recorded are: California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Washington.  (In California, there is an exception - you can record a conversation with the consent of only one party if certain criminal activity (kidnapping, extortion, bribery or a violent felony) is involved.) In all-party-consent states, you will need to stick with video surveillance only if you need to stick with the hidden nature of the surveillance.

In the 37 one-party-consent states, a “body-worn” hidden camera may allow you to be more flexible in your surveillance in that audio can accompany your video - because you will be present for the whole conversation and recording and only your consent is required. For the finer points of your own state’s laws and requirements, you should always consult with an attorney.

Bama asked:


I have 4 PCs. 1: XP Professional (laptop), 2: Vista (desktop) , 3: XP Home (desktop), 4: Vista (laptop). I recently setup security on the Linksys router and all client machines connect to the internet except for the XP Home desktop which has a wireless PCI adapter (this PC was working fine before setting up security). The root of the issue is that I don’t get a network key prompt as I do with the other clients. I have looked in TCP/IP properties and within the device driver itself but can’t find where you can hard code the network key. Any thoughts? Thx.