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VoIP Supply at the MOBOTIX 2014 East Coast National Partner Conference
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VoIP Supply and MOBOTIX

The VoIP Supply President, Paula Griffo, and I just got back from the MOBOTIX East Coast Partner Conference on Friday and are we excited where this security company is going!

VOIP Supply and MOBOTIX have had a beautiful relationship for years. When the MOBOTIX Partner Program went into effect last year, VoIP Supply was immediately an Advanced Partner. We’ve been trained on the products and we can get directly on the phone with MOBOTIX, which is a huge benefit to you, our customers.

If you’re not familiar with MOBOTIX, they are a full solution surveillance company. Dr. Ralf Hinkle founded the company back in 1999 in Germany by building a DVR directly into an IP camera. This decentralized system was revolutionary, and since then MOBOTIX …

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Extending the Life of Analog
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Love your analog camera but the CCTV system isn’t cutting it for you?  You’re not alone.  A lot of analog cameras are still going strong after the rest of the system bites the dust.  In fact, manufacturers have hardware that lets you keep your favorite cameras and give them the network surveillance lift.

The main reason you’re looking for a solution is most likely because the monitor, DVR or VCR gave out…or you can’t find any more VHS tapes.  That’s ok, surveillance has prepared for this.  Nowadays you can use a PC for video processing and back-up with your analog cameras.  There are just a few components you need to have:

Video Encoder: This piece of equipment is what makes it possible to keep your …

The Evolution of Security
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In a not too distant past, we’ll say 20 years ago, it was common to be sitting in the cold glow of Dateline watching some surveillance recording of a convenient store being robbed and all you could make out was black and white static footage that barely resembled a dark hoodie and a blurred face.

The old days of just comprehensible analog footage has been completely left behind and digital video has taken its place and moved on.

To no fault of analog; the history and technology of the time is fascinating—interlaced scanning, the absolute need for sturdy coax cable, VHS tapes being changed out every 8 hours—but it just doesn’t have the wow factor anymore.  Even modern analog cameras maxing out at 976×494 resolution …

What’s my IP Camera’s Default Password?
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The helpful folks at IP Video Market have put together an alphabetical list of the default usernames and passwords for the top IP camera manufacturers to help speed up your set-up time and serve as a quick reference.

Below is a sample list.  For the full list click here, IP Cameras Default Passwords Directory.

Default Username/Password List

  • ACTi: admin/123456 or Admin/123456
  • Axis: traditionally root/pass, new Axis cameras require password creation during first login
  • Cisco: No default password, requires creation during first login
  • Grandstream: admin/admin
  • IQinVision: root/system
  • Mobotix: admin/meinsm
  • Panasonic: admin/12345
  • Samsung Electronics: root/root or admin/4321
  • Samsung Techwin (old): admin/1111111
  • Samsung Techwin (new): admin/4321
  • Sony: admin/admin
  • Trendnet: admin/admin
  • Toshiba: root/ikwd
  • Vivotek: root/<blank>

Via IPVM…

Vivotek Unveils Extreme Weatherproof PTZ IP Camera Series
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Vivotek has released a new series of extreme weatherproof speed dome IP cameras.  Aimed at replacing earlier models, the new Vivotek SD83xxE PTZ cameras will of course have IP66 rated enclosures for tough outdoor conditions from snow to desert extremes.

The new Vivotek Outdoor PTZ IP camera series will also provide:

  • Joystick controlled PTZ features with 360° continuous pan and 90° tilt functionality with automatic patrol option.
  • H.264 compression including MPEG4 and MJPEG encoding for flexible video streaming tailored to your needs.
  • Wide Dynamic Range (WDR) Pro support for challenging lighting conditions.
  • IR-cut filter for true day/night functionality.
  • Local data storage on an SD/SDHC card slot.

Model Differences

The main differentiating factors in the new models are resolution and optical zoom capabilities:

  • SD8311E:  18x
…

Thailand Flood Causes Hard Drive Shortage
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If you’re looking to buy a Network Video Recorder (NVR) or especially a configurable NVR like those with QNAP that offer your choice of storage, there may be a shipment delay due to flooding in Thailand that is affecting hard drive production.

The damage from flooding could keep factories closed for months so manufacturers who have an immediate hard drive need are stocking up quickly.  The last few months of 2011 are expected to be tight and Q1 2012 could be slow when the true impact of this disaster is felt.

If you’re looking into buying an NVR or anything else with a hard drive, sooner rather than later may be the best option as there’s no telling how long the wait could be.…

Affordable Do-It-Yourself Home Surveillance
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Entry level IP cameras are dropping in price and are easier to install than you think.  Unlike webcams, IP cameras are standalone devices the don’t need a continuously running computer to allow them to operate.  Plus, you can access images from your IP camera anywhere, including mobile phones.

Nik Rawlinson of CNET writes “How to set up a cheap home security system using Dynamic DNS” and outlines, in great detail, the steps you’ll need to follow:

  1. Site your IP camera
  2. Sign up to free Dynamic DNS forwarding
  3. Set up your router

That’s all you need to start monitoring your cats from work.

Home IP Camera Suggestions

Here’s a few affordable indoor IP cameras that are great for home, office, or vacation home use.  …

Mobotix Installed as World’s Highest Webcam to View Mt. Everest
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Mobotix’s Outdoor IP Cameras are made from a fiberglass-reinforced plastic that’s normally used to manufacture hard-wearing exterior car components. 

So it’s no surprise that a solar powered Mobotix M12 camera is now the world’s highest webcam at 18,514 feet (5,643 meters) on the Kala Patthar mountain.

Mobotix Outdoor IP Cameras are deployed in arctic and desert extremes with an operating temperature range of -22° F (-30° C) to over 140° F (60° C). And with a low power consumption, temperatures inside a Mobotix camera remain temperate resulting in a longer life span. 

Perched on the Kala Patthar mountain to provide high definition, megapixel views of Mount Everest, the world’s highest Mobotix IP camera is being used with the world’s highest weather station on Mount Everest …

How to Waterproof a Dome IP Camera Installation
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ACTi Dome IP Cameras have IP66 rated waterproof casings but, as ACTi points out, the cameras are only as waterproof as your installation.

Translation:  ACTi dome IP cameras can only guarante weather imperviousness if both the camera and Ethernet cable are properly sealed off.

How to achieve watertight installation:

  • Employ waterproof junction box.
  • Use waterproof flex conduit to protect Ethernet cabling.
  • Mount flex conduit to camera using conduit gland / conduit fitting (not included with camera, sold separately).

ACTi dome IP cameras have a 3/4″ diameter side opening which you’ll need to know when purchasing the conduit gland/fitting.  The diameter of the conduit hose you want to use is up to you but it should obviously be wide enough to accomodate the head of the …

The Art of Stasi Surveillance
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No, these aren’t images of ironically dressed hipsters culled from the pages of an Urban Outfitters catalog but rather the uncovered surveillance archives of the East German secret police, the Stasi.

Photographer Simon Menner’s dicovery and display of this archive is not meant to be humourous, it’s a reminder to the viewer of the overbearing nature of government agencies as Menner remarked to Reuters reporter Sarah Marsh:

“These were used during courses on how to dress up and blend into society,” the 33 year-old artist said. “They seem pretty absurd now, but it was meant seriously — this is evil stuff.”

Other photos revealed that Polaroids were used to document how an apartment was arranged before a search took place so that objects could …

Sony IP Camera Debuts for Radiology Market
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Strapping an indoor dome IP camera to an IV stand and calling it a medical device for radiologists only works if you’re Sony.

It’s also not just any old IP camera or portable stand.  Sony is using its SNC-RH124 dual streaming, HD, 360 degree rapid dome IP camera that incorporatings state-of-the-art image-enhancement technologies in a compact body including 10x zoom that allow users to capture clear and bright images in challenging environments.

MD2GO Rolling Medical Stand

Coupled with the SNC-RH124 is Sony’s MD2GO rolling stand specifically designed for medical applications that forms a remote HD IP camera system.

The Sony MD2GO system has just been introduced to the radiology field at the Annual Meeting of the Association for Medical Imaging Management (AHRA) this week:

“The …