Home Security Gadgets & Reviews

If you’re interested in the idea of adding a little video surveillance to your security system (or you just want to set up a hidden spy camera in your dorm room so you’ll have proof that your roommate stole your Cheetos), then this small wireless unit is an easy way to set up and get started with single-camera video surveillance.

“The ultimate addition to your wireless miniature surveillance system. Use an existing 2.4GHz receiver in combination with the MicroCam 4 for closer monitoring. The camera offers extended range, and the clarity and picture quality have been enhanced for even better full color images. The extremely small camera is portable and easily concealed. Position it in a baby’s nursery, use it on a pole to check for leaves in your guttering, monitor business transactions or use it for fun. The tiny MicroCam 4 will transmit up to 330ft/100m.”

And if you’re worrying about it messing with the signal from your wireless router or wireless phones, the surveillance system actually can be programmed to different frequencies, so it shouldn’t be any problem.

The camera system costs $130 at Amazon:

Swann Microcam 3 Wireless Ultra Miniature Security Camera System

Home video surveillance used to be an expensive proposition, but the prices have really come down on security cameras, and you can even get a wireless internet security camera that is a snap to install (if you can plug in a USB cable and click a few buttons, you can install one).

The Panasonic wireless camera shown here can be used as a nany cam (watch how your babysitter interacts with your kids when you’re not home), as part of a security system (while it’s also good to have a burglar alarm that will call the cops if anyone trespasses, a camera can be a great way to catch an image of the thief), or even to make sure your pets aren’t getting into trouble! (The description of this camera at Amazon actually totes its uses for monitoring pets.)

In the past, security cameras have just recorded video onto a VHS tape that you could watch when you got home. With an internet camera, it’s a whole different story. You can access the feed live from your PC at work or an internet cafe across the world. You can even check in on an internet-enabled cell phone! That’s one of the great benefits of a wireless internet security camera, as compared to a traditional video surveillance system. The ability to check in any time from anywhere and watch a live feed makes it really valuable.

This Panasonic wireless internet security camera is less than $300 at Amazon. As long as you have a broadband network at home (most internet cameras won’t work with dial-up), you shouldn’t need to get any additional hardware to make this puppy work.

Panasonic Wireless 802.11 b/g Network Camera

If you want to set up security monitoring as part of your home security system, there are lots of kits out there that make it easy to do it yourself these days. Wireless is definitely easier to set up than wired systems (which involve drilling into walls and running wires behind the drywall–unless you fancy cords all over your house), and today’s systems are much more reliable than older models.

This 4-camera kit from Smarthome lets you place 4 security cameras around your house, where they transmit their images to a central monitoring station (i.e. your PC). Footage can be recorded or viewed in real life. You can even get software that lets you check in on your cameras’ feeds while you are away from home.

Mini-Air Watch 4 Wireless Color Camera Kit

Here’s another home security camera that is motion-activated and automatically snaps pictures of people who walk into its field of vision. Cyber Eye runs on black and white, but it’s also got infrared capacity for taking pictures of people who approach in the dark. Here are a few details about the camera, from the product description at the retailer’s site:

“This camera is great for catching someone sneaking around your house or you can put it in your car and aim it out the window. Since it works by changes in the picture and not motion, you can take pictures through glass and it will still work beautifully. You can set the pictures to be taken at 1-60 second intervals. (UP TO 680 pictures) The unit will automatically add a time and date stamp to each picture.”

Cyber Eye is available at Cool Gadget for about $240, and it comes in either black or white.

http://www.coolgadget.net/cybereye.html

It just looks like a normal wall clock, doesn’t it? Something you might pick up at Ikea perhaps. It does, in fact, tell time, but there’s also a hidden camera inside.

If you’ve ever wanted to set up a nanny cam or monitor people in your house when you’re not there, this is a pretty easy way to do it. “An actual 10in. x 10in. x 1 1/2in. clock with quartz movement conceals a black-and-white pin-hole security camera. The camera’s wide-angle lens records a generous area in front of the wall-mounted clock.” The description promises the wall clock/hidden camera is easy to install; there’s just 1 power cord and 1 additional cable involved.

The clock is available at Northern Tool for $50.

Wireless is definitely the thing today in home security surveillance cameras. And it makes sense, since they’re much easier to install than their wired counterparts. They’re fairly cheap these days, too, at least compared to what wireless technology used to cost. Software that comes with the cameras makes it easy for anyone to plug-and-play and use them (footage can be recorded right to your computer).

This Panasonic network security camera is an example of what’s out there on the market. At just under $100, it’s an inexpensive way to add the ability to record color video footage of your home when you’re gone. It only turns on when it senses motion, and then it can even e-mail you the video image of what it’s recording.

Panasonic High-Quality Color Network Camera

Dome security cameras have been popular in stores for quite some time. They inobtrusively watch for shoplifters and other problem customers from their hiding spots on the ceilings. If you prefer that look to the traditional wall-mounted cameras, you can get residential versions now that you can install indoors or outdoors to keep on eye on your home.

This ceiling-mounted mini dome camera from Shoppers’ Choice costs just under $140 and even if you bought a few of them to keep around the premises, it’d be cheaper than going with a full-fledged monitored security system. Of course, this way it’d be up to you do to the monitoring (you can program the cameras to transmit to a PC, where records are kept of the surveillance), but you wouldn’t have to pay those monthly fees. You still might want to get an expert to help you with the installation, however, as the cameras do require wiring know-how.

Color Mini Dome Camera

Wireless technology is making home security easier all the time. When once you had to spend thousands or even tens of thousands of dollars having security cameras and hard-wired systems professionally installed, today you can get wireless units such as the Swann MicroCam III Wireless Security Camera and do the plug-and-play installation yourself.

The versatile Swann camera can be used for everything from keeping an eye on the baby or the babysitter (think nanny cam) or monitoring the front door or even keeping watch over the store if you’ve got a small business.

The camera comes with a power adapter (in case you want to set it up permanently) and a 9-volt battery (if you want to move it from place to place on a regular basis). To monitor or record the footage, you simply connect the receiver to a digital video recorder (DVR), a VCR, or a video monitor or computer with a video capture card. Though the camera itself is small (the product description promises you can conceal it in your hand), it offers a full color picture and can transmit to a receiver in another room or up to 328 feet away.

You can find the Swann MicroCam III Wireless Security Camera at Circuit City and other electronics stores for about $120.