Married actors Harry Hamlin and Lisa Rinna came on TODAY Tuesday to talk about their new reality-TV show, as well Rinna’s famous lips and their new books — but reality hit them right while they were appearing on live television.

The couple learned that Belle Gray, their clothing store in Sherman Oaks, Calif., had been burglarized, and reacted to the crime in real time while talking with Hoda Kotb and Kathie Lee Gifford.

Having already spoken with Meredith Vieira earlier on the show, Rinna and Hamlin had returned to chat with Kotb and Gifford in the show’s fourth hour when the news came. Agitated and holding his cell phone, Hamlin told the anchors that he had been informed their store had been broken into just moments before they came on camera.

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“Girls, I have to tell you I have to keep my cell phone on, because our clothing store is being robbed as we speak,” the actor said.

Only seconds later, Hamlin’s cell phone rang. “I’m getting the call right now to tell me what’s going on,” Hamlin told Kotb and Gifford, as Rinna exclaimed: “That’s real life, baby!”

“The store is being robbed?” Hamlin said into his phone. “They take much? They took piles from the first two racks, yes?” Looking up irritably from the phone, he told Kotb and Gifford: “And by the way, our alarm company was supposed to take care of this, and they did nothing, did nothing!”

Source MSNBC

HDcctv Alliance™, the global security industry consortium established to manage and promote technical standards for HDcctv equipment interoperability, announced today that their voting members have ratified version 1.0 of the HDcctv (high-definition closed-circuit television) Specification. HDcctv Alliance members are already introducing HDcctv-compliant products displaying the HDcctv logo.

“HDcctv is perhaps the first new product category in ten years to be introduced into the surveillance industry, a new way to provide high resolution on selected cameras on the premises while preserving the existing CCTV system architecture.” said Todd Rockoff, chair of HDcctv Alliance.

“Prior to the advent of HDcctv systems, the only way to achieve high-resolution video surveillance was to install IP cameras, which can be costly and present technical challenges to the installer and security professional,” noted Rockoff. “HDcctv squeezes new value out of existing CCTV cabling infrastructure. HDcctv is profitable for the manufacturer, dealer and installer since it is a high margin, high technology offering that is a cost effective, easy upgrade for customers.”

The HDcctv v1.0 Specification and all future Specifications adhere to the principle that the user/installer experience must mirror an analog CCTV installation, usage, and maintenance experience with the best aspects of analog CCTV retained, including plug-and-play installation, a secure closed loop for information transmission, and negligible video transmission latency.

In an HDcctv-based system, HDTV signals are transmitted digitally over conventional CCTV media without packetization or any perceivable compression latency. HDcctv is a zero-training, plug-and-play resolution upgrade for the installed base.

The HDcctv v1.0 Specification is an open industry standard that accommodates the growing broad adoption of HD video formats by both surveillance equipment manufacturers and security service providers within the CCTV industry. The Specification defines the requirements for a flexible system and apparatus capable of creating, transporting, distributing, recording and displaying HDcctv video and metadata. A scalable digital interface with support for external box-to-box digital interfaces is defined with optional audio, metadata and data capability for broad application for CCTV devices.

The HDcctv Alliance has partnered with SMPTE (Society for Motion Picture and Television Engineers) to include the family of video interfaces known as HD-SDI, covering transmission of 720p and 1080p formats, among others, at data rates around 1.5Gb/s, to create derivative standards to enable plug-and-play security systems and equipment that deliver high-resolution, high-definition (HD) surveillance video with no delays, image artifacts, or visible jitter.

Under the license agreement with SMPTE, the HDcctv Alliance has quickly developed v1.0 of its specification by directly reproducing many of the key technologies and requirements of HD-SDI, while adding new capabilities and formats tailored to the unique needs of the surveillance industry. Subsequent versions of the HDcctv specification will build on the v1.0 Specification to provide for advanced features, such as 300-meter signal transmission, up-the-cable control, bi-directional audio, and up-the-cable power.

“As a Charter Member of the HDcctv Alliance, Gennum provides connectivity technology to adopters of the Specification and is a major contributor to the standard itself,” comments Gareth Heywood, Gennum Corporation product market manager. “Gennum’s Aviia™ HDcctv-compliant serial digital interface transmitter and receiver chips provide a foundation for the version 1.0 HDcctv specification that delivers a proven broadcast industry-based standard on which to expand capabilities specific to the security and surveillance industry in the near future.”

“The ratification of the HDcctv v1.0 specification paves the way for CSST to take full advantage of the opportunity to rapidly bring HDcctv technology to the market," said Yuesheng Zhou, CTO of CSST and president of CSST Product. ““As China's leading security company, CSST is well positioned to introduce HDcctv to the rapidly growing end market in China. At the China Public Security Exposition (CPSE) in 2009, we demonstrated a full range of HDcctv compliant products including a camera, optical transceiver, DVR and monitor, all of which are able to form a complete HDcctv system solution at no packet loss, long transmission and zero delay. We have no doubt that HDcctv will come to its full bloom in the security industry soon.”

“Stretch provides manufacturers wanting to incorporate HDcctv capabilities into their standalone DVRs a quick path to market with our HDcctv v1.0 Specification compliant DVR reference designs for video surveillance OEMs and ODMs,” notes Bob Beachler, Stretch vice president of marketing, operations, and systems design. “Ratification of the HDcctv v1.0 Specification is a significant landmark in the road to delivering HDcctv to the security industry.”

HDcctv Alliance is open for membership sign up at www.highdefcctv.org. Alliance Members can log into the Website and gain access to non-public Alliance information. Only Adopting and Voting Members have access to the HDcctv V1.0 Specification. The Alliance’s membership, drawn from component and equipment manufacturers worldwide, includes Adopting and Voting Members CSST, Gennum, Stretch, AltaSens, blueCaps, Clinton Electronics, Comart, COP UK, EverFocus, theHDcctv.com, IDIS, Marshall Electronics, OmniVision, Ovii, Pixim, Speco Technologies, and Win4NET.

To learn more about HDcctv watch videos on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ee1Iq8mBCYg

About HDcctv Alliance
HDcctv Alliance is a non-profit, global consortium that manages open industry specifications for high-definition closed-circuit television (HDcctv), HDcctv is an all-digital transmission over coaxial cable of broadcast-industry-standards-compliant serialized uncompressed video for the security industry. The Alliance promotes industry adoption of HDcctv and provides education on its benefits to the security industry and end market. The Alliance compliance program facilitates the development of high-quality interoperable HDcctv devices. Devices that have passed compliance testing display the HDcctv logo and are promoted by the Alliance. Detailed information about the HDcctv Specification is available only to members on the Alliance’s Website. Further information is available by visiting the HDcctv Alliance Web site at www.highdefcctv.org.

Honeywell Video Technology Helps Protect Largest Privately-Funded Construction Project in U.S. History

Honeywell's multi-million dollar video surveillance system is helping to secure the newest mega complex on the Las Vegas Strip. CityCenter - newly developed by MGM MIRAGE and the Infinity World Development Corp, a subsidiary of Dubai World - is seamlessly integrating Honeywell's newest IP video technology with analog video and the facility's IT systems. All the technology is managed under a single software platform, Honeywell's MAXPRO® VMS (video management system).

The massive CityCenter complex, which is the largest privately-funded construction project in U.S. history, is an 18-million square-foot facility spread over 67 acres. The Honeywell video system, installed by the integrator North American Video, captures data from CityCenter's parking and retail locations, as well as the ARIA Resort and Casino, which includes more than 4,000 hotel rooms, 10 bars and lounges, and a 150,000 square-foot gaming space with 145 table games and 1,940 server-based slot machines. MAXPRO VMS allows personnel to quickly retrieve and view video from any camera to pinpoint and resolve issues as they arise. The system's distributed hardware network design allows operators to easily choose video feeds to view from the surveillance equipment room, versus pulling through all video feeds at once.

"Most newer facilities today will use a mix of both analog and IP video technology, but the key to maximizing their advantages is being able to manage both with a single platform," said Ron Rothman, president, Honeywell Security Group. "CityCenter is a perfect example of how to bridge the analog-IP gap in a way that enhances safety and security and improves operational efficiency."

The surveillance system includes equipment such as 360-degree IP cameras used to cover the casino floor, as well as megapixel cameras that can capture identification shots of people traveling between different areas. Additionally, CityCenter is in the process of implementing Honeywell's new HD3MDIP fixed mini-dome network camera, which is ideal for casino floors due to its superior picture quality and ability to capture high-definition images in variable conditions, including low lighting. It can also reduce the number of cameras needed to monitor table games.

CityCenter is also using Honeywell's Integrated Data Manager (IDM) offering that ties data from point-of-sales systems, slot machines and cash counters back to MAXPRO VMS. For example, security personnel can review cash handling from anywhere within the facility, and conduct both post-forensic and real-time analysis.

From an installation perspective, the system's network configuration saves hardware space, as well as time and money on installation and labor because it eliminates the need for transmitters and receivers.
 

Check us out at http://www.losgatosobserver.com/2009/06/22/community_wins_duck_race

Sunday's Duck Race at Vasona Park raised $75,000. Volunteers clean up rubber ducks after the race. Photo by Mike Anderson.

Fifteen thousand bright-yellow rubber ducks serenely floated down Los Gatos Creek at Vasona Lake Park Sunday, raising money for 20 local charities. The event was the second annual Silicon Valley Duck Race, which was sponsored by Jewish Family Services of Silicon Valley. Other local charities signed up to be “duck buddies,” an honor that included selling rubber ducks to raise money for their charities. and having an information booth at the event.

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VoIP – (Voice over Internet Protocol). Many customers are switching their phone service to VOIP. This is offered by both the cable company and DSL internet providers. While most alarm panels can utilize the VOIP lines for communications, it does present some additional obstacles that are not present with traditional “hardwire” telephone lines. If you have VOIP we would look carefully at how your providers network is configured to make sure you are aware of any potential problems.

NOTE: If you have switched your service from standard "POTS" (plain old telephone service) to VOIP after your alarm system was already installed, you need to be sure to test your alarm system. The change from "POTS" to VOIP can cause the alarm system seizure to be on the wrong side of the system if the VOIP provider has not wired the system correctly. It is not enough to just have your phone working to ensure that the alarm system will be monitored. PLEASE TEST YOUR ALARM SYSTEM.

The Burglar Alarm Standard of News

In my last post, I mentioned some of the problems that public opinion as a political force can pose when citizens aren't sufficiently informed or just don't care about political issues. I mentioned Walter Lippmann's suggestion to relieve citizens of their participation in political decision making and leave it all up to experts. Another suggestion comes from political scientist John Zaller, who calls for a "burglar alarm journalism." The principle is related to Lippmann's: Zaller proposes to leave the evaluation of political issues to, of all things, the media.

In his essay "A New Standard of News Quality: Burglar Alarms for the Monitorial Citizen" (2003), Zaller proposes a seemingly citizen friendly version of Lippmann’s government by experts.

Home Security Alarm Article

Infrared Alarm Systems

With crime on the increase, most people have or are considering installing some form of an alarm system. The industry is constantly changing and involving with new and updated features. There are a multitude of products and services available that it may be difficult to make a decision on which one.

An infrared alarm system is the most reliable of all the types of alarm systems. It can actually detect body movements through infrared radiation. It is not seen but electronic devices can pick up on the radiation.