Public surveillance cameras a godsend for solving crimes

Some people are opposed to the use of public surveillance cameras. They think it’s a step toward Big Brother watching its citizens and gathering information on them.
But when a crime like the Boston Marathon bombings happens, we thank our lucky stars for having photos and video that capture the perpetrators. Video and still images in that case helped to identify the terrorist suspects and likely prevented more bombings.
Cameras in public places are a fact of life in the 21st Century -- not just government security cameras, but surveillance cameras belonging to private businesses and homeowners. Then you have people with their cellphone cameras. Cameras are everywhere in public capturing both newsworthy images and the mundane.
I don’t think security cameras are a great deterrent in preventing crime. But they make police work a hell of a lot easier after the fact. We’ve all seen enough movies and TV shows where the first thing detectives do is gather all the surveillance footage they can get. It’s the logical first step. Cameras are better than eyewitnesses.
When a child goes missing or terrorists strike, we want to see what happened at the scene.
Surveillance cameras were used to ID Boston Marathon bombers Tamerlan and Dzhokar Tsarnaev. (See articles by Gizmodo and the Daily Mail.)
In January, a 5-year-old girl was kidnapped from a Philadelphia elementary school and the incident was caught on video, according to the Daily Mail.
In July 2011, video surveillance cameras helped capture “Butcher of Brooklyn” Levi Aron for the murder of 8-year-old Leiby Kletzky.
I’ve written a couple of times about my support for public surveillance cameras. In February 2010, I listed a bunch of major crimes solved by having images captured by such cameras. In May 2010, I wrote about how the foiled Times Square bomber was caught on video.
Could cameras be abused by government authorities? Yes. But they also could be a check and balance against government abuse and misconduct, such as violent cops.

Photo: Surveillance photo that helped catch the Boston Marathon bombers.

Terrorists don’t have to be successful to impact American life

Islamic terrorists are a pretty stupid bunch. Angry and dedicated, but dumb as a box of rocks.
From blaming the West for all their problems, instead of their own leaders, to agreeing to kill innocents for the sake of their religion, they don’t have a lot going on upstairs
The would-be car-bomber who left an SUV parked in New York City’s Times Square on Saturday packed the vehicle with more than 100 pounds of fertilizer. But the dope used the wrong kind. Instead of ammonium nitrate, the kind of fertilizer used by Oklahoma City bomber Timothy McVeigh, he used a harmless fertilizer, according to ABC News.
Still the SUV also was loaded with propane and gas cans, so it could have caused a giant fireball if it had gone off, Fox News says. But the amateur terrorist couldn’t get that right either.
Since 9/11, there have been a bunch of failed terrorist attacks.
But they’ve still impacted the lives of everyday Americans.
The Times Square incident is likely to lead to more and better security cameras in Manhattan. I’m a proponent of public surveillance cameras. They make solving crimes much easier.
New York will spend $110 million to add video cameras in Midtown Manhattan to expand a security network centered on Wall Street downtown, Bloomberg reported.
A suspect in the Times Square attempted bombing was caught on video leaving the scene.
A Pakistani Taliban group has taken credit for the attempted attack, but government officials have not been able to confirm a link.
Islamic terrorists have made flying a pain thanks to their failed attacks. Going through airport security now is like running the gauntlet because of all the silly rules.
You have to take off your shoes, sometimes your belt, remove all metal objects from your person, take your laptop computer out of its case, keep your boarding pass and identification in your hand, and submit to pat down searches.
Oh, and don’t forget to put all your liquids in a small clear plastic bag when using a carry-on bag. They created the not-so-memorable 3-1-1 rule: 3 ounce or smaller containers of liquid or gel, 1 quart-size, clear plastic, zip-top bag holding the small containers, and 1 bag per traveler placed in the security bin.
Thank you, terrorists.

Photo: Video frame of the Times Square attempted car bomber. See Reuters for more photos and video.

Living in the age of video surveillance

Some people are concerned about the proliferation of video surveillance gear in public and even on private property. They think it violates their privacy and could lead to a police state.
I’m on the side that believes video security cameras do more good than harm. They provide a deterrent to crime and are a cop’s best friend in solving crimes.
Two years ago, a man walked into a Lane Bryant women’s clothing store in Tinley Park, Ill., and shot five women dead. The case is unsolved. There were no video cameras in the store or parking lot. Had there been cameras, the culprit likely would have been caught.
Surveillance cameras have helped to solve a bunch of high profile cases: the abduction and murder of 2-year-old James Bulger in Liverpool, England, in February 1993; the kidnapping and murder of Carlie Brucia in Sarasota, Florida, in February 2004; and the July 2005 terrorist bombings in London.
More recently, security cameras led to arrests in the killing of a masseuse in Boston who advertised on Craigslist in April 2009 and the Yale University lab murder in September 2009.
Solving crimes would be a lot easier if there were more cameras inside and outside businesses and in public areas. I’d feel a lot safer knowing that bad guys can’t hide from the unblinking eye of surveillance cameras.
More consumers are installing do-it-yourself surveillance cameras because prices have fallen and they’re easier to set up now. MultiMedia Intelligence has projected annual sales of consumer video surveillance cameras hitting more than $1 billion by 2012.

Photos: Video stills of alleged Craigslist killer Philip Markoff and the abduction of Carlie Brucia.

What you can learn from in-flight gift catalogs

The staff of Tech-media-tainment returned from a five-day vacation to Playa del Carmen, Mexico, on Thursday, hence the lack of posts on TMT.
On the flight back to Chicago from Cancun, after finishing a stack of magazines, I flipped through United Airlines’ early spring 2009 SkyMall gift catalog. Here are a few things I observed about the gadgets, household problem solvers and other products for sale:

There’s no shortage of overpriced gizmos from the likes of Brookstone and Hammacher Schlemmer. And Sharper Image founder Richard Thalheimer is back with another company to peddle electronic gadgets now that the Sharper Image retail chain has gone bankrupt.
Thalheimer’s new company is RichardSolo. The products it carries aren’t much different from those sold by the Sharper Image, such as nose and ear hair trimmers. He devotes a full page to a pocket-size backup battery for Apple iPhone or RIM BlackBerry phones. It also features a built-in laser pointer and LED flashlight. Price: $69.95.
Or how about three flameless candles with a remote control for $49.95. They use energy-efficient LED lights. Perfect for the “player” who wants to set the right romantic mood lighting.

People like to pamper their pets.
You can buy steps for your tired, old pooch who needs help getting up on the couch or bed ($39.99) or a ramp for Fido to get into the car for $119.
The catalog also touts cabinets that hide kitty litter boxes inside a “handsome piece of furniture” for $99.95 or a decorative potted plant for $129.95.
My favorite is the pet doorbell set. “Train your pet not to scratch at the door! Pets simply push the Pet Paw to tell you when they need to come in or go out!” Yeah, right. Price: $69.95.

Then there’s a category of products that offer solutions for problems you didn’t know you had.
How about a self-propelled pool float for $159.99? Apparently it’s too much work for some people to paddle with their hands. They need a floating lounge with motorized propellers controlled by joysticks on the armrests.
Even better, how about a radio-controlled, motorized snack float that brings food and drinks to you for $49.99? “No need to paddle around or get out of the water for a cold drink or snack – make ’em come to you!”
I like the electronic feng shui compass for $399.99. The gadget supposedly “locates and calculates energy fields” so you can position furnishings in your home to provide positive energy for family and friends.

Spy technology is going mainstream.
On sale in the SkyMall catalog were a wireless stealth DVR camera that can record up to 45 days of high-quality digital video on a 2 GB SD card for $274.99 and an all-in-one, four camera video security system with night vision for $1,499.99.
You can also get a pen that discreetly records video and audio on 2 GB of internal memory for $149.99. A cheaper spy pen sells for $99.99 in the same catalog.

Apparently there are a lot of germaphobes out there.
Several manufacturers are selling toothbrush sanitizers that use ultraviolet light to kill germs. “A single toothbrush can harbor millions of microorganisms, including those that carry colds and flu,” says one ad for a $39.99 device. Probably only a real concern if you share toothbrushes, I say.
Or how about disposable, antibacterial-infused covers for remote controls? “A recent study of germs in hotel rooms found that germs abound, and television remotes rarely get wiped down, let alone disinfected,” the product description says. The remote control covers cost $39.99 for a 15-pack and $49.99 for a 25-pack. My suggestion: buy a cheap pack of disposable antibacterial wipes if you’re worried about that sort of thing.
But wait there’s more. The catalog advertises a touch-less paper towel dispenser as helping to prevent the spread of germs. Just wave your hand in front of the sensor and one sheet automatically dispenses. Only $59.99, not including paper towels or the required four D batteries.
On the high-end, there’s a UV disinfection scanner for $79.99. It’s a wand that you wave over hotel beds and carpet to kill dust mites, lice, flea eggs and germs. “Stop the spread of infectious diseases – from the common cold and flu viruses to deadly E. coli and Asian bird flu,” it says. You supply your own light saber sound effects.

Phoenix-based SkyMall is owned by N.Y.-based private equity fund Spire Capital Partners and the Greenspun Corp.