New Jersey's Livingston Mall recently installed a sophisticated video surveillance system that includes IQeye megapixel IP cameras from IQinVision. The cameras are strategically placed inside the mall, at outside entrances, and in the parking lot. The system operates on a wireless mesh network, which adds flexibility, and enables not only mall security personnel, but also the Livingston Police Department to access the cameras remotely. Eventually, the live video feeds will also be made available to LPD police cruisers responding to incidents and patrolling the area.

Richmond, Calif. will soon install a wireless surveillance network to protect its ports and to reduce crime and vandalism throughout the city. The incoming system will consist of 116 digital security cameras with the ability to wirelessly transmit surveillance images to Richmond police headquarters, a police dispatch center, and to Port security. The aim of the system is to deter crime, limit vandalism and illegal dumping, and provide visual evidence for prosecuting criminals.

Regional homebuilder Llanmoor Homes has chosen network cameras from Axis Communications to protect six of its construction sites. The cameras were first tested on a single site. Three Axis 211A network cameras and an Axis 211M were used for the initial installation. The new surveillance solution allows Llanmoor staff to remotely view images of their construction sites to monitor for security purposes, site progress, safety issues, deliveries, and more.

A 47-year old man now faces criminal charges for driving his silver SUV into, and through, a shopping mall in Augusta, GA. The incident occurred when Stephen Lowe, apparently upset after a feud with his wife, decided the best way to cool his jets would be to essentially recreate a famous chase scene from The Blues Brothers. Mall security cameras were on hand to capture his voyage. Those images are now being used to book Lowe on criminal charges for his inexcusable, and inexplicable, behavior.

Axis Communications has announced a new, vandal-resistant network camera with instant, one-click pan/tilt/zoom functionality. The Axis 212 PTZ-V combines a vandal-proof casing with a unique set of advanced features. It's meant to serve as an affordable solution for indoor locations requiring uninterrupted wide-area surveillance and detailed video monitoring – areas such as schools, retail stores, banks, and lobbies.

Surveillance from a TriMet bus in Portland, Oregon is the last time that anyone saw Heidi Anderson - and her family hopes that this glimpse of the 37 year old woman can help find her and bring her home. Anderson has been missing for nearly two weeks.

After a wave of break-ins and vandalism, Fresno County library officials have decided to provide several branch libraries with security camera systems. The initial plan is to install cameras in five sites, with an eventual goal to equip all 34 branches with video security. Some of the problems the libraries have endured include stolen CDs, DVD, books, and even computers. There have also been instances of graffiti on exterior walls, and on library shelves, and stolen cars from library parking lots.

OnSSI recently released ProSight-SMB 6.0, an IP video surveillance platform geared towards small and medium sized businesses. The new software solution is available in 4, 6, 9, 16, and 25 camera license packages. It provides tools for remote video monitoring and post-event investigation, for instance digital pan, tilt, and zoom into recorded video images. Video footage is accessible over the Web or a Local Area Network (LAN) via NetGuard video client.

Early IP cameras had it rough - they were expensive, cumbersome, and usually shunned by network administrators for their possible security issues. This paradox - that a security camera could pose serious network security issues itself - was at the center of the IP camera debate for many years.

Grossmont High School in San Diego has been reeling since late 2001 - when two shootings happened at the school in just two weeks. Grossmont's environment has been improving since August, however, since Sony equipped the campus with a new IP camera surveillance system called e-Surveillance.

A group of assisted living and welfare facilities in Matsusaka City, Japan, has turned to Axis network cameras in an effort to help ensure the safety of its residents. The Taiyounosato Social Welfare Service Corporation first implemented a network surveillance solution from Axis Communications for its new Wakaba Sawayaka Garden Care House. An IP network was installed during construction, and Axis PoE network cameras were chosen for the new surveillance setup. Because the cameras support Power over Ethernet, there was no need to install additional electrical wiring. 13 network cameras were installed throughout the building, including the Axis 212PTZ, the Axis 210A, and the Axis 211.

We're pleased to unveil a new, easier to use version of the VideoSurveillance.com forums! We've upgraded to a new version of forum software that should make it easier to read and discuss about video surveillance issues that matter. Some improvements:

• Registration. It was a little difficult to register before - we've added a step that will allow you to start posting immediately after you submit your information.


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• More information. We're constantly updating our site with new and relevant information about applications, manufacturers, cameras, and more - and now our forums reflect these changes.

We tried to move all the existing posts and users over from the older software to our new forums. We're sorry if we missed your information - click here to register again and start posting right away!

Panasonic has developed a new integrated solution that combines video surveillance and Point of Sale (POS) systems onto a single platform. The result is Virtual Site Manager (VSM), a software-drive solution for organizations running retail sales operations. The software couples recorded video with POS workstation data for a complete record of financial transactions and interactions between customers and cashiers.

Demonstrating a new commitment to IP-based video surveillance, GE Security has acquired intellectual property and video systems technology from CoVi Technologies. The former CoVi team, best known for developing cutting-edge high-definition surveillance systems, will remain based in Austin, Texas, with its technical support, product management and engineering employees joining GE Security. Anticipating rapid growth in the areas of high-definition and megapixel surveillance cameras, GE now has the technology and an experienced engineering team to further explore that market.

A recent report by IMS research anticipates that the market for megapixel security cameras will grow substantially in the coming years, at a compound annual rate of over 100 percent. That would equal approximately 250,000 megapixel cameras shipped in 2008, and over 2 million total megapixel network cameras sold by 2011. Improved technology is the main reason for this rise in popularity. The advantages of megapixel cameras are great, but it has taken time for the technology to overcome a few stumbling blocks. Now, it appears the megapixel market is poised to really take off.

The Connecticut Department of Transportation is working on a project that will enable emergency responders to access video streams from highway traffic cameras in real time. The DOT would transmit the video feeds to a central, web-based source, making the live footage viewable over the Internet. Once in place, the new system will provide responders with the ability to see what's going on along I-95 so they can move faster and dispatch the proper personnel and equipment in cases of emergency.

There are a number of factors which help make the case for video surveillance on buses and other forms of public transportation. Security cameras can protect passengers and drivers from acts of violence. They can prove useful in identifying criminal suspects, and they can serve as deterrents to inappropriate behavior. In San Francisco, recently released surveillance footage highlights another benefit of video security on buses - monitoring driver behavior. The videos, which shed light on driver misconduct within the city's Muni bus system, include instances of accidents, injuries, threats, and insults.