CCTV Hidden Cameras

Writen by Damian Sofsian

CCTV stands for closed-circuit television. CCTV Hidden Cameras are used in places where there is a need for added security measures such as banks, supermarkets, department stores, schools and more. The entire network of cameras in various locations is connected by means of cables to a television or monitor in a single place. Images from all cameras can be displayed simultaneously on this screen. Images can be paused and zoomed in.

The basic use of CCTV Cameras is crime prevention and detection. Someone continuously monitors the images produced by CCTV Cameras on the screen. Any untoward activity is immediately brought to notice and a security alarm is raised. The use of CCTV Cameras in crime prevention and detection originated in the UK, but today most countries all over the world use them for surveillance. Several shoplifters are being booked daily using CCTV Cameras. There was also a sensational case where a child was rescued from his kidnappers when the kidnap was recorded over a department store CCTV Camera.

Another use of CCTV Cameras is in controlling road traffic. CCTV Cameras are placed at various strategic points on roads and their screens are placed in traffic control towers. Such surveillance helps to control the traffic and also to prevent accidents. In case there is an accident, immediate assistance can be rendered at the spot.

The use of CCTV Cameras is not without controversy. There is a section of the public that feels the use of CCTV Cameras is an invasion of privacy. There are restrictions to the use of CCTV Cameras in most states. Installation of a CCTV system requires letters of permission from the concerned authorities in some states.

Early CCTV Cameras were expensive. But now with growing technology, their prices have come drastically down and they are well within the reach of the common man. Modern CCTV Cameras are available with wireless technology. They can also be connected to the USB port of computers and can produce digital images. CCTV images can be uploaded to the net and made available over long distances.

Installing a CCTV surveillance system in a small office, with four cameras and a monitor, may cost about $750. Prices fluctuate depending on the company and sophistication of the equipment.

You Mean You’ve Never Had A Rogue Program On Your Computer – EVER?

Writen by Andrew Kleijn

If this is you, then you are either a security expert or extremely lucky! Unfortunately, it is becoming all too easy nowadays to get infected by spyware and malware. In fact, at any one time, around 90% of computers are infected with some form of rogue program, be it spyware, malware or adware. It is the single most common problem that support staff to the end user and businesses, have to deal with. These spyware programs can have lots of often devastating, effects on your computer, ranging from pornographic popups, to complete identity theft. Some of the nastier infections including programs that often say they will rid you of spyware (AND their rogue program) for a fee! Not only are these programs annoying, but they can slow your computer, destroy important information, render your computer completely useless and in extreme cases, lead to your identity being used to run up incredible debts in YOUR name!

Of course, the most important thing to do would be to protect yourself from ever getting these kinds of spyware nasties in the first place, There are a lot of freely available programs already available. A firewall, antivirus program and some spyware/adware checking program should be the FIRST things you install on your computer before venturing anywhere further on the internet. Of course, this advice could already be too late for you….

In this case I would recommend using some of the free resources available. One very good source of such information is the many forums and communities set up to defeat these programs from gaining any foothold in the ever increasing internet user list. Forums, such as that found at http://forum.securitycadets.com, have been set up to freely help those that have spyware/adware etc on their computer and want expert advice on removal, safely and cleanly. These people are experts in their field and dedicate themselves entirely for free, to help those that are maybe not so ‘aware’ about rogue programs. You can use the freely available tools and programs they recommend (all checked, all approved, all SAFE) to run scans, diagnostics and clean anything untoward from your computer. These people were often once victims themselves, and are determined to help others from falling foul as well.

They will also assist you in securing your computer for the future to prevent reinfection. These forums and their volunteers are also one of the best places to find out about any new rogue programs that you should be aware of.

In conclusion, if you are an internet novice, or even a computer expert, forums such as SecurityCadets.com are a one-stop place for all security related programs, advice, help and news that every internet user should be aware of. And somewhere you should bookmark now, in case you should be ‘unlucky’ enough to need their help, advice and support one day!

Technology Acceptance Model

Writen by Nida Mazhar

Advances in computing and information technology are changing the way people meet and communicate. People can meet, talk, and work together outside traditional meeting and office spaces. For instance, with the introduction of software designed to help people schedule meetings and facilitate decision or learning processes, is weakening geographical constraints and changing interpersonal communication dynamics. Information technology is also dramatically affecting the way people teach and learn.

As new information technologies infiltrate workplaces, home, and classrooms, research on user acceptance of new technologies has started to receive much attention from professionals as well as academic researchers. Developers and software industries are beginning to realize that lack of user acceptance of technology can lead to loss of money and resources. In studying user acceptance and use of technology, the TAM is one of the most cited models. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) was developed by Davis to explain computer-usage behavior. The theoretical basis of the model was Fishbein and Ajzen’s Theory of Reasoned Action (TRA).

The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) is an information systems (System consisting of the network of all communication channels used within an organization) theory that models how users come to accept and use a technology, The model suggests that when users are presented with a new software package, a number of factors influence their decision about how and when they will use it, notably:

Perceived usefulness (PU) – This was defined by Fred Davis as “the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would enhance his or her job performance”.

Perceived ease-of-use (PEOU) Davis defined this as “the degree to which a person believes that using a particular system would be free from effort” (Davis, 1989).

The goal of TAM is “to provide an explanation of the determinants of computer acceptance that is general, capable of explaining user behavior across a broad range of end-user computing technologies and user populations, while at the same time being both parsimonious and theoretically justified”.

According to the TAM, if a user perceives a specific technology as useful, she/he will believe in a positive use-performance relationship. Since effort is a finite resource, a user is likely to accept an application when she/he perceives it as easier to use than another .As a consequence, educational technology with a high level of PU and PEOU is more likely to induce positive perceptions. The relation between PU and PEOU is that PU mediates the effect of PEOU on attitude and intended use. In other words, while PU has direct impacts on attitude and use, PEOU influences attitude and use indirectly through PU.

User acceptance is defined as “the demonstrable willingness within a user group to employ information technology for the tasks it is designed to support” (Dillon & Morris). Although this definition focuses on planned and intended uses of technology, studies report that individual perceptions of information technologies are likely to be influenced by the objective characteristics of technology, as well as interaction with other users. For example, the extent to which one evaluates new technology as useful, she/he is likely to use it. At the same time, her/his perception of the system is influenced by the way people around her/him evaluate and use the system. Studies on information technology continuously report that user attitudes are important factors affecting the success of the system. For the past several decades, many definitions of attitude have been proposed. However, all theories consider attitude to be a relationship between a person and an object (Woelfel, 1995).

In the context of information technologies, is an approach to the study of attitude – the technology acceptance model (TAM). TAM suggests users formulate a positive attitude toward the technology when they perceive the technology to be useful and easy to use (Davis, 1989).

A review of scholarly research on IS acceptance and usage suggests that TAM has emerged as one of the most influential models in this stream of research The TAM represents an important theoretical contribution toward understanding IS usage and IS acceptance behaviors. However, this model — with its original emphasis on the design of system characteristics – does not account for social influence in the adoption and utilization of new information systems.

Small Business IT Consulting: Targeting The Sweet Spot

Writen by Joshua Feinberg

Small business IT consulting professionals can choose to market themselves to “sweet spot small businesses”. These small businesses are where you start to see small business IT consultants breaking through that $100 an hour barrier. This is where you start to see $95 to $125 an hour work, or in many cases more than that, depending on where you’re located.

Targeting Their Needs

With the sweet spot small businesses, generally they’ve outgrown peer to peer options and they have one or more dedicated servers. This can be to the small business IT consulting professionals’ advantage, because the competition they may have faced in targeting smaller firms is nonexistent in this arena.

That’s a very key fork in the road for this kind of small business. Once they get to the point where they have a dedicated server, they need professional help along with it. They can’t limp along with low budget economy, no-frills options, making this segment of the market a good target for the small business IT consulting professional.

How Big Are Sweet Spot Businesses?

A small business IT consulting professional should know that sweet spot small businesses have 10 to 50 computers, and 10 to 100 employees.

If you’re looking to target these companies with direct mail and other like forms of marketing, you should keep in mind that they produce anywhere from $1 million to $10 million in revenue – sometimes as high as $20 million in annual revenue.

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Industrial Automation – Help your Robotic Project Succeed

Writen by Christi Hart

Investing in robotic equipment can be a big leap for a small business. Industrial robots have been automating tasks since 1961. The first industrial robot, the Unimate, worked with the die casting machines at a General Motors plant. In the last decade there has been a surge of robots being integrated into mid-sized and smaller companies. One reason is the growth and affordability of the used robot market. With the leaps made in controls technology, companies are upgrading robots before the current model has finished its life-span. However, the overall functionality of the six-axis articulated arm has not changed in the last decade. As companies consolidate and reorganize, the factory surplus is sold.

Automation benefits include saving money and reducing production time. Automation also leads to an increase in part quality and reliability. These are some tips to help you get started implementing automation onto your factory floor.

1. Involve the Shop Floor Workers Consulting the workers that currently produce the part is a good starting point. This is the person who has the experience to know what works and what had not worked in the past. They often have helpful insight into the process that you can not gain by simply watching. Requesting their participation in the robotic welding project will help it be more successful. The workers who manually perform the process can provide advice on the configuration and specifications of the equipment up front, avoiding the possibility that the equipment is not as ergonomically friendly or productive as it could be. Failure to involve them disregards the insight they have gained though experience with the process.

2. Choose your Robot Operators and Robotic Programmers Carefully Most industrial robots are controlled by the use of teach pendants. Several of these pendants now are programmed with an interface that resembles a personal computer. An individual that is computer-literate will have less trouble learning how to instruct the robot and moving it to accomplish the desired tasks such as welding or material handling.

   For instance, the challenge of transforming a manual welding process to a robotic welding process is best handled by someone with a solid background in manual welding. This would be an ideal person to select for programming or operating the robotic welder. When choosing robot operators, programmers, and technicians, special consideration should be given to motivated employees that are willing to learn and advance their skills.

3. Make Training a Priority It is important when purchasing a robot integrator to choose one that provides training on the robotic system. This allows your company to be able to fully utilize the robot and minimize later down-time due to mechanical problems. Ideally the person chosen to receive the training should be the future programmer or operator. With the proper training, the programmer should be able to reliably produce efficient and effective robot programs. Basic groundwork training is a minimum, with the real learning happening on the shop floor. Generally your robotic integrator will program your robotic system to interact with your current equipment and leave you with a turnkey solution that requires only a push of a button. It is still ideal to have trained personnel on hand should a future problem arise. Routine maintenance, such as an annual grease replenishment and battery replacement, is also an issue that you will want a trained individual to perform. Many robotic systems have been destroyed by well-meaning maintenance by individuals that do not understand the complex nature of the robotic system.
4. Watch Part Fit-Up and Repeatability The most problematical issue with welding robots is part quality. Robotic systems are designed to repeat the same sequence of events. If the robot system has been damaged, repeatability can become an issue. Robotics systems sold feature a repeatability measurement and that should be taken into account along with payload and reach requirements. Used robots should be tested for accuracy and repeatability during the reconditioning process. When performing properly, robotic systems are more reliable and produce parts far superior in quality than manually welded parts. Touch sensing and seam tracking can be used to compensate for weld joints that are not static, but robots are limited by the laws of physics. The use of quality equipment in conjunction with robots improves the part fit-up. Attention should be paid to lasers, welding and cutting torches, welding power supplies, raw consumables, and other variables that could lead to a loss of quality in the finished product.

5. Calculate Estimated ROI There has been a steady growth in the robot industry over the past decade. Experts predict that this growth trend will continue in future years. Welding robots are still the majority of the market, but many applications can be handled by robots. The general rule-of-thumb is that a robotic welder can do the work of four manual welders. Therefore when production is increasing, the choice to add robotic welders is easily justified. It will also improve efficiency, productivity, and part quality. Higher quality leads to a greater demand for your product. Improved efficiency will enable you to be more competitive in your market. The improved productivity will allow you to meet your production demands without a larger workforce.