They say news motivates the public into action. If that’s true, many folks are taking a curious look these days at any potted plants and smoke detectors they might come across.
ESPN sports reporter Erin Andrews recently dominated headlines when a secret video of her was taken in a hotel room and posted online. Whether that video was taped by a stranger or someone she knew, is being debated. But there’s no question that it has renewed people’s interest in surveillance equipment.
Those who haven’t recently shopped for, or researched, covert surveillance products will be surprised at their variety, availability and sophistication. This equipment, known by some as spy gadgets, has advanced light years from when a cameraman stood behind a wall, filming through a cutout in a portrait painting. Everyday people use them in a variety of ways. The fact is that John Q. Public is being recorded quite frequently, whether it be for safety, loss prevention, evidence gathering or just for fun.
Spies Grown Up
People are fascinated by mysteries. As children we read in books about the adventures of Nancy Drew and the Hardy Boys. Local libraries still host popular spy story times and similar programs. As adults we see our movie theaters and television lineups dominated by “who-done-its”.
Just because we grow up, it doesn’t mean we have to give up our desire to get the goods on a bad guy, uncover an injustice or document an important legal issue.
Some people become the professional equivalent of spies: police, government agents and private investigators. Some users of surveillance equipment do so because they feel they’ve been wronged and they need evidence. For others, surveillance equipment remains entertainment. That adolescent desire to catch someone being silly, or to be the hero who solves a mystery just never goes away.
Surveillance Equipment Bought Over Internet
Retail brick-and-mortar spy stores are rare. When someone buys a covert surveillance device, it’s usually done through the privacy of e-commerce.
Due to technological advances in computers and electronics, today’s cameras are free of bulky lenses, film, tapes and batteries. Every part is shrunk to a fraction of its original size. Audio and video is digital, the lenses can be the size of pinholes, and the data is usually stored on a wafer-thin SD card.
Today’s audio/visual recorders are far superior to those of five or 10 years ago. Their resolution is sharp and the memory is expansive. Some surveillance cameras have 360-degree views, night vision and motion activation.
Because they are so small, it is easy to conceal hidden cameras in small, everyday objects.
Manufacturers and distributors are marketing surveillance cameras in hats, neckties, sunglasses, key chains, pens, books and alarms clocks. Covert cameras are being placed in exit signs, air purifiers, teddy bears and even light bulbs.
Costs for such equipment vary widely, from about $50 for a keychain with audio recording capabilities to a super-secret private-investigator quality briefcase camcorder for several thousands of dollars.
Consumers have never had a better choice in covert audio and visual recording equipment. How and when such devices are used, and to who’s benefit or embarrassment is ultimately the choice of the user/purchaser. Reporter Andrews’ recent experience with a hidden camera was unfortunate and likely will lead to the arrest of a “Peeping Tom.” In contrast, on the same news day, came the report of a hidden camera investigation, which exposed serious health code violations in a Las Vegas mall food court.
We use surveillance cameras to “watch” our nannies, our lawyers, doctors and nurses, our employees, our neighbors our enemies and our friends. With hidden cameras, the old game of hide and seek is elevated to a new level.
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Tags: Erin Andrews, ESPN, Gadgets, Internet, Spy, Surveillance
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