Malaysia CCTV Camera System Blog

HD CCTV

2010-11-26T13:00:00.008+08:00

Recently we had deployed Network Megapixel Camera at many retail outlets, houses and factories.

Kindly check out this HD CCTV video footage of a Vivotek FD8133 ( 1 megapixel network camera ) which we had deployed at an eatery located at Mont Kiara, a posh township north of the city centre of Kuala Lumpur.

Chilean Miners Rescued

2010-10-14T18:30:00.004+08:00

with the help of Vivotek FD8134 IP camera to provide live video feed.

Magic Show

2010-09-04T12:19:00.005+08:00

CCTV camera captured this magical swap at a Johor's petrol station.

Google Suggestions

2010-08-23T05:37:00.002+08:00

Google is not only a powerful search engine but I also discovered that it is the ultimate free statistic survey of your topic of interest.

Let me show you how.
As you type in the Google search box, Google will offer a few lines of most popular search suggestions like the following;

That is how most Malaysian feel about CCTV.

The serious use of the Google's search suggestions ends just about there.

Now the fun part is you can also try “singapore is_“, “girls are_”, “inception is_” etc.

I particularly like “where_“, “how_” & “what_”. It gives you truthful insight of Malaysian.

You can also try other countries' Google search engine and search with the same keywords and be amused by how others feel about your subject of interest.

Child Labor

2010-08-21T13:16:00.004+08:00

The other day a CCTV installer told me that his 3 Bangladesh workers had gone missing. He had no choice but to ask his 2 teens sons to stand in during weekends.

It is good to toughen up his sons but a 13 & 15 years old boys?

Step-by-step Guide

2010-07-19T06:12:00.001+08:00

Few weeks ago a customer called us to give him a step by step written instruction to configure his router for his purchased CCTV system.

Our technician emailed him the steps but he complained that the guide is not detail enough. Again our technician emailed him a more detail point form guide. After a few days, he called and said the guide is useless and he demanded for a screen captured step by step guide.

To me it is impossible to guide a person to set up a router if he has no basic IT knowledge what so ever ...unless of cause if you were patient enough to guide him with the following manner.

A "very-very" detail guide to a McDonald's store

Imagine every other meter you have to erect a signage and once he had arrived at the store you have to show him a snapshot of the store and ask him to do the following;

1. Turn yourself to face the glass door.
2. Look at the door signage.
3. If the signage says "PUSH", lift one of your hand (either one) to push the glass door.
4. If the signage says "PULL", lift one of your hand (either one) to pull the glass door.
5. After the door is opened, lift one of your foot (either one) and start walking in.
6. Once you are inside (to verify, you should be able to feel the air con), look for the counter (show him the snapshot photo), lift one of your foot (either one) and start walking toward the counter.
7. Check if anyone queuing.
8. If yes, walk to the end of the queue and wait for your turn (show him a snapshot photo of someone bottom).
9. If no, walk directly to the counter.
.
.
.
968. Open your mouth and put the burger in your mouth.
969. Bit off a chewable portion (very subjective, about 150g).
970. Start chewing.
971. Chew about 15 times and swallow.
972. Repeat step 968 to 971 until you can not see the burger no more. (please make sure you do not bit your fingers)
973. End

......sigh.

Elephant Lover

2010-07-14T18:07:00.004+08:00

Some diehard fans of a certain CCTV brands can be stubbornly unyielding... to a certain extent outright stupid.

Like this “elephant lover”. She will choose elephant no matter what.

...It is sad, period.

Mollusc's Prophecy

2010-07-08T13:46:00.002+08:00

The other day a CCTV prospect told me that it was like jinx. Last time when she wanted to put up a burglar alarm system, the house was burglarized a week before the alarm system was deployed. Now she plans to put up a CCTV system, again her house was broken into.

I suppose she is somehow has this foresight, oracle kind of ability to predict the oncoming misfortune.

To me she is like Paul, the psychic octopus that has a 100% prediction success rate for Germany's World Cup games. Here is his final show of mojo for the German team in this 2010 FIFA World Cup.

I wonder if those predictions were self-fulfilling prophecies.

Trash Can System = CCTV System

2010-06-28T01:25:00.001+08:00

A shopping mall GM complained to me that both the tenants and the shoppers are not civic-minded, he has to hire more cleaners as a result of that.

I never manage a shopping mall before but I suppose it is the same as managing a CCTV system. A good CCTV system should be your first line of protection, that's to prevent crime from happening.

Back to the mall, the problem may not be the tenants or the shoppers but trash can. The manager should find out if the mall had enough trash can and if they were strategically located.

Like a good CCTV system to prevent crime, a good "Trash Can System" is their first line of protection to prevent people from littering.

Prevention is always better than cure.

Make sure you wear your "helmet" when you hit the road... well, I suppose any trash can is better than no trash can.

Not According to Spec

2010-06-16T12:22:00.011+08:00

I understand the frustration when a CCTV user complained to me that their existing CCTV gear is not performing to their expectation. Ten out of ten of those users said their previous CCTV installer did show them the equipment specification but it was a total letdown once the system is up.

Well, my advice is before you make your purchase, it is a must to check out the CCTV gear in action instead of just reading their specification.

To me to get a CCTV gear is like watching the FIFA World Cup.

According to FIFA / Coca-Cola latest World Ranking;

(a) Greece ( 13 ) and South Korea ( 47 );
According to Spec, Greece should has won with comfortable margin, but hell no, South Korea beat Greece 2 – 0 in the Group B opening match.

(b) Brazil ( 1 ) and North Korea ( 105 );
According to Spec, Brazil should crush the Korea DPR with a margin of their ranking differentiation like 105 – 1 (probably Brazil own goal), but Brazil only managed a very humble win over North Korea last night in the Group G opening game, 2 – 1.

In short, you must walk in a shop to ask for a product demo, see with your own eyes before getting yourself a CCTV system.

Meanwhile, the Korean Tigers rocks! Two thumbs up!

Your Better Half

2010-06-14T11:47:00.006+08:00

Searching for a CCTV system is like searching for your partner in marriage or our better half.

Please note that it is “better half” not “best half” - Looks for CCTV solution which is suitable or matches your business (personal) needs, which will better or improve your business or personal life. The best CCTV gear might not be a suitable solution.

It is “better half” not “better whole” - CCTV is your partner but it can't replace you. If the CCTV system is a good match, it will help you tremendously but not entirely ...just like your spouse.

The rule of thumb of getting a CCTV system is to find your very personal perfect match, the very same rule of searching for your partner in marriage.

No CCTV Sunday #29 : The A-Team

2010-06-13T12:08:00.003+08:00

One of my favorite TV series, The A-Team is now a movie.

Do I have high hope for the film? ....absolutely zippo.

Opps.... My fault, my fault.

That was the lowercase of The A-Team.

Sigh... even the trailer looks lame.

2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa

2010-06-11T14:00:00.014+08:00

FIFA World Cup is finally here!

During such auspicious day I would like to share with you one soccer rule;

When a free kick is awarded in a soccer match, your opponent gets a place kick and your team players must stand at least 10 yards away until the ball is kicked.

And it is strongly advise that your team players to cover their body's vital part.

This is how a free kick is executed;

For Women's football;

If your CCTV cameras awarded a free kick to the burglar;

CCTV Addiction

2010-06-07T11:01:00.011+08:00

A customer with a few CCTV deployments at most of his restaurants told me laughingly that he might be addicted to CCTV viewing.

He told me that he'd acquired the habit of constantly looking at the CCTV live videos streaming from his various restaurants via internet. CCTV viewing is the first thing he does in the morning and the last thing to do before he goes to bed.

Well, men (and women) can be addicted to and obsessed with anything and everything, alcohol, cigarette, drug, food, pet, TV, World Cup, gambling, stock market, money, their job, idols, God, women or men (men or women) and... marble.

Good CCTV Cabling Job

2010-06-03T18:24:00.003+08:00

Please note that a good CCTV cabling job is not only about aesthetics but it has to do with the cable quality as well.

What is the point to marry a Miss World with a lousy attitude?

Who Wants to Live Forever

2010-05-31T05:00:00.001+08:00

An elderly CCTV prospect told me the other day, electronic gear of yesteryear can last forever but nowadays electronic gear can only last up to their tenure of the warranty period.

I dunno what to say to him but he reminded me of this awesome song by Freddie Mercury, Queen.

No CCTV Sunday #28: Thomas Cup

2010-05-30T12:31:00.001+08:00

Thomas Cup 2010 comes and goes.

Malaysia succumbed to 3 quick blows to defending champions China on the 14th of May in the semi final.

This defeat shattered our dream of ending an 18 years wait to lift the Cup again.

Do you still remember in 1992 when we were kings?

...it brings tears to my eyes.

HD CCTV

2010-05-26T15:28:00.002+08:00

With FIFA World Cup 2010 around the corner, the talk of the town of cause is to predict and to prophesy which country will eventually lift the trophy.

Yet another spin off hot topic is to watch the world cup in HD; High Definition via our only available satellite TV, Astro - byond.

Before this, nobody really care if their TV set was in Full HD but not any more.

Our CCTV industry is also benefiting from this trend and development, prospects start paying attention to system resolution. They start asking for Megapixel IP network camera. I will blog on this topic again.

Meanwhile I am so want to catch World Cup 2010 in Full HD!

CCTV Cable

2010-05-24T10:40:00.002+08:00

Most CCTV prospects focus only to the CCTV gear and paying little attention to the cable.

But in actual fact, cable is a very critical element in any CCTV system. Cable is like the blood veins to our organs. Your body system will collapse even if you have healthy organs but with clogging or damaged blood veins. Hence the quality of the cable is extremely important.

To connect an analog camera to DVR, coaxial cable is required. The most commonly used coaxial cable are RG59 or RG6.

The simplest rule of thumb of choosing a good quality coaxial cable is to get the fattest thickest wire available.

Another good coaxial option is Siamese coaxial; a combination of coaxial and power supply to the camera.

When the Going Gets Tough...(2)

2010-05-22T10:30:00.001+08:00

A CCTV installer after reading my previous posting "When the Going Gets Tough...", told me the right way to continue is " ...The Tough Gets CCTV !".

I fully agree with him. Indeed it makes a good CCTV tagline.

When the Going Gets Tough...

2010-05-18T01:00:00.002+08:00

Here is a little something to share and to cheer up all CCTV installers out there.

Commuters ride a makeshift trolley (taxi) on a railway in Manila, Philippine.

A ride will cost 6-10 pesos (USD 0.12 - 0.21).

The taxi is made from bamboo and wood. The only trick is to quickly take it off the tracks when a train is approaching.

...the Tough Gets Going.

Dangerous RF Wireless Camera

2010-05-15T12:14:00.006+08:00

Been away for a while.

Feeling rotten after our Malaysian Thomas Cup team lost to China in the semi-finals last night.

Well, that is that. Today I am going to share with you why we are against Radio Frequency 1.2 or 2.4GHz wireless camera deployment.

RF wireless camera appeals to DIY CCTV prospects as they are relatively cheap and are easier to deploy.

Take a look at this video and you will understand why you shouldn't.

The chap who uploaded this video to YouTube says, “These Cameras Were Received Whilst Driving Along with my DVR Searching All Channels. “

A better alternative would be WIFI IP network camera.

CCTV Forever

2010-04-22T11:23:00.003+08:00

CCTV gear is probably the greenest thing that ever created by man.

I must admit the camera per say is not totally environmental friendly but I would like to point out that CCTV cameras can be used almost forever.

Of cause again it is not the camera can function forever but all spoiled cameras can be used as dummy cameras. A second phase of their usefulness to the surveillance system so to speak.

Like this spoiled door turned window.

Repairing or Replacing? Part 2

2010-04-19T01:43:00.004+08:00

This is a followup to my CCTV Repairing or Replacing? posting.

I had problems with my handphone for the past few days.

It started off with a dying battery. Once it was "fully charged", it will last for one phone call. As I was too busy to get a new battery (blessing in disguise), I was constantly connecting my cell to a charger.

After a few days, came the tipping point, the screen display started to become jumpy and quickly deteriorated into displaying junks.

I sent it to a service center at Plaza Low Yat ( which is 3 floors down from my office), the technician told me that a new original battery, ribbon wire and workmanship will cost me more than RM200.

You know what I did, I practice what I preach, I bought myself a cheapee Nokia. The cost? RM99.

I know it is hard to downgrade our material possessions ( my case from Nokia N80 to Nokia 1202) but hey, it serves my personal cell phone needs. It is slim, light, big font size (not big display), lasting battery and of cause cheap!

Meanwhile check out this latest Starwars' GPS. Wonder if you were to replace your spoiled GPS navigator with this latest 3D GPS.

Big and Obvious CCTV Camera

2010-04-15T11:53:00.009+08:00

This is a followup to my previous Clarity is Everything posting.

Some installers said, the robber might not climbed over the gate if the CCTV camera is big and obvious enough.

I dunno if the robber will even notice a pink cow in the house compound with his overdosed adrenaline in his blood stream but for sure chances are better than noticing a black cat.

Anyhow those installers are right. Rule of thumb of CCTV deployment, an outdoor CCTV camera the bigger, the more obvious the better.

Clarity is Everything

2010-04-12T13:30:00.005+08:00

This crime happened at 7.30am on April 10th 2010 at Jalan Ipoh, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

The victim, Mary Rose Josept James was on her way back after her morning walk. She spotted 2 suspicious men on a motorcycle and suspecting something amiss, she climbed over her neighbor front gate. One of the robbers with a machete followed suit, climbed over the gate and snatched her gold chain.

Luckily Mary was unharmed in the incident.

This incident was recorded by a CCTV camera in the house compound but from the unclear recorded video footage, we could not recognise the robbers. Hence in my opinion, in any CCTV system clarity is more important than the recording frame rate.

The ultimate surveillance camera which give you many times the clarity of a conventional analog camera is Megapixel network IP camera.

Pirated PCI DVR Trade-in

2010-04-10T13:28:00.007+08:00

The other day a lady came to our CCTV outlet to get a basic stand alone DVR for her house in Damansara.

After hours of painstakingly bargaining, we had finally agreed on the price.

While we are installing a hard disk to her DVR, we are in for a big surprise, she pulled an old PCI DVR card out from her over-sized designer bag and demanded to trade in the "expensive and still in working condition" card.

We kindly declined her proposal as we do not purchase used gear (especially PCI DVR card with pirated recording software) nor do trade-in.

To us an "expensive" pirated PCI DVR card is only good for slicing bread.

Better Safe Than Sorry

2010-04-07T19:27:00.003+08:00

Better safe than sorry, use CCTV ...now.

Repairing or Replacing?

2010-04-05T17:20:00.004+08:00

I know it is a hard decision.

My experience had taught me that if a CCTV gear was too old;

Repairing can only help you now.
Replacing can help you from now on.

Stripped Down

2010-03-29T06:10:00.000+08:00

Like I said in my "Minimalism" posting I am a big fan of minimalism, here is another proof that less or simple is the ultimate sophistication.

I too am striving to design CCTV solutions as minimal as I possible can.

Wonder where can I get those environmentally friendly stripped-downed keyboard, Anyone?

BTW if I were the designer of this keyboard I will make it smaller to save our mother earth :)

High Speed Broadband

2010-03-25T12:38:00.007+08:00

Telekom Malaysia Bhd (TM) launched the highly anticipated next-generation high-speed broadband (HSBB) service, UniFi yesterday.

The UniFi packages comprise triple-play services of high-speed Internet, video (IPTV) and phone, with speeds of 5Mbps, 10Mbps and 20Mbps.

Residential Packages are priced at RM149/month (5Mbps), RM199/month (10Mbps) and RM249/Month (20Mbps)

Business Packages are priced at RM199/month (5Mbps), RM599/month (10Mbps) and RM899/Month (20Mbps)

Lets keep our fingers crossed, this service might cause a baby boom in our surveillance industry as naked broadband speed is everything for CCTV's long distance monitoring & viewing.

Initially this high speed broadband service is available at Bangsar, Taman Tun Dr Ismail, Shah Alam and Subang Jaya.

Kopi Luwak

2010-03-24T05:20:00.005+08:00

Last weekend, I went to an Indonesian Teak wood furniture shop in Sri Hartamas.

After a little chat with the owner of the shop, he asked if I am interested to bring my CCTV business to Java, Indonesia. With 130 million inhabitants, Java is the most populous island in Indonesia. He said with the rising concerns for safety and security, the surveillance CCTV market has been witnessing exponential growth for past few years.

He told me, as a trader he is constantly looking for business opportunities. He said he is trying to bring Kopi Luwak from Indonesia to Malaysia.

Kopi Luwak is the world most expensive coffee beans. The bean goes from the coffee tree through the digestive system of the palm civet and then to the roaster.

You have read correctly, Kopi Luwak is cat poo coffee!

Synology New Product Launch 2010

2010-03-22T07:46:00.001+08:00

Vivotek IP Camera Solution, participated in Synology new product launch at Melia Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia on 16th March 2010.

Synology is Network Attached Storage to provide an innovative way of storing and sharing digital contents.

It latest Surveillance Station 4 supports full range of Vivotek products including the latest IP8161 2 megapixel H.264 Day & Night Fix Network Camera.

I will revisit this topic in the near future. Meanwhile check out these photos at the product launch.

No CCTV Sunday #27: Movie with Story

2010-03-21T10:24:00.004+08:00

My friend, Kenny bought me this Steven Spielberg classic movie "*Batteries Not Included" DVD.

Wonder nowadays why they don't produce film like this anymore... movie with story.

Best CCTV

2010-03-19T01:44:00.003+08:00

A good CCTV design is to allow a user to watch clearly a committing or a committed crime.

But the best CCTV design is to prevent crime from happening.

What is the point of knowing who ate your bread, stop them from eating your bread!

CCTV Brands

2010-03-17T06:37:00.001+08:00

A customer complained to us that it is all too confusing as there are too many CCTV brands to choose from.

Well, like it or not, there is no escape from brands as we lived in a civilized society.

I am not too sure about the Toyota choice though.

Minimalism

2010-03-15T07:22:00.003+08:00

I am a big fan of minimalism, may it be in my CCTV system design, running of the business or my personal life.

But don't get me wrong, I am not lazy;

No CCTV Sunday #26 Diversities

2010-03-14T10:30:00.009+08:00

Malaysia, a lovely tropical country where I was born and bred. She has a biodiverse range of flora and fauna and this multiracial federation consisting of Malays, Chinese, Indians and other ethnic groups like Ibans, Kadazan-Dusuns, Bajaus etc who practice diverse religions and cultures.

To me, diversities is the very key of Malaysia's success, advantages, competitiveness and its captivating charms.

On this splendid Sunday, please enjoy this Anglo-Indian Canadian stand up comedian, Russell Peters talks about the unique and funny characters of 2 of our major ethnic groups.

p/s. Thanks to Sean Tan. He introduced this joker to me when he was back from Canada.

Cheap CCTV Contractor life?

2010-03-12T07:37:00.002+08:00

CCTV workmanship fee can be dirt cheap, but is these what you want to see at your posh corporate office with your prestigious guests and valuable customers around?

Seriously, is other people life that cheap to you?

Easy or Difficult

2010-03-10T07:24:00.000+08:00

A prospect asked us to quote him a 4 camera points cctv solution for his furniture outlet.

We told him without site visit we could only quote him the cctv gear but not the deployment workmanship cost. He was furious, he said it is merely a very simple 4 channel solution and insisted that we must furnish him with a full solution quotation on the same day.

Well, a "simple" 4 channel cctv deployment can be as easy as;

or as difficult as;

Did we quote him on that day? Of cause not.

Tout Jour Prest

2010-03-08T06:27:00.007+08:00

Last Saturday morning a CCTV installer came to pick up some gear from us.

He looked sick and tired.

He said his customer called him at 11PM to tell him that his whole cctv system was down. The installer and his team had worked through the night to revive sections of the system.

Like it or not, in our CCTV business, we have to be 'Tout Jour Prest' - always ready.

No CCTV Sunday #25 Even After All

2010-03-07T10:00:00.002+08:00

The other day I heard Asha Gill (the ex Channel V veejays) being interviewed by BFM89.9 radio station on my way home.

This "in conversation" radio programme will ask their guests to bring 3 songs of importance to them to the show.

Am particular interested in the 2nd song recommended by Asha; Even After All by Finley Quaye.

She said her ex-job required traveling and every time she will be away for couple of months. Her mom sent this single to her while she was on the road.

I would like to dedicate this song to my pal, Kenny in Melbourne.

" You just survive soldier "

Rocket Scientist Solution

2010-03-05T11:30:00.000+08:00

A lot of CCTV prospects came to us for the most advance and sophisticated CCTV solution.

Every time, we have to share the following story with them.

NASA, one of the most well-funded scientific research groups in the world, has tried their best technology to find out whether melted glacial ice from the Arctic ends up in the ocean, and failed.

Having exhausted every possible solution from their usual box of scientific tricks, the researchers must radically transform their approach.

Idea after idea is talked through, analyzed, and rejected. Then one scientist who has been sitting deep in thought whilst the others argue, speaks up:

“We could use bathtub rubber ducks.”

The room erupts with laughter. Has he lost his mind?

September 2008, NASA dropped 90 yellow rubber ducks into holes in Greenland's Jakobshavn glacier.

Clash of the Titans

2010-03-03T10:30:00.005+08:00

Today yet another CCTV prospect wanted to know which is a better surveillance solution; the conventional Analog CCTV or the IP camera solution.

Again I have to explained to him that the question itself is wrong. There is no better solution. If one of those solution was better than the other, for sure there is only one solution left in the market. The right question to ask is, which solution is suitable and be able to meet his surveillance requirements.

The two solutions are like the two "Clash of the Titans" movies, both has its pros and cons. The 1981 film is a classic and able to fulfill many fans' entertainment needs but am sure the upcoming 2010 remake will make full use of the new technology to satisfy the ever demanding moviegoers.

Personally I adore the original stop-motion animated classic but I too am looking forward to the new 3D remake.

Liverpool Football Club

2010-03-01T15:27:00.010+08:00

It is impossible to talk to CCTV prospects who can't differentiate between Ayam Brand and Liverpool Football Club.

They keep insisting that all CCTV gear like DVR, CCTV cameras, IP cameras are the same especially if they were with wing-creature as their logo and established in 1892.

NESLO

2010-02-27T12:50:00.001+08:00

The other day while I was shopping for groceries, I saw NESLO, the instant Nescafe coffee and MILO. A combination of Malaysian most popular coffee (70% market share) and chocolate malt beverage (90% market share).

The ultimate Malaysian drink.

This smart combination happens in our CCTV industry as well.

A hybrid NDVR system comes with analog composite video supporting DVR and digital network camera supporting NVR software. Like NESLO, hybrid NDVR gives you the advantages & benefits of both the analog & ip surveillance gear.

Cherlyn Gan's video demonstrates we all Malaysian are crazy for this fusion drink. It was published on May 22, 2009 even before Nestle launched it's NESLO in November, 2009.

Camera Trick

2010-02-22T10:46:00.003+08:00

Sometimes CCTV camera can play trick on us.

No CCTV Sunday #24 Malaysia Beatboxer Shawn Lee

2010-02-21T10:38:00.000+08:00

Few days ago I watched this Malaysia Beatboxer perform on TV, I's impressed.

Check it out!

Someone Else's Shabby Job

2010-02-20T12:05:00.006+08:00

That's why most CCTV installers refuse to take on job to rectify someone else's poorly executed CCTV job.

Break-in

2010-02-19T14:00:00.006+08:00

We had a long Chinese New Year (CNY) break (13th till 17th Feb).

It is Malaysian tradition for the city dwellers to go back to their home towns (villages) to celebrate CNY.

We were back to work yesterday and so far we had received phone calls from 3 CCTV prospects. 2 houses were break-in and the third prospect's in-law house had possible break-in attempt.

One of the CCTV prospect is a friend's friend. He said, he wanted to install a CCTV system but his wife kept stopping him as she argued that the whole neighborhood is guarded by well trained guards.

He said his wife's LV bag is worth more than a CCTV system and she had lost 3 of them. That is that, the police reporting and the house-visit investigation were troublesome and the worst part was the cleaning up of the house. All these are extremely exhausting especially after the tiring CNY celebration and the long journey back from home town.

Oldest Security Gear

2010-02-16T12:02:00.002+08:00

The other day A CCTV prospect asked if we have any security gear which required no power supply.

I proposed the following unplugged security devices;

Hardworking Security Guard

Fiercest Guard Dog

The prospect told me those 2 options are too troublesome and expensive to maintain, he said he want something which required no power supply nor alive.

I proposed to him yet another 2 alternatives.

He bought some IP cameras from us.

No CCTV Sunday #23 Happy Chinese New Year

2010-02-14T09:51:00.004+08:00

Gong Xi Fa Cai !!!

Our very own world lion dance champ

the naked lion

Jimmy Choo's Sandals?

2010-02-11T13:04:00.012+08:00

The other day a rather well-dressed affluence looking lady came to our CCTV outlet to claim warranty for her CCTV cameras.

Our technician advised her that those cameras were not from us.

She could not produce the invoice but insisted that those cameras were from us.

I approached her, picked up one of her cameras, looked for our warranty sticker on the camera which I had found none.

I kindly told her, "Ma'am, we can tell if a sandals was Jimmy Choos."

I must admit I was rude. Guilty as charged.

Destined to Fail

2010-02-10T16:32:00.006+08:00

Some CCTV systems were badly designed or deployed, it is destined to fail.

It is sad to see some arrogant CCTV installers heading for trouble as their CCTV designs are faulty. Most of the time we can see it coming but not many of those installers will take our advice.

Once the cable is laid and equipment purchased, there is no turning back.

Firefox DVR

2010-02-06T11:11:00.001+08:00

Some Mozilla Firefox die hard fans, for whatever reasons they just refuse to use Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE).

They said the browser is unfriendly and not safe.

But when it comes to Internet remote monitoring function for Digital Video Recorder (DVR), those Firefox users used to have no choice but to use IE as older generation DVR supports only IE.

DVR Internet remote monitoring with IE Browser

Nowadays there are DVRs that support Firefox browser. One of those is TANDER 3000 series DVRs.

TANDER DVR Internet remote monitoring with Firefox Browser

Not only the DVR suports Firefox but it supports other browsers as well.

TANDER DVR Internet remote monitoring with Google Chrome Browser.

TANDER DVR Internet remote monitoring with Safari Browser

TANDER 3000 series DVRs also supports mobile devices like Blackberry, iPhone, Windows Mobile and Symbian OS phones.

One BB and Firefox user happily call his newly deployed TANDER DVR as Firefox DVR.

Workers Caught on Camera

2010-02-05T17:15:00.011+08:00

It doesn't matter if your workers were white-collar or blue-collar, It is wise to have CCTV cameras monitoring them.

A MACQUARIE stockbroker, David Kiely being caught live on television looking at a series of near-nude snaps of supermodel Miranda Kerr. (Thanks Kenny)

A shell station worker had a cigarette break while working.

Simple Solution

2010-02-02T18:00:00.002+08:00

Few months ago, a factory owner complained to me that a CCTV installer had quoted him dearly for deploying a cctv camera at his factory's guard house to monitor the incoming and outgoing vehicles.

The guard house is 30 meters away from the factory building with tar road in between.

To pull a cable from the factory building to the guard house is no easy task, its involve the expensive water resistant armoured cable, hacking of the road, power and lightning surge protection and traffic obstruction during the cabling job.

Eventually the factory owner had adopted my idea which is cheap and hassle free; to deploy a box camera with a lens at the factory building which can zoom in the guard house entrance.

This experience reminded me of a NASA story.

In the 60s NASA had invested billions of dollars to make American astronauts first on the moon.

During the journey the astronauts need to use pens. Ordinary pens can not function in zero gravity as ink needs gravitational pull to move from pen to page, so NASA invested over $1 million to design a special space pen that works in weightless conditions.

At the same time, the Russians astronauts opted for a simpler, cheaper solution; pencil.

Great solution does not has to come at high price. It is often the cheapest solution that works best.

Apple iPad vs Amazon Kindle

2010-01-28T12:57:00.011+08:00

This morning one IP camera prospect called to ask the differences between IQeye IQ511 and Arecont Vision AV1310.

I jokingly explained to him that it is like Apple's iPad and Amazon's Kindle.

Steve Jobs with his new toy, iPad.

Jeff Bezos with Kindle

Cloud Computing CCTV

2010-01-27T11:47:00.012+08:00

In my 2008 posting, cloud 9, I did talk about cloud computing and its effects on CCTV.

Last evening, I went home earlier than usual and managed to catch a Taiwanese news talk show. The TV program featured the importance of Cloud Computing and it says the Taiwanese and the Chinese governments and corporates are working together ferociously to come out with their own Cloud Computing technology. With this collaboration, the two governments determine to break the monopolistic of the 5 major US Cloud Computing players namely Google, Apple, Microsoft, Cisco & Amazon.

This morning before I came to work, Martin Soong on CNBC was interviewing two corporate leaders about Cloud Computing again!

Wonder if this is a mere coincidence or Cloud Computing has finally arrived in a big way.

For the sake of argument, what if Google starts offering Cloud CCTV solution with video footage storage at their cloud server at a minuscule monthly fee?

Is our CCTV industry ready for this inevitable revolution?

Are you ready?

Vivotek - The Eyes of Mobile Robots

2010-01-20T10:56:00.013+08:00

Based in Markham, Ontario, Canada, mobile robot development company, Dr Robot Inc., was looking for a high performance resolution wireless (802.11g) IP camera for its new series of mobile robots, i90.

VIVOTEK cameras were tested along with other suppliers from Japan and Europe. There are a few key requirement: the remote monitoring task normally requires robot and camera to operate under low illumination in some circumstance and capable of bringing the target close by optical zoom without alerting the subject; the camera has to be reliable and capable of operating on a constantly moving robot; integration to high level AI software should be flexible.

VIVOTEK PTZ camera was finally picked for integration with the i90 robot for its functions including smooth pan tilt operation, plus the 10x optical zoom, two-way audio, low light operation mode, and excellent image quality with reasonable cost.

A variety of mobile robots were then developed based on i90 platforms, and all equipped with VIVOTEK PTZ cameras as a standard feature.

i90 robots are deployed for various application including nuclear facilities, advance automotive engineering labs and university research facilities.

Children Drawing

2010-01-14T12:28:00.002+08:00

The other day a family came to our CCTV outlet to get a surveillance system from us.

After they left, I picked up a flyer from the floor. To my surprise, it was a children drawing at the back of the flyer. It must be from the quiet little girl who's sitting at one corner of our shop for the past one and a half hours.

So people said they hate "High Tech" job because there is no "High Touch" elements in "High Tech" line. Today I proof them wrong.

It is amazing what a children drawing can do to us.

When you look at the drawing, it can calm you down, and if you look at it long enough, the drawing actually makes you laugh.

I especially like the joker face rabbit. The rabbit even has a scar across its face.

Arecont Vision - Channel Partner Certification

2010-01-13T10:48:00.001+08:00

Congratulation to our business partner, Steve!

He had recently participated in the Arecont Vision's Channel Partner Certification program.

This program is designed to educate and certify Arecont Vision’s distributors, resellers and A&Es on Arecont Vision products and megapixel technology.

Multitasking Housewife

2010-01-09T11:50:00.001+08:00

Nowadays CCTV customers are getting more sophisticated and demanding.

When they look for a Digital Video Recorder (DVR), they want the DVR to have every conceivable functions, can be connected to all other gear they possess and to monitor the video streams via Internet and all their mobile devices.

Sounds impossible and difficult but luckily, TANDÉR range of network standalone DVRs manages to do just that.

This range of DVRs has multiple operation control namely the front panel key buttons, USB mouse and IR remote control.

TANDÉR DVRs support SATA interface hard disk for storage with 2 backup mediums USB pen drive and DVD±RW.

TANDÉR Triplex DVRs enable its users to remote viewing, playback through IE browser and 3G mobile phone while recording.

It supports Remote Viewing with BlackBerry (BB), iphone, Windows Mobile, Symbian OS, Internet Explorer. This BB DVR is getting very popular in Indonesia

The DVRs come with 2 Video outputs, 1 S-video, 1 VGA output, 1 Audio input, 1 Audio output and Alarm in/out terminal for added flexibility in deployment.

Central Management System (CMS) software is provided free to support multiple DVRs' video streaming to be viewed on a single screen.

Last but not least, to enjoy latest TANDÉR DVR features, users can upgrade the DVR software via USB pen drive by simply download the latest software.

Young Wife Constantly Being Watched

2010-01-08T14:36:00.001+08:00

The other day a friend of mine complained to me that he is pretty darn sure his neighbors know his wife's daily routine better than him.

He said his left, right, front and back neighbors' houses were deployed with CCTV cameras that "unintentionally" constantly monitoring his house and more importantly his young wife 24/7.

Well, what can I say... they are providing free surveillance service to my friend ain't they?

London is said to have 1 CCTV camera for every 8 people. Some people are filmed 300 times a day.

My friend's wife is to have few cameras for herself and only God knows how many times she is filmed a day. We are indeed ahead of London.

120 Black and White Surveillance Cameras to Filmed Avatar

2010-01-07T12:28:00.003+08:00

The talk of the town during this new year holiday season, box-office film "Avatar" is well known for its technological advancements and visual triumphs.

To film the movie performers' movements from every conceivable angles, some 120 black and white surveillance cameras were deployed on the sound stage in Playa Vista and software translated those movements into computer generated skeletons. The end result is a photo realistic universe where the aliens seem to live and breathe and its 3-D effect makes viewers forget that they are watching images on a movie screen.

Now that we have been to Pandora, what next?

Sony Surveillance Roadshow @ Plaza Low Yat

2010-01-05T15:31:00.009+08:00

Happy New Year!!!

I know I was MIA for the past few days, but hey, who wasn't during this period of holiday season?

2010... can you believe it'd been 10 years since the Y2K bug of the millennium? I remember a friend of mine even refused to travel by air during that very day.

We had a Sony iPELA ( IP camera ) Roadshow at Plaza Low Yat from 28th Dec 2009 till 3rd Jan 2010. Some CCTV installer jokingly said we'd the roadshow for 2 years.

Long Weekends

2009-12-28T17:09:00.004+08:00

One of the Malaysian state, the Selangor state is enjoying 4 long weekends in a roll.

It started off with the state's Sultan birthday on 11th Dec (Friday), followed by Awal Muharam, the Islamic New Year (on 18th Dec (Friday), Christmas on 25th Dec (Friday) and 1st Jan (Friday).

A CCTV installer from that state said these consecutive long weekends with 4-days week made him lazy.

I hope he is not as lazy as this road painter.

No CCTV Sunday #22 Constantin Pilavios

2009-12-27T11:54:00.002+08:00

Thanks to Barbara Tam

Merry X'mas

2009-12-25T00:25:00.002+08:00

Merry Christmas to my all my fellow CCTV installers.

Please enjoy this Ingenious and very tasteful Christmas advertisement for the Solaria Plaza in Fukuoka City, Japan.

Guacamole Dip

2009-12-21T10:30:00.001+08:00

Some customers literally abused their CCTV gear and expect those gear are still covered by the warranty.

We had come across warranty claiming gear like INDOOR dome camera covered with dust and mud, Digital Video Recorder damaged by corrosive chemicals, camera covered in paint, melted housing, gear mutilated by animals etc.

Few months ago, I took this photo at a wedding reception. To me those warranty claims are like complaining to the chef of this raped Guacamole Dip.

No CCTV Sunday #21 City of Angels (1998)

2009-12-20T12:21:00.001+08:00

The other day I stumbled upon this movie on cable TV while flipping through channels late at night.

I had almost forgotten this movie which I had watched more than 10 years ago.

Call me sissy if you must but this movie is very refreshing and touching. The film has exactly what today movies are lacking, a good and meaningful storyline.

For those who are too young to missed the movie. The whole story can sum up by the fallen angel Nicolas Cage last line, "I would rather have had one breath of her hair, one kiss from her mouth, one touch of her hand, than eternity without it."

"Lethal" Infrared

2009-12-16T12:25:00.002+08:00

A CCTV customer called us the other day to verify a "fact".

He said one of his company staff told him that the infrared emitting from the IR camera is lethal.

I must compliment his staff vivid imagination and cunningness. IR is harmful never cross my mind. To me IR is just as plain as another spectrum of light.

I kindly advised my customer to pay attention to his staffs instead of the infrared being emitted at night from the infrared camera when his staff is not even in the office.

But just for the hack of it, I checked on the Internet and I can sum it up in the following statement;

Infrared (IR) is a part of electromagnetic spectrum and lies just beyond red color of visible light. All human beings are exposed to infrared in the form of the sun and even through the household electric lamp. It has no known adverse effect on living cells.

Basic CCTV System

2009-12-15T14:09:00.007+08:00

Yesterday a CCTV prospect came to us.

He said he would like to set up a surveillance system at his factory in Shah Alam.

"Dun push me no big cctv system, what I need is a simplest basic 4 channels DVR system and my in house technician will put it up," he demanded.

Later we found out that his factory has 150 workers.

Stinky Armpits Sniffing

2009-12-12T13:51:00.006+08:00

A CCTV installer complained to us that he does not have a life.

He said his CCTV customers call him when their CCTV systems are down and out even in the middle of the night and during public holidays.

Well, like it or not, that is part and parcel of a CCTV installer life, at least we don't have to sniff sweaty stinky armpits.

Balancing Act

2009-12-10T15:41:00.002+08:00

When we design and to propose a CCTV system to our prospect, we will try our very best to strike a balance between the overall system deployment cost and the system effectiveness.

In order to give our customer a value for money CCTV system.

Kids with Nanny

2009-12-09T18:08:00.004+08:00

A friend of mine bought me dinner the other day for helping him to put up a cctv system at his apartment before his foreign maid arrived.

Both my friend and his wife are working and they have 2 kids age 3 and 4.

From the recorded cctv video footage he had discovered his maid had eaten his kids' food and had fed the kids with baby formula.

Well, I suppose those kids were very fortunate that their nanny did not caused them any long term physical harm as their parent had found out their maid gluttonous behavior soon enough.

No CCTV Sunday #20 Kuala Lumpur Best Foodcourt

2009-12-06T11:47:00.002+08:00

Lot 10 Hutong probable is currently the best foodcourt in Malaysia.

The basement of Lot 10 shopping mall in the heart of Kuala Lumpur houses the Lot 10 Hutong food court, touted as a food court that brings in well known hawkers to make up the 27 restaurants and kiosks offering signature dishes.

Those famous with names including char siu wantan noodles from Ho Weng Kee in PJ, Hon Kee porridge from Cecil Street, Popiah from Campbell, Kim Lian Kee's black lard-rich Hokkien mee, Soong Kee's beef noodles from Jalan Silang (one of my favorate), Pandamaran Mo Sang Kor bak kut teh, Ipoh chicken rice from Jalan Gasing, Seremban Siew Bao, Kong Tai Singapore Hokkien noodles and many more.

This new food court will especially appeal to pork lovers, as it serves non halal food which rarely seen in Malaysia shopping mall's food court.

New Coat of Paint

2009-12-05T12:27:00.001+08:00

Last month a CCTV prospect complained his wife's car was constantly vandalized as the car was parked outside his house.

He said he would like to deploy a big outdoor camera to monitor the car before he repaint his wife's car.

Two days before the CCTV system was deployed, his wife's car was given a fresh coat of paint by the vandal.

(This is not his wife's car, but to show you what an unwanted new coat of paint can do to a car)

Little Help

2009-12-03T14:51:00.009+08:00

Yesterday a customer called to seek CCTV technical support.

One of our technician offered his help, she asked him if he was the "chief technician", she said if he was not the "chief technician" she refused to spend time explaining her CCTV problems to him.

This customer is either snobbish or ignorant.

Most of the time, problems face by CCTV customers are minor and very common which required no rocket scientist.

Little problem required only little help.

Different Perspective

2009-12-01T18:07:00.007+08:00

An owner of a few IT retail outlets called us to relocate some CCTV cameras which we had helped him to deploy last year.

For the entire last week he filled in his store manager place at one of his IT outlet, as both the store manager and supervisor were on leave.

During that week, he discovered he could evade the CCTV cameras detection despite his carefully placement of the cameras last year.

He said he will work in his other IT outlets as well, to have a different perspective or point of view at the working environment, so that to seek out the loophole(s) not only in the surveillance system but other company's systems and practices.

Vivotek IP7161 Megapixel Camera

2009-11-28T17:55:00.003+08:00

YouTube is a great way to market a product.

Few days ago, I had asked a prospect to check out a Vivotek IP7161 megapixel camera's video footage which we had recorded from our outlet and had unloaded to YouTube.

He was very pleased with the video quality and we managed to close the deal.

Starts Young

2009-11-24T18:07:00.005+08:00

The other day a father and son came to see us. They were looking for a CCTV system for their apartment.

They bought a Vivotek IP camera from us.

The father confessed to us that he was cyberphobia and had asked his son to learn from our technician the setting up of the IP camera. The funny part was, his son is only 10 years old.

I suppose it is good to start your child at young age.

Seesaw

2009-11-11T10:55:00.015+08:00

Ever played a seesaw before? I bet you did.

It won't stays down all the time, unless you allow yourself to stay there. In other words it is your choice to stay down.

I remember no matter how many times it went down, I did my very best to push myself up again, ...again, again and yet again.

To all my fellow CCTV industry's friends please keep your chin up, if you choose to push hard enough, am very certain your side of the seesaw will soon rise again.

Oh yes, it was me and my sister on that seesaw at Genting Highland. The colour of the photo might be fading but I still remember vividly her bright red shoes and pants, wonder if she still keeps them.

Murphy's Law

2009-11-09T08:00:00.002+08:00

Murphy's law states, "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong."

Things will go wrong, or, less frequently, a reflection of the mathematical idea that, given a sufficiently long time, an event which is possible will almost surely take place.

Thunder storm is very common in Tropical countries like Malaysia. During thunder storm CCTV gear is easily damaged by induction power surge.

Induction generates high voltage spikes in electronic gear, this sudden power spikes will damage the sensitive electronic circuit in the CCTV equipment.

Please note that, all electrical and electronic gear damaged by power surge is not covered by the limited warranty.

Hence, Power surge protector is highly recommended in any deployment of CCTV system.

No CCTV Sunday #19 Pyongyang North Korea

2009-11-08T12:00:00.003+08:00

After China and Vietnam, Pyongyang, the capital of North Korea is the next "purer" communist city I would like to visit .

Not that I am for the communist ideology but I am a 'city person' and I like mystery and the unknown. Pyongyang has this deathliest combination that is so appealing to me.

Meanwhile lets take a sneak preview of this alluring city.

Ryugyong Hotel, The Pyongyang Ghost Tower - an unfinished hotel.

Pyongyang Lady Traffic Police

Balun - Smart CCTV Cabling

2009-11-07T09:39:00.016+08:00

As CCTV professional, we must constantly looking for ways to provide our surveillance customers better but more economical CCTV solutions especially during this soft economic environment.

Cabling is one of the most costly elements, if not the most expensive element in any CCTV system deployment. Hence it is wise to find ways to reduce the cabling cost.

The answer is UTP Balun devices. It is a smarter, easier and cheaper CCTV cabling alternative.

Balun is device used for matching an unbalanced coaxial transmission line or system to a balanced two-wire line or system.

It helps you to save cost by replacing 4 coaxial cables run with 1 UTP CAT5 network cable, reduces your trunking and conduit cost, reduces your cabling man hours and allows the CCTV video transmission to travel greater distance (up to 2km).

Balun is also like a comb to your messy hair, it tidy up and make your cctv cabling work neat and by the numbers. It will eventually translate into lower long term system maintenance cost.

Simple CCTV Solution

2009-11-04T13:50:00.001+08:00

I hate those CCTV suppliers who would deliberately design a unnecessarily complicated solution, so that they could charge more and stop others from maintaining and providing future expansion to their deployed CCTV systems.

The fact is most CCTV solution designs could be as simple as finding the 'x'.

CCTV advertisement

2009-11-03T10:05:00.012+08:00

Last year a CCTV installer had started importing CCTV gear after visiting a Security Trade Show.

He told me that he managed to identify an OEM manufacturer who can produce a full range of very cheap CCTV product.

He said trading is all about brand building and advertisement, once customer recognizes his CCTV brand via advertisement, his CCTV gear will capture a lion share in the Malaysian CCTV market.

Last week, he called and tried to sell me his entire CCTV stock as he is no longer keen in the business.

The truth is, what is wrong or bad (low quality) can not be made right (good quality) by advertisement.

It is like publishing a lie and expecting people to believe.

Check out these "believable" advertisements.

Did I buy from him?

Bought a lie....me?

No CCTV Sunday #18 Halloween

2009-11-01T10:38:00.007+08:00

Happy Halloween!

Please enjoy these ghost classical cartoons from the West and East.

The past is a ghost, the future a dream, and all we ever have is now. - Bill Cosby

CCTV DVR Password

2009-10-28T12:15:00.002+08:00

It is a must to change the password of your newly deployed DVR or NVR. A default user name and password is not secure, it is like an open stadium in the midst of tall buildings.

Anyone who had handled with DVR or NVR can login to view live or playback the recorded video footage easily.

In fact, it is a good practice to change the password from time to time just like how you manage your bank's ATM machine password.

Abnormal CCTV System Design

2009-10-26T10:38:00.004+08:00

A good CCTV design should take into consideration of both the logical and the illogical, the normal and the abnormal circumstances.

Take a look at the photo below. If you mount a CCTV camera at the barrigate pointing at the logical and normal route of cars might pass, you are in for a big surprise.

No CCTV Sunday #17 Winter Sonata Anime

2009-10-25T11:00:00.001+08:00

Never like love story until I's introduced to a hit live-action Korean TV drama series, 'Winter Sonata'.

Winter Sonata (a.k.a. Winter Ballad/Winter Love Story, Korean: 겨울연가) was the second part of the KBS TV drama series Endless Love. This Hit Live-Action Korean TV Drama Series was produced in March 2002 in South Korea.

It was broadcast on Japan's NHK and has been a major part of the Korean wave both there and throughout Asia.

Ladies and... some gentlemen, hold your breath, Winter Sonata Anime is here!

IP68 Rating CCTV Camera

2009-10-24T10:29:00.006+08:00

2 weeks ago a tourist from Korea came to us, he was looking for a water proof CCTV camera for his fish pond.

We recommended him an Infra Red camera with IP68 rating enclosure.

The International Protection Rating, sometimes also interpreted as Ingress Protection Rating consists of the letters IP followed by two digits and an optional letter. As defined in international standard IEC 60529, it classifies the degrees of protection provided against the intrusion of solid objects, dust, accidental contact, and water. The standard aims to provide users more detailed information than vague marketing terms such as waterproof.

Am sure he is now able to look at his fishes back in Korea, as and when he wishes, no matter where he is.

We won't be able show you that gentleman's fishes but let me show you a fishman, my favorite yesteryear TV series – Man from Atlantis.

We Are Still Here!!

2009-10-22T11:33:00.005+08:00

This is the 2nd day in a roll, I blog about the economy slow down which had affected our CCTV industry.

To all fellow CCTV installers, check out this video.

HSBC stock plunged to HK$33 on March 11th, 2009 in Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Even if you do not understand Cantonese, you can still see the emotional Hong Kong commentator cried at 4.53.

As of today, HSBC worths around HK$89 even after the 5-for-12 rights issue (HK$28 per rights).

Call me sick, but every time when I am feeling down, I watch this emotional filled video and I will feel much better instantaneously.

We are easily affected by our emotion but when we take a step back, everything will look great again.

Just like in my previous posting, Morpheus said,

"I stand here, before you now, truthfully unafraid.
Why? Because I believe something you do not?
No, I stand here without fear because I REMEMBER."

Hence, to all my friend please REMEMBER this video whenever you feel down. Thing will get better.

We Are Still Here!

2009-10-21T16:35:00.001+08:00

A couple of days ago, an IT supplier came to see me.

This old friend of mine will drop by once in a while as our CCTV solution uses a lot IT products like PC server, hard disk, LCD Screen etc.

He said his business is not doing well, before mid year, he had cut half of his company's manpower and he is going to do it again.

When the going get tough, I constantly remind myself and all my friends of the speech given by Morpheus in the 2003 movie “The Matrix Reloaded”

"Believe me when I say we have a difficult time ahead of us. But if we are to be prepared for it, we must first shed our fear of it. I stand here, before you now, truthfully unafraid. Why? Because I believe something you do not? No, I stand here without fear because I remember. I remember that I am here not because of the path that lies before me but because of the path that lies behind me. I remember that for 100 years we have fought these machines. I remember that for 100 years they have sent their armies to destroy us, and after a century of war I remember that which matters most... We are still here!"

I will revisit this topic again soon.

CCTV in the Classrooms

2009-10-20T12:50:00.006+08:00

Fox News, 19th Oct. 2009.

London -- CCTV cameras are everywhere in the UK, inside stores, on the streets, outside businesses. They are earning the country the label of "Big Brother Britain."

Now surveillance cameras have gone to school, literally. Not just at front gates, in cafeterias and corridors, but right in the classroom, sometimes a few at a time!

Nearly 100 schools in the UK have signed up to in-class CCTV efforts using high definition cameras and microphone to record both video and audio.

The company behind the systems says they are not about 'Big Brother' but helping teachers to improve their performance.

Schools say it helps them police bullying better and are useful in dealing with robberies, vandalism and misbehavior.

There are mixed reactions from parents and kids. Still, reports are, that enough people here like the cameras to have them installed in hundreds more schools.

Civil liberties champions, however, say all this goes too far. Teachers are concerned as well. They think the closed circuit or CCTV material could be used against them.

To all Malaysian parents, do you like the idea? What do you have to say?

No CCTV Sunday #16 This Is It

2009-10-18T11:29:00.002+08:00

2 weeks ahead of "This Is It" concert movie's opening show, the late Michael Jackson's concert movie has generated more then 1,6000 sold out in US cinemas.

It is set to make the movie one of the hottest tickets of the year despite the song, "This Is It" copyright controversy.

Former teen idol Paul Anka claimed that he had co-written the posthumously released song with Jackson in 1983, and demanded to be credited.

According to Anka the song was co-written by him and Michael over 20 years ago. The song was initially meant to appear on Jackson’s 1983 album Walk A Fine Line, but it was dropped from the album. It was eventually recorded by R&B artist Safire in 1991, under a new title, “I Never Heard.”

Jackson fans noticed the similarities between the 2 songs and brought it to the attention of Chairman of Columbia/Epic Records Rob Stringer. Eventually, after legal action was threatened, administrators of Jackson’s estate agreed to award Anka 50% of the publishing rights.

CCTV Ivy League?

2009-10-16T13:28:00.002+08:00

Calling themselves the C9 alliance, 9 of China’s top universities recently have banded together to form the country’s version of the American Ivy League of 8 private institutes of higher education.

The American Ivy League universities are often viewed by the public as some of the most prestigious universities worldwide and are often ranked amongst the best universities in the United States and worldwide.

Membership of the Chinese Ivy league means it is easier now for the 9 institutions to distinguish themselves as the premier education venues in China.

The downside of this oligopoly development is that all other universities, no matter how good they might be in certain areas, are considered second-tier.

I wonder what if this Ivy League mumbo jumbo crap happens to our CCTV industry?

Miracle

2009-10-14T09:44:00.006+08:00

Happy morning!

Here are 2 "miracle" CCTV video footages caught by CCTV cameras which I would like to share with you in this beautiful morning.

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Expansion

2009-10-12T09:48:00.001+08:00

Expansion is never easy may it be a CCTV system or a house.