Over the past couple of weeks, we’ve had a rash of car break-ins on our street. The little criminals have escalated to loosening the wheel lug nuts on cars left on the street or even in driveways, which potentially could cause the death of an unsuspecting neighbor…or us.
With that in mind, I decided to mount an infrared camera where it had full view of the street, the driveway, and our cars. However, I didn’t feel like spending grievous amounts of money on a dedicated CCTV security system.
I decided that the system must be built using existing junk in my cabinet if possible. Rummaging around, I found a couple of old Watchport cameras made by the Digi Corp. With great resolution for a camera that size, along with a super-sensitive CCD sensor, I decided to press them into service as infrared cameras. Problem: the Watchport camera does not respond to infrared. Camera manufacturers usually block infrared, since stray IR gunks up the picture quality. They accomplish this most of the time by adding a small filter between the CCD sensor and the lens.
I have two Watchport cameras, one a V and the other one a V2. I used the V model for the pictures below. I modified both the V the V2, and I’m very pleased with the cameras’ infrared performance. So, the instructions also apply to a Watchport V2 model, although it’s a model V in the pictures.
Grabbing my toolbag, I modified the camera step by step:
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InformationWeek has the skinny on this astoundingly insane idea:
IBM is offering to move its laid-off American workers to India or China where they can get their old jobs back–for pennies on the dollar.
I’m stunned and amazed at this callousness, but at the same time I’m pretty nonplussed about my deep-down reaction. IBM is offshoring people’s jobs, but they’re offering to offshore the people too. That’s just cold…and yet…
If I were single and still a young whippersnapper (and a laid-off IBM employee), I must admit a certain gritty glamour about the prospect, and I’d be tempted. This is what HR people mean by “life experience.” I mean, c’mon! I’d get to see all those rockin’ Bollywood videos and movies on first release! Woo-hoo! Actually, I shouldn’t speak so soon about needing to be single or young; one of our thoughts is to join Medecins sans Frontieres, and that wouldn’t even have the benefit of decent local cuisine.
Also, would having a bunch of Yanks with high expectations hurt or help the local situation in Bangalore?
