Today I’m going to show you how you can rig up a pinhole SPY CAMERA that your kids will have a blast playing with! We’re talking real spy camera stuff here and your kids are going to love it. They are going to think you are the coolest parent ever when you help them build this.

Before you start thinking that this sounds way to complicated, let me assure you that it’s quite easy to do and very inexpensive. You can buy everything you’ll need for this project for about $30. What you’ll need to purchase is a Wireless Pinhole Spy Camera Kit. This kit comes with a tiny pinhole video camera that can run on either a 9 volt battery (not included) or an AC power adapter (included), and a wireless video receiver unit (included). If you want to buy one of these kits for your kids to play with, you’ll have to order it online. This isn’t something that you are going to find in any of your local store. It’s more a specialty item.

The sky is really the limit with you can configure this modern pinhole camera rig. When the unit arrives in the mail, you can help you kids make any kind of spy camera they want. You’ll want them to pick out one of their old hollow toys that they don’t play with any more because you’re going to hide the video camera inside of it.

Whatever you do, make sure you take care of any of the elements of this project that might hurt your kids. There were a couple of steps that I had to do but my kids were able to help with everything else.

Because the video camera broadcasts a wireless signal, you can place it in virtually anything. Here’s one idea to get the creative juices flowing. You can simply take a three inch black ball that you can buy at a pet supply store and a cut two inch slice in the side of the ball. Then you can drill a hole that will be just big enough for the lens of the camera to see through in the opposite side of the ball.

Then by squeezing the ball slightly the slit in the back will open up wide enough to fit the camera inside the ball. Next you can use duct tape to secure the camera to the inside of the ball to keep the lens from moving out of alignment with the hole you just created. Then you can connect the nine volt battery adapter to the camera and slip the battery inside the ball. The last thing you can do is connect the audio/video receiver unit to any TV or VCR. When their new spy pinhole camera is turned on, they’ll be able to watch and hear everything that it sees on the TV!

The entire project will only take about 30 minutes to complete and your kids will have an absolute BLAST hiding their new spy camera around the house. You can use your imagination and hide this little pinhole video camera in virtually anything! Letting your kids pick the item the camera is going to be hidden in will be half the fun.

Now that you know how to make a pinhole camera for kids the modern way, do you see what I mean when I tell you that your kids will think you’re the coolest parent ever?

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When it comes to choosing the best location to hide a video camera, there are some things that you’ll want to keep in mind. The first thing you want to think about when you choose the location to hide the camera is whether the camera will draw attention to itself. If you attempt to hide a nanny cam that is disguised to look like a stuffed animal on a shelf in your china closet, the camera is going to look like it is out of place and draw attention to itself.

If the camera you are hiding looks like a smoke detector and you mount it right next to the pre-existing smoke detector, the fact that there are now two smoke detectors where only one is needed will certainly raise suspicions.

When you are installing hidden cameras, the first thing you want to ask yourself is what kind of an item would not look out of place in the room you want to hide the camera in? For example, if I wanted to hide a camera in a bedroom, I would probably choose a hidden camera that looks like an alarm clock. Everyone has an alarm clock in their bedroom so this item wouldn’t look out of place unless you positioned it right next to another alarm clock. One clock would appear quite normal. Two clocks would appear strange and a bit suspicious.

The next thing you should keep in mind are the environmental factors. It wouldn’t be a good idea to install a hidden video camera and aim it towards a window that get’s a lot of bright sunlight exposure. When you aim a camera into the sun, the quality of the video footage will probably be washed out and unusable. Conversely, you shouldn’t mount a camera that isn’t capable of recording in low light situations, in a dimly lit room.

You also want to think about the types of actives that take place in the area you are choosing to hide the camera. Think about the things that might change in the room during the time the camera is deployed. If someone leaves a closet door open, will the door block the view of the camera? If you position a hidden camera on a table or desk, is this a place that someone usually tosses their hat when they take it off after coming inside? It’s important to keep these kinds of things in mind when choosing the best place to locate a hidden camera or you may find that your efforts will have been wasted.

Lastly, you’ll want to consider the type of camera you choose to install. If throughout the normal course of your day, you wouldn’t usually have a good reason to be in the particular area that you are trying to record, it’s probably best to install a camera that will broadcast a wireless signal. If you install a camera that you have to retrieve when you want to download the footage, you’ll have to come up with a clever reason to retrieve the camera which may result in your cameras being discovered.

If you remember to blend the camera with the decor of the room so that it doesn’t stand out as something that is out of place as well as make sure that the camera will always have a clear view of the activities in the area that you are trying to record, your hidden camera will not likely be discovered and you’ll be much happier with the results.

Thanks for reading but before you go, check out my post on how to make a pinhole camera for kids. I really think you’ll like it. Your kids sure will!

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One option is to use wire your entire security system to a computer and then use specialized software that makes remote monitoring possible. These kinds of systems can be a bit more complex than most people need. The easiest way to view security cameras from the Internet is to purchase Internet ready security cameras or an Internet ready security system.

The camera in today’s example is the Cisco-Linksys Wireless-N Internet Home Monitoring Camera. This little powerhouse provides low cost easy to use remote monitoring of virtually any location. What makes this system easy to use is that it’s not necessary to connect it to a computer like most Internet viewable security cameras. The camera contains a built in computer as well as web server software. All you’ll need to do connect it to a network Wireless-N or an Ethernet cable.

Don’t confuse this camera with any old run of the mill webcam. It’s much more powerful than a standard webcam. Once the camera is installed and configured, you or anyone you grant access to can monitor the video stream from any web browser anywhere in the world. You can even remotely monitor the camera from your smartphone if you wish!

This Internet ready video camera records audio as well as high quality 640 x 480 video at a high frame rate. You can even remotely connect to this camera from wherever you might be to change configuration settings whenever you feel the need. Additionally, you can remotely control the brightness setting of the video footage. This camera is equipped with a motion sensor activated record feature to extend the video storage capacity of your system.

The video footage is both date and time stamped which is a very important feature for surveillance equipment to be equipped with. The fact that this is an all in one camera and that it is so easy to connect it to the Internet makes it a winner in my book.

I sure do appreciate you taking the time to read this article. If you want to do something fun with your kids, you should check out my article on how to make a pinhole camera for kids.

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It’s an all in one spy camera. What do I mean by that? Well, The video camera, power supply, and storage media is all enclosed in a tight little package about the size of a large walnut. All you need to do to deploy this hidden camera is turn it on and place it somewhere that it won’t be discovered. There are no wires to run whatsoever. It’s pure simplicity!

This stealthy spy camera is equipped with a rechargeable 340mA Li-Polymer 3.7 volt battery which will enable it to record both audio and video continuously for up to 24 hours. It’s even equipped with a motion sensor to extend the recording time even more. If this little spy cam is used in motion sensor mode, it can record up to 48 hours before the battery needs to be recharged.

Some of the other things I like about this unit is that the actual video camera lens records in color and has a <1 Lux low light rating which basically means that it's capable to recording in low light conditions. A hidden video camera isn't much use to you if the video footage that it records turns out horribly because the lighting conditions weren't just right.

The storage media for the camera is 128 MB of internal flash memory and a 2GB MicroSD card. While it is shipped with a 2GB card, it will support up to an 8GB card. I would definitely recommend buying an 8GB memory card if you decide to buy one of these little covert cameras.

The video footage that this device produces is even time stamped for those occasions when you might need to provide evidence of the exact time that the footage was recorded. This feature could be invaluable if you need to provide video footage to law enforcement or the courts.

This little miracle of modern technology records in the MPEG 4 compression video format at a resolution of 320 by 240. It has a USB port that is used for both downloading the video footage to your computer and charging the rechargeable battery. I should also point out that you can purchase and optional AC adapter to extend the recording time. If you are recording in an area that has little activity and the device is set to motion sensor mode and you have it connected to the AC adapter, this little hidden camera could be deployed for many days before the memory card needs to be downloaded.

I sure appreciate you taking the time to read this article. How about checking out my post on how to make a pinhole camera for kids before you head out.

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Today I would like to tell you about a really great teddy bear nanny cam. There are several varieties of nanny cams that look like teddy bears but not all of them are created equally. Let me tell you about why I like this particular unit.

When you have the need to secretly video record for many hours at a time, many of the wireless versions may run out of battery power while you are recording. If this happens, you could possible miss the opportunity to get the video footage that you desperately need. With this wired version, you don’t have to worry about the battery running out or running out of memory to store the video footage.

This particular nanny cam records in color from a lens that is cleverly hidden inside the teddy bear. It comes with 25 feet of video cable so that you can be quite creative in where you choose to place the unit. The 3.6mm lens in this nanny camera video records with a 92 degree field of view. It’s worth noting that this particular nanny camera isn’t capable of recording audio.

To set this unit up, you simply choose the location where you want to record and find a place for the teddy bear to be placed. Then you plug the power cord for video camera into any standard wall outlet. Next, you run the video cord and connect it to either a TV monitor or recording device of your choice. The last thing you’ll want to do is find a clever way to conceal the wires so no one will suspect that you have installed a hidden camera.

The nice thing about this particular camera is that not many people will suspect something as commonplace as a teddy bear is concealing a hidden video camera. If your hidden surveillance equipment is too obvious, it will be easily discovered and all your efforts will have been wasted.

If you’re in the market for a device like this, I highly recommend this one.

Before you head out, why not take a minute and read my article on how to make a pinhole camera for kids? You’re kids will love you if you do this for them.

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The product that I’m featuring today is a mini high resolution USB hidden camera that looks exactly like a standard cigarette lighter. I must admit that this little spy device is pretty impressive. Keep in mind that this cheap nanny cam isn’t really designed to record all day because it doesn’t have enough storage capacity. It records at 30 frames per second through a very tiny camera that is one of the smallest pinhole cameras that I’ve ever seen.

This unit records video in the AVI format at 720 x 480 pixles onto an 8GB MicroSD memory card (card not included). This little spy camera is reported to be able to record both video and audio for about two hours before the battery needs to be recharged.

To make this cheap nanny cam begin recording, you simply press down on the button that you would normally use to strike a flame from a disposable lighter. Then you simply place it in a location where the camera lens will have a clear view of the activity you wish to record. The little pinhole video camera is located on the bottom of the lighter and it would be very difficult for someone to notice even if they were specifically looking for a video recording device.

To download the video, you simply pull the cap off to reveal a USB plug which you then insert into a USB port on your computer. When you plug the device into your computer, the video will automatically download. You’ll want to plug this hidden nanny camera into a powered USB port so the internal rechargeable battery will charge up.

Note: Be sure and order an 8GB MicroSD card when you order this unit because the card isn’t included. This cigarette lighter hidden video camera sells for between $10 and $20 dollars and the memory card will cost you right around $10.00. Who would have thought you could buy a fully functional nanny cam for right around $30?

If you’re in the market for the cheapest nanny cam, I recommend trying this one. I wouldn’t expect HD quality video from this unit but for the price, it’s really a great value.
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5-29-2011 Update: It seems that this cheap nanny cam is no longer available. Here’s one that should work just as well and it’s even a bit cheaper. This one is cleverly disguises to look like the key chain remote for a car alarm system.

It’s video recording resolution is 720 x 480 at 30 frames per second. It comes with 4GB of memory and is expandable to 8GB. This little gem can even take 1280 by 1024 JPEG 1.3 megapixel photographs. It has a built in lithium ion rechargeable battery that is reported to last about an hour and a half.

To download the video footage and charge the battery, you simply plug a standard USB cable into the USB port on the device. You can expect to pay around $25 for this covert nanny cam (price as of May 2011).

If you’re looking for a fun project that you can do with your kids, I suggest that you take a minute to read my post that will teach you how to make a pinhole camera for kids. It’s easy to do and you’re kids are sure to love this project.

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I would like to make a suggestion to you that may help prevent crime at your place of business. This suggestion is that you install fake security cameras or a combination of fake cameras and real cameras. A fake security camera can be just as much of a deterrent as a real security camera. Would be shoplifters or burglars don’t have any idea that they’re not looking at a real camera. These types of individuals are much less likely to commit a crime if they know that the chances of them being caught on video are high.

Fake security cameras are often referred to as dummy security cameras. A dummy security camera is often just as realistic looking as a real security camera. There are many models to choose from if you are interested in purchasing some. There are several advantages to using dummy security cameras. One of them is that you can often purchase many more dummy cameras then you could actually buy if they were real cameras.

Many people find that the best video security system uses a combination of real equipment and fake equipment. This is a great way to stretch your budget even farther. You can use what little funding you do have for a security camera system and install real video cameras in the most important locations of your business. You can then install a fake surveillance camera in several other places around your business to create the illusion that you business is being thoroughly monitored.

In most cases you will be able to purchase fake surveillance cameras that are exact replicas of the real one. If you have this option, I would definitely recommend do it because your employees and customers will have no idea which cameras are real and which cameras are fake. It’s extremely important that if you do install fake security cameras that you don’t even tell your most trusted employees that the cameras are not real.  Security and Loss Prevention professionals will be the first to tell you that it’s often the people that you would think would be the least likely to steal from you that actually end up doing so.

Another think to keep in mind is that people aren’t very good at keeping secrets as general rule.  If you tell one employee that the video cameras aren’t real, they will tell someone that they think they can trust.  That person will then tell someone that they think they can trust and before you know it everyone will know that the video camera system is fake, even the shoplifters.  It’s important that you understand that a fake security system can be just as effective at deterring crime as a real security system but only if no one knows that the cameras aren’t real.

When you install fake security cameras at your place of business, you should do it after hours when no other employees are working.  You shouldn’t tell anyone about the fact that you’re installing a surveillance system. You should also arrange for the entire job to be finished by the time you open for business the next day.  This way, no one will have any idea that some of the cameras might be fake.   It’s also a good idea to plaster signs around your business informing people that you have a video security system.  These signs are nearly as effective at deterring crime as the cameras themselves! They are even cheaper than the fake security cameras that you’ll be buying so you’ll be able to post them all over the place.

If you’re clever and creative, there’s no reason you should have to spend much money at all to deter crime in your store or other place of business.

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You can buy this nifty little system for less than $200 from Amazon.com right now. What an amazing deal and a great way to get into the world of hidden video.

This unit is a small wireless system that boasts a 300 foot range.  The camera is so small that it can easily be hidden anywhere.  The receiver is has a a little screen and speaker so it can be used as a stand alone system without being connected to a VCR.

The monitor can easily connect to your VCR, DVR, TV, or even computer for viewing and or recording purposes.

Although it only comes with one camera, you can add up to two more compatible cameras.  Both the monitor and camera are powered by AC adapters but you can use batteries in them for more mobile or covert applications.

I should note that this unit is for indoor use only.  I imagine you could use it outdoors under the right conditions intermittently. One of the things I like about this particular camera is that it even has night vision. The range of the night vision is only 8 – 10 feet but because this is wireless device, you can easily mount the camera close enough to get a good angle of the area you need to monitor or record.

The camera system is getting rave reviews on Amazon.  25 customers have rated it and the average score works out to 4 out of 5 stars.  They report that the range is as advertised and the video quality is good.

This little system has James Bond written all over it.  I’m going to buy one just to play with.  If any of you have this unit or buy it please let me know what you think of it.  

Thanks for stopping by www.hiddenvideotips.com!

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1. Maybe the person being video recorded is involved in illegal activity.  I think that in this case it is okay to use hidden video surveillance.
2. Maybe the person being video recorded is a loved one and involved in some sort of activity that may be harmful to them.  For example, maybe you are sure that your child is using drugs in the garage.
3. Maybe you are sure that your significant other is cheating on you.  Hidden video footage can be very useful in a divorce case if it’s actually legal to secretly record someone in your area.
4. Maybe a business is trying to catch shoplifters of employee theft.
5. Maybe you suspect that your babysitter is abusing your children. In cases like these, the use of hidden nanny cams may prevent your child from irreversible physical and/or psychological harm.
6. Maybe your property is being vandalized. The use of hidden cameras can help you catch the people responsible damaging your property and costing your money.

Now, lets look at potential reasons why secretly recording someone may not be considered ethical.

1. Some believe that everyone has a right to their privacy regardless of the circumstances.
2. Secretly video recording someone may ruin a relationship if you are caught.  What if the person that you are recording happens to be innocent of the act that you suspect them of being guilty of.
3. The footage from hidden video surveillance may end up in the wrong hands and hurt someone in a way that you didn’t intend to.
4. It’s not ethical to secretly video record people in areas they would have a reasonable expectation of privacy. Some areas that might fit into this category would be bathrooms or dressing rooms.
5. If the reason the video is being recorded is simply for personal enjoyment, I wouldn’t consider this to be an ethical use of the technology.
6. If the purpose for recording an individual is to embarrass the person, I wouldn’t consider this to be ethical either.

As you can see there isn’t a real cut and dry answer to whether or not hidden video surveillance is the most ethical practice. Some uses may seem perfectly ethical to you while other people may consider the technology used in the same way to be an invasion of privacy. You will have to use your own discretion.  If it’s legal where you live and you have thought it through, then hidden video surveillance may be the right thing to do depending on the circumstances.

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One thing in this world that you can always count on is that any technology that we have today will be better tomorrow. That’s just the nature of the beast. This is especially true when it comes to electronic devices.

The technology of wireless video surveillance has advanced exponentially over the past few years. One piece of technology that really has made a huge difference is the advent of external transmitters and receivers. Since the wireless video transmitter doesn’t need to be inside the camera, the hidden video cameras can be significantly smaller.

There are five components to wireless hidden video systems:

1. Video camera -  These are manufactured in all shapes and sizes these days.
2. Wireless video transmitter – You plug the video camera into this device.  It both transmits the wireless signal and provides power to the camera.
3. Wireless video receiver – This device receives the signal sent from the wireless video transmitter.  You plug the monitor and recording equipment into this device.
4. Monitor – This device allows you to view the video.
5. Recording Device – This device is usually either a video cassette recorder or a digital video recorder of some kind.

With a quality wireless video transmitter and receiver, quality hidden video camera systems can transmit in excess of 3000 feet.  It’s important to understand that the ratings the manufactures give regarding the effective range of these devices is for line of sight (LOS) situations.  Line of sight refers to a clear, unobstructed, path between the transmitter and receiver.  When you factor in things like walls, building, trees, or variations in terrain, the range will be reduced and you will unlikely get the full rated range out of your wireless video equipment. These obstructions all cause interference in the signal. The more interference, the shorter the range will be.

If you are having problems getting a good, clear picture, it’s possible to improve the picture quality and range by experimenting with the positioning of both the transmitter and the receiver.

With the high quality of equipment available today, you have many more options in terms of where you can hide the camera and place the monitoring and recording devices than ever before. You’re really only limited by your imagination.

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