South Africa's dumbest criminals- Part 1

Spy Shop SA always like to keep content fresh and also funny just to brighten up your day. Here is Part 1 of 'South Africa's Dumbest Criminals'.

A man has been described as “the most stupid, dumbest criminal” in East London after he returned to a house he had robbed dressed in clothes stolen from the premises.

The man apparently returned to ask for work, the Times reported.

The owner of the house in Nahoon Valley Place said the man came knocking on the door on Sunday morning, asking for gardening work.

To his surprise, he saw the man was wearing his shoes, trousers and one of his fiancée’s blouses.

The man immediately went to the back garden and saw that their storeroom had been broken into. They were moving house and keeping some of their belongings there.

"I could not believe the audacity of this guy. I detained him after that and called the police, but they did not pitch for 45 minutes," the owner said.

He escaped but was later caught by security guards.

The story was published on the Facebook page for Crime Spotter Buffalo City where the thief was called the “most stupid, dumbest criminal” in East London.

Haha! What a crazy world we live in. If you need Spy Cameras to keep your house safe then get to Spy Shop SA today and check out all of our wildly low prices: www.spyshopsa.co.za

This article can be found on: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/South-Africas-dumbest-criminal-20120327

What is an IP Camera

Here at Spy Shop SA we get asked many, many questions about Spy Cameras, so this is the first in our series about all the cameras that we have on www.spyshopsa.co.za Here is the first installment:

What is IP camera?

An IP camera is a networked digital video camera that transmits data over a Fast Ethernet link. IP cameras (also called "network cameras") are most often used for IP surveillance, a digitized and networked version of closed-circuit television (CCTV).

Benefits of IP camera over analog technology include:

Remote administration from any location.
Digital zoom.
The ability to easily send images and video anywhere with an Internet connection.
Progressive scanning, which enables better quality images extracted from the video, especially for moving targets.
Adjustable frame rates and resolution to meet specific needs.
Two-way communication.
The ability to send alerts if suspicious activity is detected.
Lower cabling requirements.
Support for intelligent video.
Disadvantages of IP surveillance include greater complexity and bandwidth demands. One alternative for organizations with substantial investment in analog technology is to use a video server to, in effect, turn analog CCTV cameras to IP cameras. A video server is a small standalone server that converts analog signals to a digital format and provides the analog cameras with IP addresses.

Nevertheless, because it offers much more sophisticated capabilities, IP surveillance is increasingly replacing analog CCTV. An industry report from International Data Corporation (IDC) predicts that shipments of IP cameras and related products will increase 45% between 2009 and 2013.

Link can be found on: http://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/IP-camera

Did that help? We are sure that it did :) Our Team will add more information for you in the coming weeks, months and centuries as this will help you in selecting the perfect Spy Camera for yourself.

Chat soon spy fans.
Agent007 Llewelyn
info@spyshopsa.co.za
www.spyshopsa.co.za
Tel: 087 943 8869

Tips to keep animals safe

Hi Spy Shop SA fans,

We love animals as much as you so follow these tips to keep those furry (and slimy) loved ones safe..

The summer months can be uncomfortable—even dangerous—for pets and people. It's difficult enough simply to cope with rising temperatures, let alone thick humidity, but things really get tough in areas that are hit with the double blow of intense heat and storm-caused power outages, sometimes with tragic results.

We can help you keep your pets safe and cool this summer. Follow our tips for helping everyone in your family stay healthy and comfortable when the heat is on (and even if the power isn't).

Practice basic summer safety
Never leave your pets in a parked car
Not even for a minute. Not even with the car running and air conditioner on. On a warm day, temperatures inside a vehicle can rise rapidly to dangerous levels. On an 85-degree day, for example, the temperature inside a car with the windows opened slightly can reach 102 degrees within 10 minutes. After 30 minutes, the temperature will reach 120 degrees. Your pet may suffer irreversible organ damage or die.

If you see an animal in distress in a parked car, contact the nearest animal shelter or police. Spread the word about the dangers of leaving pets in hot cars by talking to them and by printing out our Hot Car flyer (PDF), posting it in public places, and sharing it with your friends, family, and coworkers. (It might help convince some people if you point out that leaving a pet in a car is an invitation to theft—of the car, the pet, or both—especially if the windows are cracked.)

Watch the humidity
"It's important to remember that it's not just the ambient temperature but also the humidity that can affect your pet," says Dr. Barry Kellogg, VMD, of the Humane Society Veterinary Medical Association. "Animals pant to evaporate moisture from their lungs, which takes heat away from their body. If the humidity is too high, they are unable to cool themselves, and their temperature will skyrocket to dangerous levels—very quickly."

Taking a dog's temperature will quickly tell you if there is a serious problem. Dogs' temperatures should not be allowed to get over 104 degrees. If your dog's temperature does, follow the instructions for treating heat stroke.

Limit exercise on hot days
Take care when exercising your pet. Adjust intensity and duration of exercise in accordance with the temperature. On very hot days, limit exercise to early morning or evening hours, and be especially careful with pets with white-colored ears, who are more susceptible to skin cancer, and short-nosed pets, who typically have difficulty breathing. Asphalt gets very hot and can burn your pet's paws, so walk your dog on the grass if possible. Always carry water with you to keep your dog from dehydrating.

Don't rely on a fan
Pets respond differently to heat than humans do. (Dogs, for instance, sweat primarily through their feet.) And fans don't cool off pets as effectively as they do people.

Provide ample shade and water
Any time your pet is outside, make sure he or she has protection from heat and sun and plenty of fresh, cold water. In heat waves, add ice to water when possible. Tree shade and tarps are ideal because they don't obstruct air flow. A doghouse does not provide relief from heat—in fact, it makes it worse.

Cool your pet inside and out
Whip up a batch of quick and easy DIY peanut butter popsicles for dogs. (You can use peanut butter or another favorite food.) And always provide water, whether your pets are inside or out with you.

Keep your pet from overheating indoors or out with a cooling body wrap, vest, or mat (such as the Keep Cool Mat). Soak these products in cool water, and they'll stay cool (but usually dry) for up to three days. If your dog doesn't find baths stressful, see if she enjoys a cooling soak.
Watch for signs of heatstroke
Extreme temperatures can cause heatstroke. Some signs of heatstroke are heavy panting, glazed eyes, a rapid heartbeat, difficulty breathing, excessive thirst, lethargy, fever, dizziness, lack of coordination, profuse salivation, vomiting, a deep red or purple tongue, seizure, and unconsciousness.

Animals are at particular risk for heat stroke if they are very old, very young, overweight, not conditioned to prolonged exercise, or have heart or respiratory disease. Some breeds of dogs—like boxers, pugs, shih tzus, and other dogs and cats with short muzzles—will have a much harder time breathing in extreme heat.

How to treat a pet suffering from heatstroke
Move your pet into the shade or an air-conditioned area. Apply ice packs or cold towels to her head, neck, and chest or run cool (not cold) water over her. Let her drink small amounts of cool water or lick ice cubes. Take her directly to a veterinarian.

If you need any Spy Gear to keep your animals safe from thieves then click on: www.spyshopsa.co.za too..

This article and many more can be found at: http://www.humanesociety.org

Security Tips for your work

Spy Shop SA has Spy Cameras, Spy Pens and Spy Watches plus we like to give you security tips:

While it's difficult to protect your home from professional thieves, most home burglaries are done by amateurs. These thieves are more easily thwarted if you employ some of these simple security precautions:

Plan to "burglarize" yourself. You'll discover any weaknesses in your security system that may have previously escaped your notice.

Lock up your home, even if you go out only for a short time. Many burglars just walk in through an unlocked door or window.

Change all the locks and tumblers when you move into a new house.

For the most effective alarm system, conceal all wiring. A professional burglar looks for places where he or she can disconnect the security system.

Your house should appear occupied at all times. Use timers to switch lights and radios on and off when you're not at home.

If you have a faulty alarm that frequently goes off, get it fixed immediately and tell your neighbors that it's been repaired. Many people ignore an alarm that goes off periodically.

A spring-latch lock is easy prey for burglars who are "loiding" experts. Loiding is the method of slipping a plastic credit card against the latch tongue to depress it and unlock the door. A deadbolt defies any such attack. It is only vulnerable when there is enough space between the door and its frame to allow an intruder to use power tools or a hacksaw.

If you lose your keys, change the locks immediately.

Before turning your house key over to a professional house cleaner for several hours, make sure the person is honest and reputable as well as hardworking. Check all references thoroughly. If the house cleaner is from a firm, call your local Better Business Bureau to check on the firm's reputation.

Instead of keeping a spare key in a mailbox, under the doormat, or on a nail behind the garage, wrap the key in foil -- or put it in a 35mm film can -- and bury it where you can easily find it if you need it.

Don't leave notes for service people or family members on the door. These act as a welcome mat for a burglar.

If the entrances to your home are dark, consider installing lighting with an infrared detector. Most thieves don't want to be observed trying to get in a door.

Talk to your neighbors about any suspicious people or strange cars you notice lurking about.
To keep your tools from being stolen, paint the handles. Thieves avoid items that are easy to identify.

Trees located near windows or shrubbery that might shield a burglar from view can be major flaws in your home-protection plan. Consider your landscaping plan in light of your protection needs.

Ask for credentials from any sales-person who requests entry to your home. Ask that their ID be pushed under the door. Many professional burglars use this cover to check out homes. If you're doubtful, check with the person's office before letting him or her in.

Do not list your full name on your mailbox or your entry in the telephone book. Use only your initial and your last name.

If someone comes to your door asking to use the phone to call a mechanic or the police, keep the door locked and make the call yourself.

Dogs are good deterrents to burglars. Even a small, noisy dog can be effective -- burglars do not like to have attention drawn to their presence. Be aware, however, that trained guard dogs do not make good pets. Obedience training and attack training are entirely different, and only the former is appropriate for a house pet.

Be safe and click on this link to get some awesome Spy Cameras: www.spyshopsa.co.za

Chat soon Spy Fans!

Agent 007

Home Security Tips

We always get asked about security here at Spy Shop SA. Here are some awesome tips thanks to the cool people at: http://www.selfsecure.co.za/

Learn the following:

• How to prevent becoming a victim of a hijacking
• How to protect your family in your own home
• Which security measures make more sense than others?

Simple, common sense and easy to use information that could be invaluable in protecting your home, your family and of course you. Simply click here for more information about the free course.

Crime, often violent crime, in South Africa is a fact of life. Hardly anyone can claim not to have been personally affected, either through personal experience or having a close friend or family member become a victim. Your daily life is most likely influenced by the fear of crime - where you travel, places you avoid, the way you treat strangers, your general state of awareness or anxiety. Most households will spend money each month on some form of security. Its really only the extent of this cost that varies: armed response, car tracking units, burglar bars, security guards, theft insurance, alarms, locks, gates.... the list goes on.

There is no product or service that can provide 100% safety and security. Its all a matter of getting as close to secure as possible, but the eternal battle between criminals and their victims is in continual flux. As new products are developed, criminals find ways to get around them. You need to stay a few, or at least one step ahead of them.

Don’t become a statistic. Use common sense, the experience of others and technology to make you and your family’s lives safer.

This web site will provide you with the tools and information to help you protect both yourself and your family.

The main crimes that cause the states of anxiety and fear in which so many of us live our daily lives are (in order of severity):

1. House robbery.
2. Hijacking (car robbery).
3. House breaking (burglary).
4. Smash and grab (theft out of motor vehicle).

We have specifically excluded less common, although very serious crimes and “social” crimes committed by people known to the victim. Those require a different solution and that is not the topic of this web site. There are other serious crimes, but not as wide spread as the above and there are more common crimes, but they are seldom as traumatic, even if they are unpleasant.

Our solutions are not 100% effective all the time and they don’t cover every possible situation. That is quite simply impossible and anyone who tells you otherwise is talking rubbish. We will however give you ideas on how to drastically improve the safety of your environment.  Our solutions are typically relevant for residents living in the suburbs of South Africa as that is where our experience lies. However the solutions are not necessarily high in cost, in fact much of it comes at no cost at all. You get to decide how much time, effort and money you want to throw at the problem.

Our approach is two fold. We will expose you to information on how to create a safe environment and we will then also show you various bits of technology that will enhance and complement the information. The information and technology is continually changing,  and this makes regular email the most effective way to keep you up to date with changes in equipment, new ideas and the latest methods used by criminals.

Amazingly, despite our horrific crime statistics in South Africa, we are still remarkably apathetic when it comes to changing our lifestyles. If we were  to dump a book with all our information and a box with all the necessary equipment in your entrance hall, it would probably stay there and never get used. We’re just too busy. Even if you did read the book, implementing the ideas would always be put off for another day. That is why we have chosen the regular email method. The information stays current, we can take on the challenge in small, bite size steps and we can keep reminding and motivating.

At this stage many people become worried about being spammed. My policy is simple, I don’t sell email addresses, period. I have information which I believe will benefit many South Africans and the best way to get it to them is by email. If you still remain concerned, open up a free gmail account and use that as your email address. In some cases its probably a good idea anyway as some South African service providers may treat our mail as spam and delete it without telling you or me. Just don’t forget to log on and check. your gmail account for messages every now and then.

Our solutions will focus primarily on the typical South African suburban household, but many ideas and products will work elsewhere too. By eliminating or at least greatly reducing the chances of any of the common big 4 crimes ( house robbery, hijacking, burglary and smash & grabs) we can help create an environment around your South African home which at least compares suitably with lifestyles else where in the world.

South Africa without violent crime would be one of the best places in the world to live.

To sign up for the emailed information on protecting yourself, your family and your home, click here.

Product review: The Bionic Ear- 100 Meters Sound Distance + Quality Headphone

The Bionic Ear- 100 Meters Sound Distance + Quality Headphone:

My favorite aspect of the Bionic Ear - 100 Meters Sound Distance + Quality Headphone is the fact that it comes with a monocular so you can see whatever object you're looking at up to 8x better in magnitude. The thing that stands out the most about the Bionic Ear - 100 Meters Sound Distance + Quality Headphone is the knob that comes on it. The knob allows you to adjust your sound and your sound reception. The reason for the knob is so that you can focus on one sound and one sound only. It helps you adjust your wanted noise and drown out the surrounding noises that may be included.

The Bionic Ear - 100 Meters Sound Distance + Quality Headphone comes with a pair of headphones so you can really drown out the extras and get up close and personal with whatever you're listening to.

The one thing I disliked about the Bionic Ear - 100 Meters Sound Distance + Quality Headphone was that it takes batteries There isn't a way for you to plug up and charge, you have to rely of batteries to carry you. I'm not a big fan of batteries and most of the time the run out on my anyway. I'm used to have items that allow me to at least hook up to my computer. I can't even do that with the Bionic Ear - 100 Meters Sound Distance + Quality Headphone.

Other than what I mentioned the Bionic Ear - 100 Meters Sound Distance + Quality Headphone is an exceptional piece of work. Its for anyone who have a hard time of hearing in a crowded place or for someone who wants to get up close and personal with a very in tense project.

Written by: http://voices.yahoo.com/the-bionic-ear-100-meters-sound-distance-quality-headphone-4164229.html?cat=15

Need a cool pair for yourself or your family? Here is the link: http://www.spyshopsa.co.za/product/153-bionic-ear-quality-headphone

Tips to keep your car safe

Your car is likely one of the most expensive investments you’ll ever make. As such, you want to protect it from theft and vandalism much in the same way you want to protect your house. You also want to make sure that no one steals anything important out of your car. When it comes to securing your vehicle, you can spend big bucks on alarms, tracking systems, locks, and disconnect switches. However, if you’d rather not lay out that kind of money, there are quite a few things you can do to secure your car that are free or very inexpensive. Here are some easy steps you can take to secure your car.

Lock the doors

This is the easiest thing to do, but a lot of people forget. When you park your car (even in your own driveway), lock the doors and roll up the windows. Thieves look for an easy opportunity and an unlocked car is one of the easiest. There was a rash of car “break-ins” in my area not long ago and the only vehicles that were affected were the unlocked ones. The thieves didn’t bother with the locked cars. Too much effort, time, and risk of detection is involved. So lock the doors.

Don’t leave valuables in plain view

Don’t leave GPS’s, cell phones, purses, laptops, or shopping purchases in plain view, even if you’re parked at home. Secure them in the trunk, but make sure no one is looking when you do. And if you do put your items in the trunk, lock the doors since the trunk can be popped from inside the car. Better yet, take valuables out of the car entirely. Thieves can see a GPS holder, laptop stand or charger, etc. and may take the chance that the item is still in the car.

Park in the garage, if possible

If you have a garage at home, use it. It’s more secure than your driveway. If your garage is too full of junk to get the car in, clean out the garage. If you live in a more urban area and you have the option of parking in a monitored, gated garage, take it if you can afford it. The harder it is to get to your car, the less likely it is to be stolen.

Park wisely

When you park your car, try to park under lights, near security cameras, or in a well-traveled area. These make it more likely that someone will see a thief messing with your car and call the police. Thieves don’t like to be watched.

Don’t buy a car that’s a target

You can save yourself a lot of trouble if you don’t buy a car that’s a target in the first place. Some are targeted because of their style, such as luxury or sports cars, while others are targeted because their parts are in demand. Your insurance company likely has a list of most frequently stolen cars that they will share with you so you can avoid those models.

Buy a locking gas cap

While a cap won’t keep your car from being stolen, it does make it so that if your car is stolen the thieves will have a harder time filling up. This increases the chance that they won’t get far and may be caught by police. It also helps prevent thieves from siphoning gas out of your tank — a crime that always seems to spike when gas prices rise.

Always take your keys with you

Never leave the keys in the ignition or in the car. That’s just making it way too easy for the thieves.

Never leave the car running unattended

It’s tempting to leave the car running while you run in to the coffee shop or up to the ATM. People also leave cars running to warm them up in the winter. Don’t do it. Thieves watch for these opportunities and it only takes them a second to get in that car and take off.

Protect personal information

Don’t keep your registration in the car, and don’t keep any paperwork with personal or financial information in the car. If a thief steals your car, they may not stop at that. Identity theft is easy with a registration and if they get banking information, it’s easy to clean out your account. Also, with your home address, they know where you live and may decide to rob that, too (particularly if they got your keys).

Don’t use a hide-a-key

Even if you think it’s impossible to find, it isn’t. Thieves know where to look. Give someone you trust a spare key and call them if you have a problem, or get a service like AAA.

Don’t leave your car keys in an obvious place in your home

If thieves break into your home, they often look for car keys. You car will make an ideal get away vehicle and cap off their robbery of your home. Don’t leave the keys on the table, or on a hook by the door. Put them somewhere less obvious.

Mark your car

You can inscribe the VIN number on the engine, on the hood, in the trunk, and on the windows. This makes a car unattractive to thieves because it is now much more difficult to change the car’s identity. It’s also easier for the cops to find if they raid a chop shop or catch the criminals joyriding in your car.

Avoid long-term parking

Thieves know the owners aren’t likely to come back soon and long-term lots are often poorly policed. Get someone to give you a ride or take a taxi to the airport. If you do park in long-term, you can take some simple steps to disable your car such as disconnecting a battery cable, or disconnecting the distributor cap. Thieves often won’t try to figure out what’s wrong with the car, they’ll just move on. It takes too much time and is obvious if they go poking around under the hood.

Courtesy of: http://www.savingadvice.com

Need some Car Trackers? Look at our awesome selection at Spy Shop SA!