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Legal Eagle: Who owns surveillance video?
An ATM robbery prompts the question after the bank refuses to show surveillance footage to the aggrieved customer; Ken Kirschenbaum urges companies to comply with law enforcement requests; in most cases, no harm can come of sharing footage, so long as the company is not worried about what the tapes might show about their own procedures
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Integrian buys Signal Innovations Group
Deal expands Integrian’s mobile surveillance and analytics business; SIG known for data modeling and algorithm design for defense applications; acquisition the third in two years for Integrian
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Texas virtual border patrol goes on-line
After a one-month stress test, state proclaims effort a success; more than 200,000 register to watch for illegal immigrants on their desktops; one major arrest reported; technological and contracting issues hamper full $5 million roll-out
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Trace Systems eyes growing wireless sensor network market
The wireless sensor network market is growing by leaps and bounds, and this Virginia-based company wants to be a major player in it
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Military technologies fight elephant poaching
Dual and triple-use technology adds value to a homeland security portfolio; sensors designed to locate enemy soldiers now helps track down illegal hunters; magnetometer detects guns; Cornell adds gunshot locating application to elephant monitoring system
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Aurora Flight Sciences to test new Goldeneye 80 UAV
Federal government hopes for success in effort to encourage UAVs to run on standard diesel fuel; procurement efficiency at issue; Goldeneye 80 goes up against Honeywell UAV for DARPA funding, and both move forward into Phase 3 testing; winning UAV will support small units on tactical missions
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New catadioptric lens a major improvement on the fisheye
Old, distortion-prone lenses to sleep with the fishes; Korean researcher the first to create a commercially-viable wide-angle system using both a catopric and dioptic lens; indoor surveillance prime market
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Oxford City outfits housing employees with tracking and recording badges
New technology allows rent collectors to quietly raise the alarm during a confrontation; push a button and an open channel is created; conversations are recorded for legal purposes; Connexion2, Vodafone, and Identicom provide the technology
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IBM gives Cook County a boost with cruiser-linked infrastructure surveillance
Cameras from Panasonic and Pelco are wirelessly connected to in-car screens and DVRs; Project Shield aims to protect 126 sites at a cost of only $900,000
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IBM considers snatching up Verint
Moving into the analytics market, IBM eyes a nice prize; Verint has strong software, but Comverse’s ownership is depressing stock price
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UK Ministry of Defense launches urban warfare technology contest
The MoD Challenge asks professionals and tinkerers alike to help improve communications and intelligence for British soldiers fighting in city environments; winner will receive an MoD contract; draft requirements now available on the Web
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OASIS to promote standardized semantic search and content analytics
Semantic searches and contents analytics have become more popular — and necessary — as communcation through the Internet, e-mail, cellular phones, but also by audio and video means, has grown exponentially; OASIS steps in to establish standards in such searches
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Daryl Gates to be appointed president of Global ePoint
Company, a manufacturer of digital surveillance and detection solutions, chooses the fomer LAPD chief as its new head
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Smarter Security Systems launches new outdoor DVR line
Temperature-hardened and weatherproof SmarterDVRs are designed for remote, outdoor use in such rugged locales as oil fields — and even underwater; system sports motion-based recording and internet connectivity; lower power consumption a critical feature
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The long view
How DHS Laid the Groundwork for More Intelligence Abuse
I&A, the lead intelligence unit of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) —long plagued by politicized targeting, permissive rules, and a toxic culture —has undergone a transformation over the last two years. Spencer Reynolds writes that this effort falls short. “Ultimately, Congress must rein in I&A,” he adds.