Is Big Brother Watching You? Or Are You Watching Big Brother?

Isn't technology a wonderful thing? I thought this as I received the text to my mobile phone telling me that my home security camera had detected movement. Someone or something was where they shouldn't be at the rear of my house and I was 2000 miles away on vacation ? yet I still knew they were there. Fortunately the text wasn't followed up by another from one of the sensors on my windows telling me that someone was breaking in and it was urgent I did something about it.

A quick call to my neighbour and the drama was over, must have been that big old moggy over the back on his nightly prowl.

Just imagine the peace of mind knowing that my castle was safe and was being looked over by technology and that my worldly possessions weren't strewn all over the back yard as some bad people made their hurried get-away and it was all down to technology.

Just a month earlier I had installed an add-on to my home security system that allowed me to monitor the state of various things around my home from anywhere in the world, either over the world wide web or by alert to my mobile phone. Even better still, I can logon to the internet in some friendly internet café, wherever I am, and set things up. I can setup lights to come on and off at will, I can turn the central heating on for a snug and warm return, I can even make a cup of tea (should any burglar want one whilst the police arrive) by controlling my trusty tea maker and all from anywhere in the world!

I am sure I am not breaking new ground here, this is not technology to revolutionise space travel or to solve the African drought problem but it certainly answers a need for me, the peace and mind of knowing my possessions are safe.

I got the idea to monitor my home remotely when, in the course of my work, I came across a little device that monitors anything from anywhere.

That's probably a sweeping statement and needs to be qualified slightly, it might struggle to monitor wind speed on Mars and send the results to Venus but you know what I mean.

When I came across it first, it was monitoring a whole host of things in remote water pumping stations, interesting things like bearing vibration and motor temperature, water leaks and intruder alarm. It was sending information back to a central location in collaboration with dozens of it's brothers and sisters in their remote pumping stations, all sending back information to the one central location ? fantastic!

Of course it was the intruder alarm bit that sparked my imagination (I don't have many vibrating bearings in my home). As I researched into it further I found that this remarkable little device (or one of its kinfolk) really could monitor ANYTHING and send the information ANYWHERE. I found that this technology was in use in areas that I had never imagined could benefit from remote monitoring or control, and for a variety of reasons. Reasons ranging from holding down costs to just plain peace of mind. It is used in healthcare to monitor vaccine temperatures in doctors surgeries, environmental monitoring in computer rooms, monitoring experiments in laboratories, in fact it's uses are limited only by your imagination, if you've ever wanted to keep and eye on whats going on with ANYTHING from ANYWHERE in the world, you can.

So you see, in my case, in my humble "home security" application of this wonderful technology, Big Brother IS watching and I AM Big Brother, watching over my home wherever I am, give it a try, I can recommend the peace of mind.

Colette York has peace of mind knowing that her home is watched over by Netcommander and she knows her possessions are Secure

In The News:


New York Times

India's top security minister resigns
Boston Globe, United States - 15 hours ago
The security official, Shivraj Patil, the home security minister, became the first senior official in Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's administration to ...
Video: Police: Pakistani Militants Behind Mumbai Attack AssociatedPress
India's top security official resigns in wake of terrorist attacks Dallas Morning News
Mumbai terror attacks: India steps up security amid fears of ... guardian.co.uk
Hürriyet - Washington Postall 2,988 news articles

Sify

Obama Looks To Build Consensus At Home, Cooperation Abroad
RTT News, NY - 5 hours ago
(RTTNews) - In naming his national-security team on Monday, President-elect Barack Obama stressed a desire to create consensus, both within the US political ...
Video: Obama names Clinton US secretary of state AlJazeeraEnglish
A Handpicked Team for a Shift in Policy New York Times
Obama Unveils His National Security Team FOXNews
United Press International - MSNBCall 3,813 news articles

The Inquisitr

Obama’s National Security Team Announcement
New York Times, United States - 4 hours ago
America must also be strong at home to be strong abroad. We need to provide education and opportunity for our citizens, so every American can compete with ...
President-elect Obama fifth press conference. Transcript. Chicago Sun-Times
all 37 news articles

National Post

Indian security chief resigns over Mumbai attacks
Washington Post, United States - Nov 30, 2008
New Delhi said it was raising security to a "war level" and had proof of a Pakistani link to the attacks, which unleashed anger at home over the ...
India’s Home Minister quits; security now at ‘war level’ TODAYonline
India sending top official to US: Home minister quits over carnage Pakistan Dawn
India's Home Minister forced to quit Times Online
Blast - The Associated Pressall 508 news articles

Reuters

Indian security chief resigns over Mumbai attacks
Reuters - 21 hours ago
New Delhi said it was raising security to a "war level" and had no doubt of a Pakistani link to the attacks, which unleashed anger at home over the ...
India Moves Chidambaram to Home Ministry Amid Security Crisis Bloomberg
Chidambaram to submit internal security revamp plan on Dec 10 Business Standard
I am older, whether wiser you have to tell: Chidambaram Hindu
Wall Street Journal - MarketWatchall 257 news articles

guardian.co.uk

High Praise For Obama's National Security Team
U.S. News & World Report, DC - 8 hours ago
President-elect Barack Obama is expected to announce his national security team today, and media reports reflect virtually unanimous praise for Obama's ...
PROFILE: Obama's security adviser Jones: elite general with humour Monsters and Critics.com
Profile: Obama's national security advisor, general-turned-mediator Xinhua
National Security Pick: From a Marine to a Mediator New York Times
Times of the Internet - Right Punditsall 387 news articles

FOXNews

Obama’s Choice for UN Is Advocate of Strong Action Against Mass ...
New York Times, United States - 16 hours ago
“The triumvirate of Gates, Clinton and Jones to lead Obama’s national security team instills great confidence at home and abroad and further strengthens the ...
Obama Picks Muscular National Security Team, Including Former ... U.S. News & World Report
Barack Obama introduces his national-security team Economist
Holder tapped for Attorney General; Rice for UN Ambassador Afro American
National Journalall 524 news articles

Economy likely to move up Medicare's insolvency
Washington Post, United States - 1 hour ago
... to three years the exhaustion of the Medicare trust fund covering hospital and nursing home care. Trustees for the Social Security and Medicare programs ...

Miami activist moves people into foreclosed houses
FOXNews - 1 hour ago
"I think everyone deserves a home," said Rameau, who said he takes no money from his work with the homeless. "Homeless people across the country are ...

TopNews

India-Pakistan relations strained as Mumbai attacks probed
CNN International - 15 hours ago
India's Home Minister Shivraj Patil submitted his resignation Sunday amid criticism of the security response to attacks. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh ...
Rice: Pakistan must help in Mumbai probe CNN
UPI NewsTrack TopNews United Press International
Indian minister offers resignation over Mumbai attacks CNN International
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