tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-17459593684357036322008-06-30T09:52:26.310-04:00Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comBlogger224125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-48816137030661389272008-06-30T09:38:00.003-04:002008-06-30T09:52:26.344-04:00

Thanks for the all the inquiries, but, yes, I did make it back home from Nashville alive. You're all so sweet to worry after my safety. Anyhoo, the old email box is filled to brimming, but I couldn't let this story out of Canada slip by me without comment: A former Garda executive says the company threatened to kill him if he leaked financial information. And now Garda is suing him back for

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-70748254595568631122008-06-27T10:18:00.004-04:002008-06-27T11:19:57.524-04:00

Whoo-ee. Things are getting started a little later all over the conference today after the damage done on the Club Crawl sponsored by the Tennessee BFAA last night. People were having all kinds of fun listening to music, enjoying frosty beverages, and, of course, riding a mechanical bull. Don't believe me? Here's a bad photo of Security Partners' Kerry Egan trying not to get thrown: But

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-57638527176319480882008-06-26T08:06:00.003-04:002008-06-26T09:08:35.863-04:00

As everyone in Nashville surely knows, if the room is packed, you've done alright for yourself. By that reasoning, ESX is thus far a wild success. On the first full day of educational programming, every room I was in was standing-room-only, with at least 75 people crowding into the smaller rooms to see speakers, and the larger rooms (generally used by the central station operator crowd) holding

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-66470354160639149422008-06-25T10:46:00.005-04:002008-06-25T19:19:52.046-04:00

The first annual Electronic Security Expo got off to a rousing start yesterday, as the NBFAA and CSAA have collaborated on a first-rate event in a first-rate (if underappreciated) city. First, the gory stuff. I, and my fellow editors Martha and Leischen, participated in the Tennessee BFAA-sponsored skeet shooting event yesterday, and it was (get ready for it) a blast! Having never shot a

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-62698703029831554042008-06-23T09:22:00.004-04:002008-06-23T09:56:01.178-04:00

A new law in Ohio changes the home burglary dynamic more than a little. Before, residents who defended themselves in a potentially deadly way had to prove they feared for their lives. Now, burglars have to prove they didn't intend to harm the residents. Um, hard to prove you weren't going to harm anybody from six feet underground. Normally, I'd side with the crowd who argues that if you don't

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-34678620096555309872008-06-20T10:28:00.003-04:002008-06-20T11:28:51.147-04:00

I'll probably post once or twice more before I head down for ESX in Nashville, but I thought I'd take some time today to get you people pumped up for the trip (assuming you're going - and why wouldn't you?). Basically, this is the first major event on the security calendar that's been in a city I actually care to go to since I've been working here at the paper. So far, I've been here for shows

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-89537991804874590912008-06-18T16:52:00.003-04:002008-06-19T09:43:30.680-04:00

I've often harped here that security companies need to do a better job of using the media for their own devices. Far too often, criminals are apprehended with thanks to "the security company." But this news report shows you just how the media can get a good story at the same time you get a fine sales tool. And because it's being done by an independent news house, iVerify and ioimage get great

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-64721295596187818472008-06-18T13:32:00.003-04:002008-06-18T13:40:55.765-04:00

Sorry to have been away for a few days, loyal blog readers. I took a family vacation to Columbus, Ohio (don't ask why), and then got stuck in Columbus, thanks to US Air's typical crappiness. Seriously, is there a worse airline than US Air? I think not. Further, I'm slightly distracted today thanks to the glorious Celtics victory that went down last night. I watched all 18 of their 18 straight

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-69364091804423258052008-06-13T08:48:00.001-04:002008-06-13T08:50:44.382-04:00

Honeywell ought to have some more cash on hand. It's not really security related.

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-56833245480574514022008-06-11T21:56:00.003-04:002008-06-11T22:22:27.509-04:00

Well, we told you they were back in acquisition mode. Stanley Works announced just now an agreement to acquire Sonitrol for $275 million, at the same time they announced an agreement to sell off CST/berger laser leveling and measuring business, based in West Lafayette, Indiana, to Robert Bosch Tool Corporation for $205 million. Busy, busy. Here's the official press release (it's long and dense

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-14453632682906426622008-06-11T14:00:00.003-04:002008-06-11T14:07:45.808-04:00

Certain of us northeasterners won't exactly be crying for the New York Football Giants, now that they've had their Super Bowl rings stolen. Ha, ha. The thieves disabled the alarm system at E.A. Dion Inc., cut a hole in the roof and made off with a safe that weighed at least 1,000 pounds. The loss was discovered Sunday by a Dion employee, who went to the business when she was unable to access

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-74799985701811102972008-06-10T11:32:00.003-04:002008-06-10T11:34:58.108-04:00

China hasn't banned TV, necessarily, but they're making it a pain for broadcasters to get us coverage of the Olympics, citing security concerns, yet again (scroll down a couple posts for the bit about the fireworks). This is horrible. What if there's no coverage of the 30M springboard?!? The shotput? Is it too late to book a ticket to see this in person?

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-64798078328448119232008-06-10T08:54:00.004-04:002008-06-10T09:31:05.799-04:00

Normally, I'm pretty loathe to travel to Connecticut - there are more cars on the 10-mile stretch of the Mass Turnpike I have to cover than there are in the whole state of Maine - but I spent a day earlier this month at the Sargent manufacturing facilities to see the new Assa Abloy Innovation Corridor, built under the direction of Stacey Callahan, who heads up marketing for the Door Security

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-29892677069835727842008-06-09T09:39:00.002-04:002008-06-09T09:57:57.732-04:00

As security measures increase for the upcoming Olympic games in China (why are they being held there again? To reward China for their great gains in granting basic human rights? No, that's not it? Something about their giant economy or something? Oh, it's just totally unclear? Swell), there comes this notice about China banning fireworks in and around Beijing. Now, banning fireworks in Maine is

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-71447507044693717132008-06-06T14:06:00.002-04:002008-06-06T14:31:26.683-04:00

When Tyco buys a company for $90 million, it's generally a good story for us anyway, but this bit about Tyco buying the last remaining bit of Sensormatic is pretty interesting. I'm still looking into it, but this Winner Security company seems to have done pretty well for itself. Check out this court decision from 2005 (warning: that link goes to a pdf). Basically, it bought a Sensormatic

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-43684943758083223202008-06-05T11:56:00.002-04:002008-06-05T12:11:45.560-04:00

Remember those crack security guys who ignored alarms while invaluable national treasures were being thieved from the University of British Columbia's Anthropology Museum? Well, it wasn't their fault. Someone called up and told them to ignore the alarms. Clearly, this was heist impossible to prevent. Four hours before the break-in on May 23, two or three key surveillance cameras at the Museum

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-22544031314506288762008-06-04T13:24:00.003-04:002008-06-04T13:40:51.337-04:00

It's happened again. A burglar was dumb enough to break into a security company's showroom and offices. Ha, ha. The company, HomeLogic, manufactures IP monitoring software for all manner of home control items, including security and cameras that record on motion. So, it's not surprising they caught a bunch of video of the intruder, who kicked in the door at 3 a.m. and stole "a package that is

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-14393900088705991022008-06-03T09:55:00.003-04:002008-06-03T11:05:25.915-04:00

I'm guessing exactly none of you loyal readers got the Magnolia Electric Co. reference in the title here, but the recent beautiful star-filled skies we've had up here in Maine have reminded me to give people a heads up about this release from Extreme CCTV. Essentially, its IR illuminators have been approved by the International Dark-Sky Association, a non-profit group that's trying to curb

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-28052051341439385472008-06-02T10:53:00.003-04:002008-06-02T11:35:29.782-04:00

Look, I'm as big a fan of Google Maps as the next guy. I think they have the best site-to-site directions on the web, the satellite imagery provided is incredibly helpful, especially when home-shopping or checking out past residences, and I don't really buy national security arguments, as it's not like you're seeing live images, no matter how detailed they are. However, the new Street View

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-75199026637732798102008-05-30T14:51:00.003-04:002008-05-30T14:55:42.533-04:00

Great find by Shawn Flaugher: Basically, a band in the UK set up and played their song in front of a bunch of municipal and government CCTV cameras, then requested the footage via public information law, then put together their music video from that footage. Brilliant.

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-65901550823901588202008-05-30T10:44:00.005-04:002008-05-30T14:27:58.342-04:00

Just when you thought copper theft was the hot new business opportunity for security companies, along comes something even more sizzling: used cooking oil theft (did you get that sizzling joke? That's an homage to Scott Goldfine). With the cost of oil sky-rocketing, bio diesel is becoming increasingly valued, and your assorted meth heads and other reprobates are now siphoning used fryer oil from

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-53514132947178695472008-05-29T09:49:00.004-04:002008-05-29T14:23:37.343-04:00

...can't make a place secure. I've been following this story out of British Columbia where the University of British Columbia's Museum of Anthropology reported a "mysterious" art heist that targeted pieces by native Canadian artist Bill Reid because I think art thefts are some of the most interesting crimes. One of my favorite early stories working here was with MAC Systems and the Gardner

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-27316401094772274012008-05-27T10:16:00.003-04:002008-05-27T10:51:53.356-04:00

So USA Today has a much-noticed article about the TSA approving special cases that would allow travelers to go through security at airports without having to remove their laptops from their carrying cases. Basically, the cases would open and you'd lay them flat on the conveyor belt, with the laptop on one side and everything else on the other. Supposedly, this is going to speed up security. It

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-12569356778299940392008-05-23T10:02:00.003-04:002008-05-23T10:42:17.006-04:00

I guess good financial numbers aren't everything in the business world. Despite a Q1 report that showed $4 million in net income (sizably better than last year's Q1 loss of $650,000), Mace Security International CEO and chairman Louis Paolino has been removed for "willful misconduct." 'The actions of Mr. Paolino that the Board has determined as willful misconduct, generally relate to the

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1745959368435703632.post-87654923431530794742008-05-21T10:06:00.003-04:002008-05-21T10:42:34.377-04:00

Okay, let's just say that I know from experience how hard it is to get people out to a new show in the security industry. Maybe you haven't heard, and likely you don't care all that much, but the Security Business Development Forum, which was supposed to go off Monday and yesterday, didn't happen. We cancelled the event. Why? Well, no one signed up to come (actually, some people did sign up to

Samhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06253283912625352263noreply@blogger.com