On Mon, Jul 20, 2009 at 11:00 AM, Andrew S. Zbikowski<andyzib at gmail.com> wrote:
> Not to be an ass, but...
>
> While technology is great and all, it's no replacement for doing the
> simple things like rolling up the windows, locking the doors, and not
> leaving your keys in the ignition. I swear that someday I'm going to
> go over to my parent's house and drive their cars a block down the
> road just to prove a point...
>
> Just mentioning this as you didn't mention broken windows. :)
>
> Camera wise you're probably need an InfraRed cam in order to see in the dark.
>
> Don't forget to physically secure your camera. It won't do alot of
> good if the potential thief can unplug power or steal the camera. ;)
>
> --
> Andrew S. Zbikowski | http://andy.zibnet.us
> IT Outhouse Blog Thing | http://www.itouthouse.com
>
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The cameras are a good deterrent (make them obvious and secure them),
the actual footage doesn't always seem to be that useful.  Often the
only benefit is you get to watch your stuff walk away.

I had a similar a-hole who went through my car for a couple of flash
drives.  Can't see those going for a lot on the street but my car has
"computer repair" written all over it so it's a prime target.  It
annoyed me more than anything because I'm always losing flash drives
as it is.  I think I may go with a motion detector and retina-burning
flood lights in my carport to startle/temporarily blind anyone who
decides to take a peek at night.  A recording of "step away from the
car mf'er" might also be effective.

I have setup ZoneMinder a few times and it is a screwy beast to get
working properly.  The biggest key is getting well-supported hardware.
 The capture cards seem easier to work with than IP cameras although
I've only bought super-cheap IP cameras.  BlueCherry.net (linked from
ZoneMinder's site) carries ZoneMinder compatible hardware but I would
recommend researching the item you buy through their forums to see
what's involved in getting it working.  ZM's supported hardware wiki
is a starting point but it doesn't mean it will work easily out of the
box.



-- 
Donovan Niesen