The CRAZIEST Security-Related Kickstarter Project I've Ever Seen

Every now and then, I run across a few advertisements for security products that have me scratching my head.  Unfortunately, most of them are surveillance cameras.  Whether it be their shaky claims on screen resolution or storage on various media, the ads are very "sketchy" to say the least.  Today's gem comes from Kickstarter, the largest crowdsourcing site where entrepreneurs solicit average Internet users to become "angels" for their products.  They entice you with everything from prototypes to trips to their factories.  Most are really good and some aren't so good.

The product's creator made several mistakes:

• The product is extremely outdated.  The first lesson you learn in sales is to appeal to your prospect's "pain" - the one thing that is a constant concern that will drive them to your product.  Having DVRs stolen is a concern for some businesses.  If your suspect knows what he/she is looking for, they might looking to steal the DVR.  However, if that's a true concern, most businesses will ask that the video be stored off-site or have the DVR installed somewhere secure.  Several companies in the installation/integration business already do this.  
• The inventor claims to solve the "stolen DVR" issue by "creating a secure video stream to an off-site server, safely located far from the premises and accessible only to you." Again, that's already done by several companies and often add video surveillance inexpensively as part of their package deals.
• They also claim if their "DVR gets stolen during a theft, you can access the video stream from anywhere in the world for up to 60days, completely FREE of charges. This is a turn-key system requiring virtually NO maintenance, securely storing video 24 hours, 7 days a week."  Why am I paying for DVR if you're storing off-site and I can access the video from anywhere?

Perhaps the worst mistake ANY entrepreneur on Kickstarter can make is offering nothing in return.  For giving them $500 or more (oh you read that right), you get:

Complete plans to setup the system, including step by step instructions that will create and store 24/7 security video coverage securely online FREE that can be retrieved from any computer for up to 60 days.

You're going to give me plans?! For $500, all I get is plans.  Folks, I already know what this was.  It was an attempt to make a really quick buck.  The duration they set for funding this little "project" was 30 days.  No worries because my fellow Netizens recognized the lunacy and criminality behind such a solicitation.  No one funded this scam.  I should have known something was up when I looked at the creator's other projects.  His latest project was a documentary on "A rather large insect-looking "Inviso-Bug" flying off of my deck. These are invisible to the naked eye, only show up under infra-red. I have hours of exclusive video of SWARMS of things around me and am unable to see them or hear them at all!" Gotta love crazy people....

VIDEO: Outgunned and Pinned Down, Syrian Rebel's Incredible Luck Captured

As young basic trainee, I was taught a many of things in basic training - one of which was the chaos that occurs when under fire.  It takes a disciplined soldier to ignore the hysteria and danger, focus on the mission, fire back at the enemy, and get back to safety when the situation allows.  The video above demonstrates just how lucky one Syrian rebel was.  You'll see bullets hitting all around him, his attempts to fire back, and his ability to get back to his comrades unharmed.  You'll also notice just how lucky he is, though I'm sure he would say "إن شاء الله‎" (God's will).

VIDEO: Hacker Consortium, Anonymous, Message to the Members of Westboro Baptist Church

I'm no huge fan of the hacker consortium called Anonymous, but given the tragic events of 12/14/12, I am not entirely surprised by their actions against those who try to exploit the deaths of the victims. Check out their latest message to the members of the infamous Westboro Baptist Church.

MUST SEE TV: Off the Grid

I, normally try my best not to get overly excited about new television shows especially new security-related shows.  Either they're too good and "jump the shark" by doing something completely unrealistic or actually very real life.  However, when I first glimpsed at an article about a show called Off The Grid, I was having difficulty controlling the copious amounts of drool pooling around my feet.  What's the show about you ask?  According to Security Info,  the premise behind it is "that the two contestants win a million dollars if they can remain hidden from the surveillance experts for a single day, while completing a few essential tasks in downtown Los Angeles".  Not drool-worthy - I know.  People hide in a city and are pursued by non-threatening "experts".  Not real exciting because we've seen this done before - HORRIBLY.  However, here's why the salivation began:

Armed with only very basic information about the two contestants, a team of surveillance experts led by human tracking expert Kevin Reeve, is tasked with learning enough about the contestants to find where they might be and then to go out and actually bring them in. At Kevin's disposal are Rob (an experienced hacker) and Matt (a proven corporate security IT specialist). These guys can infiltrate your cell phone, gain access to public records information and generally put the digital eye on you. Also on the team is Dave, a former Navy SEAL who works a day job training SEAL teams in California. They're exactly the four guys you wouldn't want tracking you in an urban environment.

And the drool accumulates right about here:

As for the security industry, you'll recognize a number of technologies used in the surveillance. There are cameras from Axis Communications and FLIR, UAVs used for video surveillance, facial recognition technology, Ostendo surveillance monitors, ASK.com mapping technology, advanced mobile communications from Skype, Pelican's tough "go cases", a mobile command unit, and high-end server technology for integrating all the tracking and personnel information that the pursuit team generates.

"We're selling that this is real technology used by the DoD world," said Ebersol. "It is incredibly important for us to be authentic; it's not the Jack Bauer version of technology."

When does it start?  December 7, 2011 at 11pm ET.  Crappy time slot.  Oh well.

Here's a trailer: