Low End Mac Reader Specials

TypeStyler For Mac OS X is Now Shipping! Download The Free Fully Functional 60 Day Tryout at www.typestyler.com

OWC: We Make DIY Upgrading Easy! Maximize your Apple MacBook / MacBook Pro. Up to 8.0GB Memory, up to 1.0TB HD & More. Easy Guide + Free, Detailed Installation Videos. Click here

Poker Mac Don't install Parallels to play poker online! Poker Mac will show you how to download and install a native Mac poker application such as Full Tilt Poker Mac.

Laptop Hardware Provided by TechRestore - Overnight Mac & iPod Repairs.

Compare products like desktop computers, apple laptops, apple macs, and LCD Monitors side by side! All the information and reviews to make the best purchasing decision for new mobile phones, sat nav systems, or MP3 players. The Ciao online shopping community makes searching products easy for you.

Mac Fallout Shelter

Make Your Own Mac Video Surveillance System on the Cheap

- 2005.11.22 - Tip Jar

This week it's Mac security time. But I'm not talking about network security; I'm talking about physical security.

What good is it to have the most secure OS and best firewalls if anyone can simply come in and steal your Mac.

That's why it's good to lock all your doors and windows, but sometimes even that isn't good enough. Don't worry, the solution to this problem lies right there in front of you - your Mac.

Mac Security SystemI'm going to teach you how to setup a home surveillance system using your modern or older Mac.

Before I start I will show you my current Mac Video Surveillance System (MVSS). From top to bottom:

  • Old Multilite Black and white Monitor
  • Sharp VHS VCR
  • Apple keyboard and mouse
  • Bay Networks 8-port hub
  • Power Macintosh 6500/250
  • Cheap black & white security cam from Walmart

What You Need

  • Any Mac that can run Mac OS 8.5 and above
  • A camera, either composite or USB
  • A camera interface (composite video input or USB)

Optional:

  • Network interface
  • VHS VCR
  • Monitor

Once you have everything you need, it's time to start.

First you need to get a copy of EvoCam. If your not running Mac OS X, you'll need to get version 3.4. EvoCam is shareware, and I recommend you pay the $25, because it's stable and the best for our application, which runs 24/7.

Go ahead and connect you camera(s). In my case, I got a cheap home surveillance cam from Walmart for $25 and connected it using my Mac's built-in A/V ports. Next start up EvoCam and adjust it to you needs.

Once you get all the bugs out, you can set motion detection spots on the image. This is for automatic recording when motion is detected.

Security system diagramI also added the VCR to both record and transmit the image to a closed-circuit television. How? I just put a splitter on the composite video connection (RCA) coming in from the camera and fed it to the VCR - and then connected a TV using the coax video out from the VCR.

You can upload images to your website, run a web server, email pictures, and even record with a VCR so you will have your evidence when crooks break in. My system is in a closet to protect it. Like the old military saying, "Out of sight, out of mind"

This is a simple setup, but it's efficient. You can add more cameras, better machines, or a color monitor.

It will run a lot better with the latest version of EvoCam on Mac OS X, but I like mine low-end style. LEM

If you find Joe's articles helpful, please consider making a donation to his tip jar.

Recent Mac Fallout Shelter articles

Links for the Day

Recent Content on Low End Mac

Recent Deals

About LEM | Support | Usage | Privacy | Contacts

Mac Fallout Shelter articles copyright ©2005-07 by Joe Rivera. Entire Low End Mac website copyright ©1997-2009 by Cobweb Publishing, Inc., unless otherwise noted. All rights reserved. Advice presented in good faith, but what works for one may not work for all. Please report errors to .
  LINKS: We allow and encourage links to any public page as long as the linked page does not appear within a frame that prevents bookmarking it.
  Access our RSS news feed at http://lowendmac.com/feed.xml.
  Email may be published at our discretion; email addresses will not be published without permission, and we will encrypt them in hopes of avoiding spammers. If you prefer your message not be published, mark it "not for publication." Letters may be edited for length, context, and to match house style.
  PRIVACY: We don't collect personal information unless you explicitly provide it. For more details, see our Terms of Use.
  Low End Mac is an independent publication and has not been authorized, sponsored, or otherwise approved by Apple Inc. Apple, the Apple logo, Macintosh, iBook, iMac, eMac, iPod, iPhone, PowerBook, MacBook, MagSafe, Mac Pro, Apple TV, and AirPort are registered trademarks of Apple Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks and are hereby acknowledged.

Custom Search

Amazon.com

Navigation

Used Mac Dealers
Apple History
Video Cards
Email Lists

Favorite Sites

MacSurfer
MacMinute
MacInTouch
MyAppleMenu
InfoMac
Macs Only!
The Mac Observer
Accelerate Your Mac
RetroMacCast
PB Central
MacWindows
The Vintage Mac
   Museum
DealMac
DealsOnTheWeb
Mac2Sell
ramseeker
Mac Driver Museum
JAG's House
System 6 Heaven
System 7 Today
the pickle's Low-End
   Mac FAQ
Abandonware
   Petition
Mac vs. PC Info

Affiliates

The Apple Store
Mac Connection
B&H
MacMall
TechRestore
ExperCom
Crucial Memory
batteries.com

Advertise

All of our advertising is handled by BackBeat Media. For price quotes and advertising information, please contact at BackBeat Media (646-546-5194). This number is for advertising only.

Open Link

Problems viewing this page with Internet Explorer 5.5 or 6? It works fine in other browsers, including IE 7. We recommend Firefox for those using Windows, as it is standards based and more secure than IE 6 (and earlier). More LEM visitors use Firefox than any other browser.