Archive | April, 2008
Posted in Media on 24. Apr, 2008
I have never used a PI (Private Investigator) before and don’t really know much about the industry, never having given it much thought.
However recently I came across a company based in Brighton who offer Private Investigation work and covert surveillance ops so I started on a little investigation of my own… what do they do I wondered?
Well there is the obvious – what could be the main suspicion of anyone these days? I could suggest that someone may want to find out if their teenage daughter is smoking or up to no good, but most cases will involve a suspicion of adultery. A cheating partner can be quite upsetting for some people so they try to find out if this is really the case. By hiring the services of private investigators who can undertake discreet surveillance and even collect incriminating evidence ( photos or recordings ) you can actuallly find out for sure if your wife or husbnad is cheating on you and have photos to prove it. Although this sort of hard evidence of adultery will not really make you happier it will at least give you something to show to your divorce lawyer and prove your gounds for annulation or decree nisi or whatever it is called.
Moving away from the private or family investigation the brighton private investigation company also carries out enquiries into corporate affairs. Businesses sometimes will want one of these security professional to pose as a customer or member of staff to uncover any malpractice occuring which may harm their business or reputation. These investigations are carried out in such a confidential manner that noone, sometimes not even managers, will know of the presence of a PI in their midst.
The surveillance techniques, for any gadgety nonce that I am, thrill me with wonder. How I would love to have a GPS emitting vehicle tracking system, a buttonhole spy camera or a bug that fits in a computer keyboard. I am clearly in the wrong profession, I mean I like dark clothes, I love gadgets and I am sneaky and pretty hard also, I would be just perfect for covert surveillance ops. ( In fact I filled in the MI6 suitability online questionnaire only last week and they told me that I was actively encouraged to apply – I lied about my age you see. )
If you want to look at the site, checkout the Private Investigators online.
OK, please ignore my post of yesterday, or was it the day before I am not sure. I looked at all the hugely featured mobiles available and came to the decision that it was time for something solid and sensible. A bit like the choice of a Nokia 6230 a few years ago.
I phoned Orange, and with little deliberation or consideration opted for the Nokia 6500 Slide in Black. Orange took very little time to dispatch and deliver this lovely little number. It charged up nicely and turned on with a wink and a smile.
It is fully featured, yet not overdone. Although I am the type to enjoy exploring menu structures ad infinitum I think I had explored the 6500 in a couple of hours. The camera is a 3.2 megapixel Karl Zeiss © lens. and is a joy to use.
I will miss the GPS functionality of the N95 as well as its Wifi Sniffing capabilities, but it is all mine.
Just been on the Nokia site and I am transfixed again. They have managed to cram all of the features of the N95 into a newer, sleeker model, with 16 huge gigabytes of on board flash memory
The ipod is dead, long live the N96
I can feel a certain longing feeling growing in by bowels, softly reverberating and calling me to the fatal joy, that sad consumerist moment….
I shall have it…
Man it must be a ‘designer’ think I thought to myself when Martin started setting himself up in the office. He had just started work with us, a web design and marketing company, when, on day two of his employment he appeared with a pair of Sennheiser headsets in his hand, plugged them in to his Mac and got on with his work.
Now, Sennheiser have a rare market position in the headset world. There is little doubt that Plantronics are not only the market leaders, but like Microsoft for so many years, have their name synonymous with the industry. Sennheiser have somehow claimed the “Apple” foot on the headset market. they have that “Je ne sais quoi”, their appeal is to the consumer rather than to the business purchaser. A look through some of their designs emphasises their commitment to form as well as function ( maybe this the appeal to the designers ) and the range of headsets they supply further pushes the company’s image into the realms of cooldom . For example it is hard to imagine any other of the major headsets manufacturers coming up with the stylish: PC111 VoIP Headset ( shown above) or the Sennheiser SH310 headset. Sennheiser manufacture headsets not only for the office communications markets but for online gaming, VoIP, personal audio and Call Centres.
At Best4Headsets there is a large range of Sennheiser Headsets as well as a useful interface on connectivity, their range encompasses Sennheiser Headsets for Aviation use as well as corded telephone headsets . Many of these are available in bulk purchase for call centres or large offices.
Martin is off today, his Sennheisers sit on his desk, unproductive as he. Funnily enough the developer sitting opposite him has adopted a pair of cordless ( DECT?) Sennheiser Headsets also.
It is a plague of headset wearing. We are not only willing to subjugate our visual input to the CRT/ LCD by staring at a monitor all day, but we are willing to allow our most delicate audio receptors to be engulfed in an artificial soundwall. What next, will our olfactories be plugged into the www? A year ago everyone was trying to find the most subtle, ipod like, small and unobtrusive headphones possible to use with their mp3 players. Now they waltz along the street, neck muscles straining with a large speaker strapped to each ear…
Suffice it to say that Sennheiser produce the most beautiful headsets known to man. They deliver a superb sound quality across the range and look funky.
Posted in Car on 14. Apr, 2008
There is little doubt that in the modern world man ( or woman’s) most treasured possession is often their car.
Car’s, you see, are many things. Primarily they are a mode of transport, but to think of a car on that way would be to see only a fraction of what a car means to a person. A car represents an image, an image gleaned from the racy adverts we see so often on the television, it engenders a feeling of self worth upon its driver. The driver is commanding thousands of pounds worth of high technology equipment. The feeling of power conferred upon the car owner whilst driving could easily be explained as sexual. The car is also a room outside the home, it can be a place for introspection and privacy as well as a place of family fun, meals and films.
Cars are, aside from property, the biggest investment a person will make, it is the most expensive item which they own and, modern cars really are incredibly technologically advanced.
Now, it should surprise no one that there are people out there who wish to steal these beautiful possessions. Modern cars are fitted with highly sophisticated security systems and immobilisers, but the criminal fraternity will always look for a weak spot to strike at.
A spokesman from Crime Prevention Products, a UK based retailer of Personal Alarms, Home Security Products and a range of personal security devices says
“Vehicle Crime is rising at an alarming rate and more and more people are coming to us to ask for the best ways to protect their cars, we offer a range of products which can help improve vehicle security. The knock on affect of these security measures when applied to your car are many, … the application of sensible measures give you peace of mind, reduce the risk of you becoming a victim of crime and can even reduce your insurance premiums.”
It is therefore recommended that the sensible person considers some of the following measures :
- Wheel Clamps – for personal use
- Parking Posts – secure your driveway
- Steering Wheel Locks – prevents car crime
- Telescopic Ground Anchor – secures your vehicle
Your car ( not mine though ) being both a valuable investment and an important personal possession must be looked after.
With home security in the news more and more these days it is not just sufficient to insure your property, you need to take preventative measures in order to reduce the likelihood of criminal attack and to discourage potential burglars at the same time.
The installation of a Burglar Alarm System can go a long way in giving you peace of mind whilst securing your private property from criminals.
Traditionally burglar alarm systems have been hard wired installations which require quite a lot of work to install. However recent developments in wireless technology has brough a range of easy to fit and reliable wireless burglar alarms. These are far easier to assemble, fit and implement that their predecessors. No longer does one need to route cables all around your guttering.
A typical alarm of this sort now comes with the following components : Door Contact, PIR Detectors, they are easily programmable and require very little time to configure.
Personally I spend my evenings patrolling aroung the house with a sawn-off pump action shotgun, a squeezee bottle full of pH1 H2SO4, a cordless drill and cable ties. (the blowtorch is available for use after I have aprehended any miscreant). Luckily my mate up the road deals in garden antiques and has a nice acid bath for body disposal.
