Protect and Find Stolen Property in Case of Burglary with Invisible Ink Pens
Thousands of homeowners become victims of burglary everyday all over the world. That could translate to hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars worth of stolen property. Loss can be especially traumatic if the stolen property is a rare collectible, quite expensive or has special value to its owner. However, there is a way to help you find stolen property in case a burglary does occur. By using an invisible ink pen to mark and identify the item, you could help locate it, get it back and even prevent further loss.
How does an invisible ink pen work?
An invisible ink pen is a tool that contains invisible ink. This ink consists of special chemicals that when used to mark an object, will remain invisible to the naked eye. Only when UV or ultraviolet light is shone on the area marked with the pen can the writing be viewed.
What types of surfaces work well with an invisible ink pen?
The invisible ink pen works with most surfaces, including wood, plastic, metal, glass, paper or even cloth. That means you can practically mark any important property you have so you or law enforcement officers can identify it later in case it gets stolen during a burglary.
An invisible ink pen is also very efficient – one pen is capable of marking as many as 1,000 valuables before requiring a replacement. It’s also cheap, costing only around $12 each pack, which will also include a portable UV light.
Who can benefit from an invisible ink pen?
People will find the invisible ink pen very useful to help them identify their properties. It’s also a very important tool for students, teachers, retailers, museum curators and hobbyists.
Other than homeowners, individuals and families, employers will also find the invisible ink pen very valuable in case they want to discourage employee theft. People who work in offices or plants or those who are involved in fraud prevention will find hundreds of uses for this tool.
For law enforcers, an invisible ink pen is indispensable. It is commonly used by police and detectives for sting operations in order to track, monitor and identify marked money, drugs, stolen properties and merchandise.
An invisible ink pen also has its fun side. It’s a common tool for children and young adults, often used for spy games and for hiding entries to diaries and journals. It also helps implement access control in case of parties and get-togethers in clubs, parks and other exclusive places.
A caveat: an invisible ink pen can be a very effective tool for finding stolen property in a burglary but it will not prevent theft directly. It’s still important to use whatever means necessary in order to protect the things we consider valuable to keep them safe.
Categories: Cool Gadgets, Self Defense Discussion Tags: burglary, protect property, self defense weapon
Keystroke Recording Hardware: Key to Better, Safer Computer Data Management
Without the right protection and common sense management, computer data can easily succumb to its innate fragility and vanish without a trace. For many of us, that could spell a lot of trouble. For businesses and corporations, that could mean disaster. Instead of leaving anything to chance, why not protect data from loss or theft by using a keystroke recording hardware?
What is a keystroke recording hardware and how does it work?
A keystroke recording hardware is also known as a keylogger. It is a device that is attached to a keyboard and the computer to track and record all the keystrokes performed on that unit. Some models may even be built-in units, fully integrated into the computer keyboard, out of sight by the user.
The hardware contains a tiny controller that stores information regarding each keystroke made. It is also capable of interpreting data. It can, for example, detect if a password is being used and save the data without any need for power or extra software.
What are the advantages of a keystroke recording hardware?
Unlike keylogger software, a keystroke recording hardware cannot be detected by other software. Keylogger software, for example, are prime attack points for many anti-virus programs. In fact, there are programs specifically designed to hunt down and destroy keylogging software. With hardware, this is not a problem, mainly because the hardware is installed externally and thus does not depend on the computer hard drive or software.
Since data is stored independently of the computer unit, the hardware is not affected by power outages or system errors, which means that data is safe and can be retrieved easily.
A keystroke recording hardware can also be easily installed whether the computer unit is turned on or off.
Who needs a keystroke recording hardware?
There are many people who will find this tool very useful. These include:
- Companies that want to monitor their employees’ activities on their computers (check length of time spent on personal computing, keep track of work-related activities logged in, detect any unauthorized use of the company computer or check on employee access to sensitive company data in case corporate spying is suspected)
- Parents who wish to monitor their children’s usage of the computer or pay special attention to their Internet activities
- People who wish to monitor their spouse’s computer usage
- People who wish to recover data in case the system locks up or power fails
Categories: Cool Gadgets Tags: keylogging hardware, keystroke recording hardware
Tips for Using a SAP Glove Efficiently for Self-Defense
Very often, in case of a physical attack, the only weapons you will ever have immediate access to are your hands. Unfortunately, not everyone is capable of producing sufficient strength to subdue an opponent or a threat. Hands, if not used properly, can be damaged or hurt during an attack. To reduce the likelihood that you could suffer from physical harm, why not consider the extra protection provided by SAP gloves? It can be a very useful addition to your arsenal. Here are ways on how to use a SAP glove efficiently for self-defense:
Know its advantages and limitations
SAP gloves are usually made of leather and are meant to protect and strengthen the hands. Most models have reinforced palms, which means that the palm area of the gloves are tougher to ensure maximum protection. This is often the type of design found in open fingered gloves, making up for the lack of relative power in the area of the knuckles.
For complete gloves, however, steel or lead fillings are often sewn into the knuckles to optimize punching power. For training, this extra material also serves to add extra weight during punching and shadow boxing.
A SAP glove is meant to ward off a blow or to provide more force to a punch. It is not bulletproof or knife proof.
Learn to box or punch
Many beginners treat SAP gloves as magic tools that would infuse them with power once worn. Actually, you will need some basic training in boxing, punching or self-defense in order to optimize the use of these gloves.
Try to learn the most important steps in basic self-defense before or after you’ve purchased these gloves. This will ensure that you can throw punches or ward off attacks in the most efficient means possible. You’ll soon learn the difference in the power of your punches once you wear them.
Practice with your SAP gloves
A quick punch or jab delivered to an opponent’s face can have considerable power if you wear a pair of SAP gloves. While it could merely stun him for a few seconds, it could do a lot of damage to him if you have SAP gloves on. The extra punching power could, for example, break his jaw or nose or knock him out.
For this reason, it’s important that you are able to estimate the amount of force you are capable of throwing if you’re wearing SAP gloves. This will ensure that no unnecessary force is used.
Check your locality if your SAP gloves are legal
Not every state allows a civilian to carry, use or wear SAP gloves for self-defense. Find out if you are allowed to purchase and use them where you live.
Categories: Cool Gadgets Tags: SAP gloves, self defense weapon
Safety Tips for Using the Butterfly Knife
Many people prefer the butterfly knife as a self-defense weapon because it is lightweight, easy to carry and efficient to use. However, for the uninitiated, the butterfly knife can prove to be a daunting weapon to use. And in a worst case scenario, it can be very dangerous indeed. To make sure that no one turns your butterfly knife as a weapon against you, here are some important safety reminders:
Familiarize yourself with how the butterfly knife is built
A butterfly knife is so-called because of the way it is designed. It is actually a folding knife that when closed, hides the blade between the grooves found in the two handles. Opening and closing these handles mimics the movements of a butterfly’s wings, hence the name.
A butterfly knife is a pocket knife, around 5″ in length when closed. When opened, it could extend up to 9″ or 9.5″, depending on the length of the blade.
Learn to open the knife efficiently
A butterfly knife can only be considered a weapon of self-defense if it is opened. For beginners, opening the butterfly knife means using both hands. For more experienced users, it is only a one-handed approach. In an emergency, the most efficient and effective way to use a butterfly knife is of course, to open and close it using only one hand. This is an important skill you should learn, something you cannot do properly unless you use the most basic safety steps.
First, find the safe handle of the butterfly knife. This is the handle that the blade does not touch. The other handle is called the free handle because it is the one that makes most of the movements during opening and closing of the weapon.
You will be using the knife by grasping the safe handle and allowing the free handle to swing clockwise. The free handle should then be flipped up to join the safe handle cradled in your palm. This will reveal the blade in full and allow you to begin using it. Closing the knife simply requires that same movements – releasing the free handle and letting it swing clockwise, to be flipped to enclose the blade completely.
Practice
A butterfly knife can only be used safely for self-protection if you can open it quickly and without harming yourself. If you’ve never handled a butterfly knife before, it’s important that you learn how to open and use it as soon as possible. Spend half an hour to an hour’s worth of practice daily. Once you’ve familiarize yourself with how the weapon feels and how it behaves, you should be able to use it efficiently, safely and confidently within just a week or so.
Categories: Cool Gadgets Tags: personal safety tips, weapon
Top 10 Factors to Consider for an Efficient Home Security Checklist
Securing your home is not just a luxury these days, what with all the cool gadgets available to make your home well-guarded and secure – it’s also a necessity. Some burglaries not only involve property theft, they can also result to more dangerous and life-threatening physical attacks. To ensure effective home security measures, here are 10 factors to consider for your checklist:
Secure the doors and windows
Believe it or not, most thieves will go through your door if it’s the easiest way in. Secure your door and install double-locks and alarms. It should be solid enough to offer resistance and protection.
The window is also a vulnerable point in your home and thus, should be included in your home security checklist. Install locks on windows and secure them, especially if you normally leave them open for ventilation.
Don’t leave room for criminals to hide
Install light fixtures in areas of your home or yard where it’s usually dark. Keep these turned on whether or not there is someone at home. Trim trees and shrubs so burglars won’t enjoy a hiding place. If they’re out in the open and vulnerable, they’re less likely to attack.
Don’t advertise
If you have valuables, don’t let other people know how much they cost and where you keep them.
Your home will always have its weakest point
Find out what this is and check if this can become a liability. The vulnerability of your home could be its location (far from the rest of the neighborhood), its structure (made of lightweight materials) or its design (doors and windows are made of glass or are vulnerable to entry by strangers).
Reinforce
If there is an area of your house that a burglar can use as entrance, reinforce this. Replace the material or improve its strength by adding tougher and harder materials.
Have an escape route
In case you can’t fight back, make sure you have an exit strategy.
Be ready with emergency numbers
Keep 911 or any other emergency number on your speed dial. Have access to a working phone – landline or mobile.
Make sure you are the only one who’ll have access to any weapons in the house
Don’t let a burglar or a criminal get a hold of anything inside your house that he can use against you. Weapons such as guns, knives and swords can put your life in jeopardy if you leave them in places where criminals can find them. If there’s anyone who should have access to these weapons, it’s you or a trusted member of your family, no one else.
Keep an inventory of your valuables
Create a checklist of what you have and document it using pictures and receipts. In case something does get lost, you could help authorities trace it later.
Think like a thief
If you want to know how well protected your home is, think as a thief would. You’d be surprised at what you’ll discover.
Categories: Home Security Tags: home security tips
Survival Kits: Your Most Basic Defense Against All Kinds of Emergencies
Experts will probably tell you that an emergency is only an emergency if you’re not prepared for it. To increase your chances of living through a crisis or threat, it’s important that you have enough resources to tide yourself over, fix whatever it is that needs to be fixed and ensure that your physical and mental health are at its optimum. That is why in emergencies, nothing beats a well-stocked emergency kit both as a means for prevention and solution.
What is a survival kit?
A survival kit consists of a bag or package containing the most basic supplies, equipment and tools that are commonly needed for emergencies. Survival kits come in different sizes, ranging from one-person kits to multiple-person bags.
Who needs a survival kit?
Every home should have one, regardless of their location or activities. One can never be sure when an emergency will strike or when emergency supplies are required. Survival kits are also important for people who go on trips outdoors, be it a picnic, a hike or a camping trip.
Survival kits are also very useful for work environments such as offices, factories and plants. It is an essential tool for people who work in extreme weather conditions and remote locations. A survival kit is also something that rescue workers, medical professionals and law enforcement should not do without.
What are the essential tools and supplies of a survival kit?
There are basic tools and equipment necessary to make a complete survival kit. However, the number and type of supplies included will depend on the specific situation and requirements of the individual, family or group. Some of the most important types of supplies for a survival kit include:
First Aid
- Sanitizers and antiseptics
- Bandages, gauze and sterile pads
- Medical tape
- Surgical razor, scissors and tweezers
- Antibiotics (tablets, ointments or creams)
- Medications to treat pain, diarrhea, nausea and allergic reactions
- Prescription medications
- Extra set of prescription contact lenses and eyeglasses
Supply of food and water
A basic survival kit should also include enough supply of food and water to last each person in a group a minimum of 72 hours. This should include 2 qts. of water to be used for drinking and 2 qts. for preparing food, bathing and sanitation. The kit should also include canned, preserved and packaged foods, preferably those that do not require cooking.
Navigation and signaling
- Handheld flashlights, torches, glow sticks and candles
- Flares or smoke
- Map
- Compass
- GPS navigation tools
- PLB or Personal Locator Beacons
- Radio
Shelter
- Tent or tarp with polyester or nylon tie-tapes
- Sleeping bag
- Raincoats, thermal jackets or clothing that offers protection against the elements
- Hats and head protection gear
- Waterproof matches, flint or lighters
- Cotton pads or balls dipped in flammable material (kept in a closed container)
- Knives (preferably a multi-purpose tool knife such as a Swiss knife and a long-bladed knife that can be used for cutting)
Categories: Cool Gadgets Tags: emergencies kit, survival kits
Tips for Keeping Your Home Alone Child Out of Trouble
Leaving your child home alone, no matter how long, doesn’t have to end in disaster of Macaulay Culkin proportions. Use the tips below to ensure the safety, security, and comfort of your child while he’s home alone.
Know Your Child
This is probably the best thing you can do and the best way to determine the rightness of leaving your child home alone. Consider his age. Can he be mature enough to understand the need for following your rules? Consider his personality. Precocious is nice and all, but it can lead to all sorts of trouble.
Establish Rules
Your kid is less likely to disobey your house rules if you’ve enforced them early on and they know what to expect when they do end up disobeying them. The rules must be clear and valid; they will make it easier for your kid to understand, appreciate, and obey them.
Punishments for disobeying these rules must be reasonable, constructive, and dealt consistently. If not, they might only provoke rebelliousness in your kids.
Be sure that your house rules cover everything that could put your child in danger while he’s staying home alone. Review and evaluate regularly.
Practice Makes Perfect
If leaving your kid alone at home is a new experience for you and your kid then you better start practicing immediately. Such practices are essential especially when an emergency occurs. You want your kid to be prepared for any eventuality and capable of saving himself.
For your practice sessions, play make-believe with your kid then guide him step by step in determining the appropriate responses for the different emergencies he could encounter. Teach him how to call 911 but don’t stop there. Let him know that during those times, he could be suffering from panic and anxiety but stress to him the importance of giving the right details.
Keeping Contact
Leaving your child home alone doesn’t require you to severe contact with him completely. You can give your child the responsibility of having his own temporary mobile phone. Teach him how to send you SMS and make calls. Stress the importance of contacting you regularly so that you’ll be constantly updated of his status.
Avoid Too Much Responsibility
Your kid can only be responsible so much. Be reasonable with your expectations. It’s still best to ask help from a neighbor or friend and have him check your child once in a while. Install a security system to provide additional protection for your child.
wireless home security system image
image credit to greyarea
Categories: Child Safety, Home Security Tags: child security, holiday safety tips
Save Your Child from the Dangers of Holiday Shopping
Holiday shopping is a battle where no excuses are made for age or gender. Malls can be a hazardous place during the season of giving because no one’s interested in giving way; everyone’s too busy taking, paying, and running instead. Use the tips below to keep your kid safe while you fight for your rights to spend your money.
Leave Your Kid at Home
Why bring your kids with you in the first place? Why expose them to the dangers of holiday shopping when there’s no need to? Let them keep their innocence a little while longer; prevent them from realizing that adults can be terribly impolite, selfish, and a lot more bad things when they’re after the last items on sale.
If necessary, ask a friend or neighbor to come over and keep an eye on your children. Hire a babysitter. Indeed, the best way to keep kids safe while holiday shopping is not to bring them with you.
Stick Close Like Glue
Now, if there’s an imperative need to have your children with you while holiday shopping then rule #1 must be to have them stick to you like glue. There are safety cords, for instance, that you can clasp around your child’s wrist to prevent him from accidentally – or deliberately, because you never know with kids -straying.
Prepare and Be Prepared
Equip your child with a name card complete with your contact details and a message requesting for assistance. If possible, teach your child how to contact you by phone if he does get lost. Teach him where the paging booth is and how to ask for help. Last but not the least, choose a place easy to find as your pre-selected spot to meet in case you and your child get separated.
Of course, getting lost isn’t only the possible emergency that could occur when you’re doing your holiday shopping with your kid. He could get an asthma attack while you’re in Aisle 5. Or he could suddenly get hungry while you’re next in line at the cashier. You need to be prepared for these things, as well.
Don’t Expect, Don’t Assume
Never leave your kid unattended. Don’t turn away even just for a second and expect him to be at the same place you left him. Such risks are too great to take. If he has to pee, go with him and vice versa.
Keeping your child safe while holiday shopping can be a trial, but then again, why let the holidays be a barrier to family bonding if you can help it?
image credit to malingering
Categories: Child Safety Tags: holiday shopping safety tips, kid safety
Tips for Guaranteed Home Security between Friendly Neighbors
If you’ve got great relations with your next door neighbor, the holidays are the best time to take advantage of them. While you’re out shopping or visiting friends and relatives, a little help from your friendly neighbors can go a long way in ensuring the security of your home.
Double Check Locks
If you are putting your home on temporary lockdown while you’re away, your neighbors can walk over from time to time and ascertain that every door and window is the way you left it: sealed tightly shut with no way in or out unless somebody intends to trespass.
Keep an Eye on Possible Intruders
All they need to do is twitch their curtains once in a while just to see if there are any suspicious individuals lurking around with the intentions of breaking-in. If they do spot some dubious characters in the proximity of your home, would they be so kind as to call the police and report said suspicious activity?
The Neighborhood Watch
Thanks to 911 and CSI, neighborhood watches are rarely put into action. A lot of people aren’t even aware of what they are. But if you want additional safety and security for your home while you’re away then you and your friends in the area can start your very own neighborhood watch.
Neighborhood watches divide people into several groups. Each group takes on a certain shift wherein they go around the neighborhood and using their presence to discourage any acts of crime. Neighborhood watches are not generally licensed to carry firearms but they can carry baseball bats if they want to and really, it’s all about how you wielding and not what you’re wielding, isn’t it?
Watch Out for Other Threats
When you mention the words “security” and “home” in one sentence, you usually think about external dangers like break-ins, robberies, and maybe occasional vandalism. Threats, however, can start from within as well and it would be nice if your neighbors can keep an eye on lights and any other electrical appliance that might have been accidentally left on too long or any object or situation that could start a fire.
Delegate
Last but not the least, if you’re expecting some visitors to come and go while you’re away, you could entrust the important responsibility of activating and deactivating the security system of your home.
Of course, remember that all these boil down to a watch-my-back-and-I’ll-watch-yours agreement. Your neighbors will be more eager to help you out if you can promise the same thing for them!
Categories: Home Security Tags: Home Security, home security tips, neighbor help
Simple and Practical Self-Defense Tips for Holiday Shopping Rush
Think the holiday shopping rush is harmless? Think again. Traffic accidents, parking lot arguments and stampedes are just a few of the things you might have to contend with the next time you drive to the mall for some much-needed holiday shopping. Need self-defense tips for the holiday rush? Here are some simple and practical tips:
Be alert and confident
Most criminals looking for their victims during the holiday rush shopping prefer those who are easy targets – the ones who are alone, lost and unsure of themselves. In short, those who are weak and insecure enough not to put up a fight in case of an attack.
As a means to discourage an attack, a good self-defense technique is to act confident, walk tall and straight and move purposely. Speak in a clear, confident tone of voice. If you appear confident, you’ll look like a difficult target to a criminal.
Know your route and destination
You’ll be safer if you have a fixed itinerary. That way, you’ll know exactly where to go and which route to take.
Stay visible
During holiday rush shopping, try to remain with the crowds. You’re less likely to be attacked when there are other people around. Keep to where the people are and if you must walk, walk only in well-lighted streets. Make sure your car is parked in a lighted area as well. Avoid spaces that are too far away from entrance or exit points.
Avoid personal distractions
Holiday rush shopping requires a bit of focus. That means avoiding distractions such as a mobile phone, a PDA or an iPod. If you’re shopping this holiday, you cannot afford to have your attention diverted. If you’re distracted, it will be easier to steal from you.
Have extra cash stashed in your pocket
A few coins (in case you need to use a pay phone) and a small amount of cash will come in handy in case of an emergency. Keep loose change in your pocket so you don’t have to carry extra purses.
Be prepared
Have your car keys in hand on your way out the door. On your way home, have your door keys ready. Fumbling for your keys or trying to remember where you put them is not an effective self-defense tactic, especially not during holiday rush shopping. You’ll be too focused on finding your keys to assess the safety of your surroundings.
Don’t forget to bring the essentials
If you’ll be shopping alone, why not arm yourself with self-defense tools such as a can of pepper spray or a stun gun? The goal of self-defense is actually to prevent a crime but if that can’t be helped, why allow yourself to be helpless and vulnerable? If you have self-defense tools, you’re less likely to become a statistic.
stun master cell phone stun gun image
image credits to sxc.hu