NEC has developed a new technology that makes it possible to quickly change low-res analog video to HD video. According to NEC, the existing solutions available require one full month to convert one hour of analog video images into HD images.

This new method is up to 17 times faster than conventional ones. The company’s new image processing technology changes one hour of analog into HD video in only 10 hours. Video material recorded on analog video could be remastered and shown in HD using this solution. Unclear images recorded on non-HD security cameras could also be sharpened this way.

I can understand wanting small hidden cameras or cams that don’t look like cameras in your home. This lets you keep an eye on sitters and other folks without them knowing. I’m not sure why you would want a camera that doesn’t look like a camera for outside the home use, unless you want to play James Bond.

Swann Security has offered up a new camera called the RemoteCam that looks like a keyless entry remote for a car. The camera can record video to microSD cards and comes with a 2GB card. Up to 8GB microSD cards are supported.

FaceID combines home security systems with facial recognition. It will likely take over from the usual password, swipe card, retina and fingerprint scanning systems that we already use. It isn’t just a concept either.

FaceID is available right now and looks cool enough for any front door. It uses two digital cameras to create a 3D image of your face. Your face model is stored and matched with whoever stands in front of the system so it can decide whether to let you in or not.

Panasonic Japan has announced two new plasma HDTVs, the 65-inch TH-P65V1 and the 58-inch TH-P58V1. Both feature Panasonic’s latest neoPDP panel technology with a contrast ratio of 40,000:1, along with the usual VIERACast streaming media and internet widgets. Both also feature an SD/SDHC card slot so you can play back video, pictures and music, even AVCHD footage directly from an HD camcorder.

There’s also 1080/24p Full HD support, plus a virtual 5.1 surround sound system. It also sports a cool CCTV feature that integrates with up to four different wireless security cameras.

D-Link announced today two new pretty inexpensive network cameras for remote monitoring of various locations or creatures. These new models are the DCS-920 and DCS-910, priced at around $120 and $100, respectively.

The new DCS-920 and DCS-910 join D-Link’s line of SecuriCam digital security cameras. The DCS-920 is 802.11g enabled, allowing wireless installation as well as wired. The DCS-910 is a wired version only, requiring a nearby Ethernet port for use.

Here’s a decent alarm system with a slick interface. uControl is a fairly new company in the home security arena. They took a year developing and refining a platform called SMA (Security, Monitoring and Automation) and a TouchScreen control panel that both works as a fresh system install and can also integrate with your existing alarm. That means you are covered no matter what.

The company says that it will replace any control panel or alarm box in an existing system, bringing together all the existing functionality of equipment, sensors and wiring. In a new install, the 7-inch WVGA TouchScreen is a stand-alone wireless alarm system that communicates with wireless peripherals and sensors. It also offers remote control from any browser or cellphone, alerts via email or SMS, redundant connectivity (WiFi, ethernet and built-in GPRS cellular), cameras and compatibility with home automation setups.

QNAP Systems has unveiled a new network-based instant surveillance system which combines a video recorder and two IP cameras for home or office security. It is known as the NVR-102.

The QNAP NVR-102 provides what is described as “professional grade live video recording and real-time remote monitoring/playback.” It is run off of Linux and can reportedly be setup quickly. All functions can be configured through a Web browser such as Internet Explorer and no additional software is required.

Swann Communications has been putting out security peripherals for about ten years now and on Thursday announced the release of their latest surveillance convenience tool with the USB 2.0 DVR Guardian. This device can connect to a standard notebook computer via USB and allow it to perform as a quad-monitor surveillance system.

The Guardian can not only monitor and display the video from 1-4 cameras, but can also be set to record from the inputs direct to the local hard drive. DVR-like capabilities allow you to set it to record at specific times of the day or for a set duration upon sensing any motion in its view. The software will then let you control and monitor remotely. Combine this with its ability to send out an email when motion is detected and you can catch would-be thieves in the act.

It looks like some security plans for the iPhone launch are falling through a little in some fronts. The 6pm local time launch on the 29th was apparently by design to give the iPhones time to arrive to AT&T and Apple stores that day. This would help avoid any ill-thought temptations employees might have with access to the iPhones the night before the launch.

It appears that the FedEx trucks have already started delivering iPhones today, and even though taking photos of them, or cameras for that matter, have been banned from the …

If you’ve ever wanted one of those cool eye-in-the-sky cameras like they have at casinos under the tinted domes in the ceiling, Canon has recently introduced a new professional grade version with some really nice and unexpected features.

This is the VB-C300 Wide-Angle Pan/Tilt/Zoom (PTZ) network camera from Canon that also has some high quality video recording software available to allow you watch and record the video stream across a LAN or the internet. It is optionally powered by the actual LAN cable making installation a lot easier. Simply mount the camera and …

The Sony VAIO UX Series Micro PC works basically like a regular PC, but smaller. It runs the regular version of Windows XP and the VGN-UX280P pictured here has 40 GB hard drive and an Intel Core Solo Processor at 1.2 GHz and 1 GB of memory (this is the max allowed).

The Sony Micro PC has a keyboard and a touch screen stylus, so you can use either depending on what you are doing with it. The battery runs from 2 to 4 hours and can run up to 9 hours with a larger …