Linksys Does the Spying for You

by John Neely
Published on Jun 23, 2006 1:00 PM



June 23, 2006 - Linksys, a leading manufacturer of consumer networking hardware, announced its Linksys Wireless-G Pan/Tilt/Zoom (PTZ) Internet Camera with Audio, a web-controlled device encased in an eyeball shaped globe. It combines Wireless-G networking with a unique IP address, web-based camera movement control, 640 x 480 video resolution, and the ability to function in security mode. The PTZ Camera will sell for about $300.

The device measures 32 x 199 x 175 mm (1.26 x 7.83 x 6.89 inches) and weighs in at 460 grams, or about a pound. The PTZ Camera’s imager is a 1/5” CMOS sensor, and it uses MPEG-4 video compression and MJPEG compression for higher bandwidth networks. In addition, the camera can be used with an IR (infra red) lamp to capture video images in zero lux environments.

The PTZ Camera’s most prominent feature is the large globe housing the camera and its drive mechanism, reminiscent of both airport security cameras and HAL, the omniscient robot from 2001 A Space Odyssey. Befitting its ominous appearance, Linksys bills the camera primarily as a security device and has enabled the camera with surveillance features. In Security Mode, the camera can be set to send phone alerts and email messages with attached video whenever it detects motion.

The Linksys PTZ Camera is not the first wireless camera to enable the user to control movement via the internet. The Surveyor Corporation recently released its SRV-1 robot camera, a wireless camera-equipped robot that roams the floor on tank-like treads. While the SRV-1 looks more like a high school science project than a security device, it offers another take on remotely controlled wireless video, and retails for $375.