DPL-Surveillance-Equipment.com

These are new product announcements from my main website (Open 24/7/365). We have a life-time warranty / guarantee on all products. (Includes parts and labor). Here you will find a variety of cutting-edge Surveillance and Security-Related products and services. (Buy/Rent/Layaway) Post your own comments and concerns related to the specific products or services mentioned or on surveillance, security, privacy, etc.

Friday, September 05, 2014

Security Expert Says, "Webcams Are Not Security Cameras, They Can Be Hacked!"














Click Here Or On Above Image To Reach Our Experts



Security Expert Says,
"Webcams Are Not Security Cameras,
They Can Be Hacked!" 







This may sound a bit creepy. But there's a certain appeal to do-it-yourself home security: My San Francisco neighborhood has had a spate of robberies, and I'd love an inexpensive and simple way to know if someone is at my window who shouldn't be. The question is, can a webcam really keep me safe?

I remember this girl at school who always had a tape on her webcam. It was very intriguing to me back then, but I never got a chance to ask her why she did that...I guess now I totally understand. Watch out, tape your webcam!!!

Hacking webcams is no big deal now-a-days. Anyone can easily do it if they have they have the proper software. If you are still thinking hacking webcams is possible only on Movies. Chat live with one of our security experts!




But to my surprise many people still don't believe that their webcams can be hacked. It is possible to hack or take control of your webcam without the hacker having personal contact with the system.

So Why The Hell Should They Hack My Web Cam? 

Some people do it for fun. They don't have any intention for doing all these things except for fun. And some people do it intentionally. They are often described as BlackHat Hackers. They are also known as Cyber Criminals. They do this for obtaining personal or corporate information or photos of the victim. Some people also use this for peeping purposes. 







97 People Arrested For Hacking Into Webcams Remotely And Spying On People

After nude photos of Miss Teen USA were captured last year by 20-year-old hacker Jared James Abrahams, a global investigation has been looking into the use of personal webcams to spy on individuals. According to The Telegraph, 97 people have been arrested so far in connection to the spying software.

The software, Blackshades Remote Access Tool, lets someone hack into your computer and access documents, record keystrokes, and activate the webcam. The software is activated when someone clicks on a malicious link, often from social networking sites. This then initiates a download of the software. 

Users of Blackshades RAT have been known to obtain inappropriate photos or videos and then ask for a ransom in exchange for keeping the content private.




Jared James Abrahams, who was arrested for capturing the nude photos of Miss Teen USA through her webcam, was sentenced to 18 months in prison, but the search continued for anyone who was involved in creating, selling, and using Blackshades RAT. Abrahams had sent Cassidy Wolf, the pageant winner, an anonymous email threatening to post the photos he had obtained unless she gave him more nude images. 

According to European law enforcement agency Europol, thousands of individuals own the software, which is commercially sold for less than $170.

After a two-day operation this week, in which international police forces conducted 359 house searches, the European Union's Eurojust says that 97 people have been taken into custody. Of the 17 that were arrested in the UK, all are male.





Ohio Man Gets 25 Years For Hacking Into Webcams, Recording Minors

A U.S. Attorney calls the Dayton man, who also distributed some of the recordings, a 'high-tech video voyeur.'

Mark Wayne Miller, 47, of Dayton, had pled guilty in January 2006 to one count of computer intrusion, as well as to one count of sexual exploitation of children relating to his successful efforts to persuade under-age girls to engage in sexually explicit conduct for him in front of their Webcams. At the time of his arrest, Miller was on probation with the state of Ohio and was a registered sex offender.

The FBI reported that Miller confirmed in court that he developed sexual relationships with minor-aged girls over the Internet, usually in online chat rooms. Tricking the girls with a fictitious name and a photo of an unknown young male, Miller said he used the "chats" to persuade the girls to engage in sexually explicit conduct in front of active Webcams.

In other cases, he hacked into the girls' computers to secretly intercept, watch, and record live Webcam footage of them. He distributed some of the recorded Webcam footage to others.




"Miller was a high-tech video voyeur," said U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Ohio Gregory G. Lockhart in a statement. "He would 'phish' for the minors' passwords to a popular Internet portal, then secretly gain access to the minors' Webcam sessions."

The FBI reported that Miller's scheme was exposed when one of the girls sent a love letter to the fictitious boy Miller had made up, but she sent it to Miller's former workplace. His former employer read the letter and then found "additional evidence relating to child pornography while cleaning out Miller's work area." The employer then contacted some of the minors, and then contacted local law enforcement. After that, the FBI was called into the case.

"All of us, especially parents, must make sure we communicate with our children and let them know of the dangers that exist in the virtual world, as well as teaching them how to be safe on the Internet," Lockhart said.




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Some Popular And Very Hackable Webcams

Piper, Dropcam, Simplicam and Manything Record Everything, but Cry Wolf Too Often




The new Simplicam do-it-yourself security camera claims it can only send alerts when it sees a human face. Personal Tech columnist Geoffrey A. Fowler puts it to the test with a cat.


Webcams used to be just for checking weather at the beach and Skyping with your in-laws. Now Internet cameras can easily record everything that happens around the house—they're your domestic all-seeing eyes.

For several weeks, I've had an arsenal of the newest home surveillance cameras pointed at my front door: a $199 all-in-one security system called Piper, the $199 Dropcam Pro, a new $150 model called Simplicam, and an old iPhone running the free app Manything. They're all wireless, aside from power cords, and they alert the phone in your pocket when they spot activity.


The smartest of them, Simplicam, pulls off one important trick: recognizing a human face. That matters when you want a camera to alert you to a cat burglar, and not just a cat.

I thankfully didn't have any break-ins, but a different problem emerged: The cameras' alerts struggled to differentiate between my family's daily routines and anything more sinister, instead annoying me with a constant string of non-alarms. I'm ready to take them down.






For about $150 in equipment and $30 a month, a company like ADT  sells security as a service, with motion detectors and a live human monitor to call 911 if anything isn't right. But it also comes with an aggressive sales pitch and sometimes dated technology. Many people would probably settle for the ADT sign in front of the house.

The latest webcams promise an alternative—they might be useful for targeted purposes, like watching the register at a corner store, or watching your children play in the den. But anyone who wants to invest in one should be clear about what they can and can't do.





All four cameras I tested let you peer into your house via an app or the Web. They also record everything, allowing you to rewind the day or skip to a moment when there was activity. It's like a DVR for your life, but all the footage is stored in the cloud, so you can access it anywhere. (All of this potentially intimate video is locked behind one password, so be sure to choose a strong one!)






Dropcam and Simplicam both charge a monthly fee, depending on how long you want to keep your video archive. Manything plans to charge eventually but is free. Piper doesn't charge any monthly fees; instead, it stores up to 1,000 35-second clips of moments with activity.





What to do with all that video? To track down criminals, some people have handed it over to police, or even just posted clips directly to the Internet, vigilante-style. It might also help in the event you catch it live: a San Francisco police spokesman told me that people who observe a burglary in progress receive a higher priority than calls after the fact.


The webcams use Wi-Fi to connect to your home's broadband, but they will consume a lot of your outgoing bandwidth—up to 1 megabit per second for the Simplicam. You may not be able to support multiple cameras.

All are remarkably easy to set up with just a phone. None are designed to work outside. I set up Manything with a decommissioned iPhone 4 on a tiny tripod. While it is the budget webcam solution, it actually has advantages like a touch screen and battery backup.






Piper steps closer to being a total security system by stuffing an alarm and additional sensors inside its box, including temperature, humidity and motion. It can also serve as a brain for certain other smart home devices such as door sensors and lights. These are great ideas, but Piper also had the only camera I tested that was sluggish to show its live feed and would occasionally drop its connection. The company says it is coming out with an update soon that should fix some of those problems.





All of the cameras took video of passable quality. Dropcam stands out from the pack for its range of tone, particularly in darker situations, and an Enhance feature that lets you zoom in and improve a live image in one particular area. It was good enough for me to see which magazines had come through my mail slot.

Good image quality is helpful if you're using the camera to document the life of your cat or watch your baby play. (Be warned: hacking may soon start posting this kind of surveillance footage on Facebook. ) You could just use the cameras in this peek-only mode.


But as a security device, identifying the bad stuff and alerting you to it is what matters.

The first challenge is that pointing webcams anywhere inside your home can be uncomfortable for family members and guests. I got lots of awkward questions and some requests to take the cameras down. Ideally, they'd only record when needed—like when no one is at home, or late at night. But how's the camera supposed to know that?


(Buy/Rent/Layaway)



One answer, available on Dropcam and Simplicam, is time-based schedules—but they don't work for busy, unpredictable lives. Piper has home, work and travel modes—but I don't always remember to open the app when I leave the house. Dropcam can track your phone's location and turn the camera off when you're home, but that won't work for any other member of your household.






The bigger problem is false alarms. When they're active, the cameras dutifully ping your phone every time they detect motion. But you end up getting lots of alerts when nothing is wrong: a ping if a tree moves in a heavy wind, a ping if the mail arrives, a ping if Fluffy launches on a midday sprint around the house. An actual break-in could easily get lost in all the pings.



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Some of the cameras offer piecemeal solutions to the problem, like tuning motion-sensitivity levels. Dropcam and the Manything app let you identify hot zones where you want alerts, but they were of little help in the layout of my house.





The webcam I heard from the least was Simplicam, which is why I think it is the smartest. Simplicam and its Closeli software are made by ArcSoft, an image technology company that's spent years figuring out how to quickly identify faces in photos and video. You can tell its camera to only ping you when it sees a face—a much better sign that you have a break-in.






The company says it can even tell the difference between an animal face and a human one. It worked largely as promised with a cat in my tests, though it did once misidentify him as human.




(Buy/Rent/Layaway)




In the interest of science, I also tried pulling a stocking over my face, and, yes, putting on a cat mask. Simplicam wasn't fooled. A mask that covered all facial features would trick it, though.

ArcSoft's success with face detection only made me realize the need for more recognition, such as identifying family faces vs. those of intruders. (The company says it is coming—but didn't say when.)




Webcams exemplify our awkward moment in personal tech: It's now possible to put the Internet in all kinds of things around the house that used to be expensive or difficult to automate—the thermostat, the light switches, even the Crock-Pot. But how these improve our lives remains a work in progress. When in doubt always consult with a security expert!


Monty Henry, Owner












Additional Resources:






















The Creature From Jekyll IslandThis Blog And Video Playlist Explains Why The U.S. Financial System is Corrupt and How It Came To Be That Way







Dropping Off The Grid: A Growing Movement In America: Part I







www.DPL-Surveillance-Equipment.com










































NOW, look in on your home, second home, lake house or office anytime, anywhere from any internet connected PC/Lap-top or Internet active cell phone, including iphone or PDA.

Watch your child's caregiver while sitting at a traffic light or lunch meeting, or check on your business security from the other side of the world. Our built-in hidden video features all digital transmissions providing a crystal clear image with zero interference. With the IP receiver stream your video over the internet through your router, and view on either a PC or smart phone. Designed exclusively for DPL-Surveillance-Equipment, these IP hidden wireless cameras come with multiple features to make the user's experience hassle-free.

NOW, look in on your home, second home, lake house or office anytime, anywhere from any internet connected PC/Lap-top or Internet active cell phone, including iphone or PDA: http://www.dpl-surveillance-equipment.com/wireless_hidden_cameras.html

Watch your child's caregiver while sitting at a traffic light or lunch meeting, or check on your business security from the other side of the world. Our built-in hidden video features all digital transmissions providing a crystal clear image with zero interference. With the IP receiver stream your video over the internet through your router, and view on either a PC or smart phone. Designed exclusively for DPL-Surveillance-Equipment, these IP hidden wireless cameras come with multiple features to make the user's experience hassle-free.

• Remote Video Access

• Video is Recorded Locally To An Installed SD Card (2GB SD Card included)

• Email Notifications (Motion Alerts, Camera Failure, IP Address Change, SD Card Full)

• Live Monitoring, Recording And Event Playback Via Internet

• Back-up SD Storage Up To 32GB (SD Not Included)

• Digital Wireless Transmission (No Camera Interference)

• View LIVE On Your SmartPhone!

Includes:

* Nanny Cameras w/ Remote View
* Wireless IP Receiver
* Remote Control
* A/C Adaptor
* 2GB SD Card
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FACT SHEET:  HIDDEN NANNY-SPY (VIEW VIA THE INTERNET) CAMERAS

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Receiver Specs:

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* S/N Ratio: 45 db
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* Video System: NTSC
* White Balance: Auto Tracking

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Our New Layaway Plan Adds Convenience For Online Shoppers








DPL-Surveillance-Equipment's layaway plan makes it easy for you to buy the products and services that you want by paying for them through manageable monthly payments that you set. Our intuitive calculator allows you to break down your order's purchase price into smaller payment amounts. Payments can be automatically deducted from your bank account or made in cash using MoneyGram® ExpressPayment® Services and you will receive your order once it's paid in full. Use it to plan and budget for holiday purchases, anniversaries, birthdays, vacations and more!


DPL-Surveillance-Equipment's Customers can now use the convenience of layaway online to help them get through these tough economic times.

We all shop now and then just to face a hard reality -- big credit card bills. However, our latest financing innovation can help you avoid that. Find out why more and more shoppers are checking out DPL-Surveillance-Equipment's e-layaway plan.

If you're drooling over a new nanny camera, longing for a GPS tracker, or wishing for that spy watch, but you're strapped for cash and can't afford to do credit, do what Jennie Kheen did. She bought her iPod docking station (hidden camera w/motion-activated DVR) online using our convenient lay-away plan.

Our online layaway plan works like the old-fashioned service stores used to offer. But, in Kheen's case, she went to DPL-Surveillance-Equipment.com, found the iPod docking station (hidden camera w/motion-activated DVR), then set up a payment plan.

"It's automatically drawn from my account," she said. "I have a budget, $208.00 a month.

In three months, Kheen had paid off the $650.00 iPod docking station. She paid another 3.9 percent service fee, which amounted to about $25.35 (plus $12.00 for shipping) for a total of $687.35.

"You pay a little bit each month," Kheen said. "It's paid off when you get it and you don't have it lingering over your head. It's great."

Flexible payment terms and automated payments make our layaway plan an affordable and fiscally responsible alternative to credit cards.

1. Register:

It's quick, easy and FREE! No credit check required!

2. Shop:

Select the items or service you want and choose "e-layaway" as your payment option. Our payment calculator makes it easy for you to set up your payment terms.

3. Make Payments:

Payments are made on the schedule YOU set. Check your order status or adjust your payments online in a secure environment.

4. Receive Products:

Receive the product shortly after your last payment. The best part, it's paid in full... NO DEBT.

More Buying Power:

* Our lay-away plan offers a safe and affordable payment alternative without tying up your credit or subjecting the purchase to high-interest credit card fees.

No Credit Checks or Special Qualifications:

* Anyone 18 years old or older can join. All you need is an active bank account.

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* If you are near or beyond your credit limit or simply want to avoid high interest credit card fees, our e-layaway is the smart choice for you.

Flexible Payment Schedules:

* Similar to traditional layaway, e-layaway lets you make regular payments towards merchandise, with delivery upon payment in full. Payments are automatically deducted from your bank account or made in cash using MoneyGram® ExpressPayment®

A Tool for Planning Ahead:

* Our e-layaway makes it easy for smart shoppers like you to plan ahead and buy items such as bug detectors, nanny cameras, audio bugs, gps trackers, and more!

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Our e-layaway makes shopping painless by eliminating hidden charges and monthly interest fees. Our customers pay a flat transaction fee on the initial purchase price.

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* You have the right to cancel any purchase and will receive a refund less a cancellation fee. See website for details.

Security and Identity Protection:

DPL-Surveillance-Equipment has partnered with trusted experts like McAfee and IDology to ensure the security and integrity of every transaction. Identity verification measures are integrated into our e-layaway system to prevent fraudulent purchases.

Note: Simply Choose e-Lay-Away as a "Payment Option" in The Shopping Cart



DPL-Surveillance-Equipment.com is a world leader in providing surveillance and security products and services to Government, Law Enforcement, Private Investigators, small and large companies worldwide. We have one of the largest varieties of state-of-the-art surveillance and counter-surveillance equipment including Personal Protection and Bug Detection Products.



Buy, rent or lease the same state-of-the-art surveillance and security equipment Detectives, PI's, the CIA and FBI use. Take back control!



DPL-Surveillance-Equipment.com

Phone: (1888) 344-3742 Toll Free USA
Local: (818) 344-3742
Fax (775) 249-9320

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Thursday, September 04, 2014

Who Is Using The Most Food Stamps? Blacks or Whites?














Click Here Or On Above Image To Reach Our Experts



Who Is Using The Most Food Stamps?
Blacks or Whites?








As the Job Market Improves, More Americans Are Able to Wean Off the Program


Who Is Using Food Stamps?


There are more white people on food stamps than black people, according to SNAP


The Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program provides food stamps for almost 47 million Americans. Of those 47 million people, 43 percent of them are white and 33 percent are black. Approximately 19 percent are Hispanic, 2 percent are Asian and the remainder are Native America.


The Economix blog at the New York Times reported the following in February of last year.

Another finding of the study is that the distribution of benefits no longer aligns with the demography of poverty. African-Americans, who make up 22 percent of the poor, receive 14 percent of government benefits, close to their 12 percent population share.
White non-Hispanics, who make up 42 percent of the poor, receive 69 percent of government benefits – again, much closer to their 64 percent population share.


Again, blacks comprise 22 percent of the poor, but blacks only take in 14 percent of government benefits. Conversely,  whites make up 42 percent of the poor , but take in a disproportionate 69 percent of government benefits.




There were 46.2 million Americans on food stamps in May, the latest data available, down 1.6 million from a record 47.8 million in December 2012. Some 14.8% of the U.S. population is on the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, down from 15.3% last August, U.S. Department of Agriculture data show.

"More people are starting to report that they have just recently been hired" and have pay that is reasonable enough to make them ineligible, said Alba Brookins, who helps run Jefferson County's SNAP program. "Any decrease [in SNAP] is significant, because it had been on the increase for so long."




A decline would be welcome in Washington, where food stamps have been a political lightning rod among lawmakers. Proponents say they help low-income people get back on their feet and stimulate the economy, while critics say they foster dependence on the government and seek to cut them.





Truck driver Louis Alexander says food stamps helped get him back on his feet after he lost his job last year.



Truck Driver Louis Alexander Says Food Stamps Helped Get
Him Back On His Feet After He Lost His Job Last Year.


After soaring in the years since the recession, use of food stamps, one of the federal government's biggest social-welfare programs, is beginning to decline.

Food-stamp use remains high, historically speaking. The share of Americans on the benefit—which lets them buy basics like cereal and meat and treats like cookies, but not tobacco, alcohol or pet food—is above the 8% to 11% that prevailed before the financial crisis.




One beneficiary-turned-former-beneficiary is Louis Alexander. Mr. Alexander turned to food stamps last year after losing his job as a maintenance man. A year later, he is working again—as a truck driver for a company near his home in Louisville, Ky.

He credits food stamps for helping him eat and pay his other bills while job searching.




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Now, eager to be a "giver," not a "taker," the 53-year-old has stopped collecting stamps and is socking away savings. Before his latest haul, he bought his girlfriend an engagement ring. "Everything fell right into place," he said. "I feel like I'm the luckiest man in the world."




Declining use of food stamps is a positive signal for the economy. It suggests that recent improvements in labor markets are reaching more Americans, especially lower-income ones. If more Americans have cash, that could fuel spending, a primary driver of the economy. For years, the recovery has been disappointing, partly because weak growth in inflation-adjusted wages has limited consumer demand for goods and services.





"In the last four, five months, we have seen a pretty steady drop," said Ed Bolen, senior policy analyst at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington, D.C., think tank.

And experts expect enrollment and costs to keep falling: As more Americans find jobs and collect paychecks, fewer will be eligible, lowering program costs. The Congressional Budget Office sees food-stamp costs—now running at $80 billion, or 0.5% of gross domestic product—returning to 1995 levels around 0.35% as a share of GDP in five years.

SNAP rolls are contracting in most states, including Kentucky, where Mr. Alexander lives. The state saw a 6.1% drop in people enrolled in SNAP in May versus a year earlier. Roughly 136,000 people are on SNAP in Jefferson County, where Louisville is located, down from 139,000 in the state's previous fiscal year, officials say.






"More people are starting to report that they have just recently been hired" and have pay that is reasonable enough to make them ineligible, said Alba Brookins, who helps run Jefferson County's SNAP program. "Any decrease [in SNAP] is significant, because it had been on the increase for so long."

A decline would be welcome in Washington, where food stamps have been a political lightning rod among lawmakers. Proponents say they help low-income people get back on their feet and stimulate the economy, while critics say they foster dependence on the government and seek to cut them.






But plenty of new people seek assistance each month. And changes to SNAP likely will keep rolls from dropping back to the levels of previous decades. States have expanded their outreach to get more people to apply for SNAP, which the federal government pays for. Eligibility requirements have eased, and a much bigger share of those eligible now enroll.

Kenneth Taylor, a veteran of the first Iraq war, had to leave his job in shoplifting prevention in a store this spring after being diagnosed with cancer.

The 47-year-old, who lives near Indianapolis, also recently separated from his wife. He is collecting $400 a month via stamps to feed his three children, ages 10, 11 and 12, and recently sold his gun collection for about $1,000. "I haven't been out of a job for 30 years," he said. "This is the first time I've ever had to be on any kind of public assistance."





While exact requirements vary by state, a would-be participant's household generally must have a "gross income" that is at or below 130% of the federal poverty line, which is $23,492 for a family of four, and "net income"—income minus things like high housing costs and medical expenses for elderly family—that is 100% of the federal poverty line or below.

Looser "asset" tests, however, mean some Americans with savings in the bank are eligible that wouldn't have been years ago.

Despite all the factors pushing up SNAP participation, food-stamp use is starting to fall, largely because more Americans are becoming ineligible as their incomes grow, government and budget experts said. The expiration of some expanded benefits last fall is another factor.


In May, SNAP participation fell in 43 states compared with a year earlier, while rates of growth in other states have slowed considerably.

In Arizona, the number of people enrolled fell 7%; in South Carolina, 6.2%. Nationally, SNAP rolls dropped 3% in May from a year earlier. (States such as North Carolina and Georgia have seen outsize drops, but largely due to state-specific quirks, including SNAP processing backlogs. Such drops aren't driving the national decline in SNAP rolls, experts said.)

For Jessica Singh, an unmarried mother who stopped using food stamps this spring, things are generally looking up.


After being dependent on SNAP for over two years, the 26-year-old in Fort Wayne, Ind., got a degree in human services, found internships and has landed two part-time jobs, including one at a domestic-violence shelter. Food stamps "definitely gave me a sense of stability," she said. "You know there is going to be food on the table."




And yet it isn't easy going without SNAP's safety net. If her 2-year-old gets sick and Ms. Singh can't work, her income takes a hit. Last month, Ms. Singh visited a food pantry for the first time, picking up free boxes of pancake mix, cereal and Hamburger Helper, along with toilet paper. She said she will go earlier next time; by the time she got there during her first trip, items like bananas and hamburger meat were gone.




Are Consumers Ready to Spend Again?


In August, The Commerce Department Said U.S. Retail
Spending Was Flat In July.  Shown, A Newly Opened
J.C. Penney Store At The Gateway Center Mall In Brooklyn, N.Y.

Summer brought companies some hopeful signs of economic recovery. This fall, the optimism will be put to the test.

That's because it is unclear whether consumers—the engine behind more than two-thirds of the American economy—are ready to resume spending at significant levels.

Signals are mixed. After years of lackluster growth, corporate revenues for large companies grew more rapidly in the second quarter, and company guidance suggests that trend will continue in the second half of the year. The Conference Board said consumer confidence picked up in August.


Employment continued to tick upward. Gross domestic product jumped in the second quarter as businesses and consumers made up for the first quarter's lousy weather. Economists are predicting growth at a 3% rate for the second half, and 2% growth for the full year.

Still, the retail industry, tied more closely to consumer spending than any other, is struggling. In August, the Commerce Department said U.S. retail spending was flat in July. And household spending declined by 0.1% in July, the first drop in personal spending since January.




Investors are clearly nervous as well. For much of August, retailers and a grocer made up most of the 10 worst-performing stocks in the S&P 500 index: Coach Inc., down 34% for the year; Whole Foods Market Inc., down 32%; Mattel Inc., down 28%; Staples Inc., down 26%; and Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. and Best Buy Co., both down about 20%. Avon Products Inc. and Fossil Group Inc. also lagged behind, down about 18% and 16%, respectively. The Dow Jones U.S. Retail Index has struggled to mark gains so far this year.


(Buy/Rent/Layaway)


One indication that investor anxiety may be justified: When retailers talk about sales growth, many are reserved in their projections. On Aug. 26, Best Buy predicted a tough holiday season marked by steep discounts and weak demand after recording a 2% drop in sales at U.S. stores open at least 14 months. And in some sectors, including low-end dollar stores, companies may be benefiting more from market share than broader growth.

"Revenues are doing better than they were," says Howard Silverblatt, senior index analyst at S&P Dow Jones Indices. But companies "don't think consumers are going to be spending that much more."







At Home, a closely held Texas home-furnishings chain with 75 locations in 21 states that advertises low prices, says sales are up 20% year over year. The company is seeing new customers, more-frequent visits and higher ticket prices amid mediocre increases in overall consumer spending, which means much of the growth is coming at the expense of competitors, Chief Executive Lee Bird says.

"There's growth here, but we're getting a disproportionate share of that," Mr. Bird says. "We're definitely taking share while growing with a sluggish economy."



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(Buy/Rent/Layaway)


And then there is the question of how much capacity consumers have to spend. What isn't spent is generally saved. But the savings rate in the U.S. is about 5.3%, at or below recent trends.

In other words, there may not be enough untapped spending power sitting on the sidelines, waiting for confidence to improve, to fuel a strong consumer recovery, says Dean Baker, an economist and co-director of the Center for Economic and Policy Research in Washington.

So far, that has been true for customers of Hibbett Sports Inc., a sporting-goods retailer with primarily lower-income customers in the South, Southwest, Midwest and mid-Atlantic, says Scott Bowman, the company's chief financial officer. The company saw sales inch up just 0.1% in the quarter ended Aug. 2, excluding new and closed stores.

"That lower-than-average-income consumer has a few more headwinds than the upper-tier consumer, with static wage growth, underemployment," Mr. Bowman says. "I think it will get better, but it will be gradual."







Still, consumers have managed to rally before. And some economists are more upbeat. While summer monthly sales figures looked grim, the year so far hasn't been terrible. At about 4%, year-over-year retail sales growth is reasonable, says Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody's Analytics.

Consumer spending overall also is roughly matching income growth, with consumer confidence at prerecession levels and debt payments at record lows, he added.

"As long as the job market continues to improve, and it is, then I think consumers will continue to ramp up their spending consistent with that," or possibly higher if they decide it is safe to borrow more, Mr. Zandi says. "I think it is fair to say that consumers are doing their part for the recovery."



The USDA Reported That 14.3% Of American Households
Didn't Have Access To Enough Food At Some Point In 2013
Because They Didn't Have The Money Or Other Resources To Get It.  


Meanwhile, Fewer Americans Struggle to Feed Themselves, USDA Finds

Number of U.S. Households With Inadequate Food Remains Historically High at 17.5 Million in 2013







The USDA reported that 14.3% of American households didn't have access to enough food at some point in 2013 because they didn't have the money or other resources to get it. 

The number of U.S. households struggling to put food on the table totaled 17.5 million in 2013, a slight decrease from a year earlier but still a historically high number, according to government figures released on Wednesday.

A report by the U.S. Department of Agriculture said 14.3% of American households didn't have access to adequate amounts of food at some point during the year because they didn't have the money or other resources to get it. Of those, 5.6% were considered to have "very low food security," which means members of the household had to cut back on their meals or change normal eating patterns.

The 2013 data remain virtually unchanged from the 2012 total of 17.6 million households that had limited access to food. But they represent a larger drop from 2011, when a record 17.9 million U.S. households qualified as "food insecure."



(Buy/Rent/Layaway)



More recent figures signal an improving picture for Americans' struggling to feed themselves. The number of Americans using food stamps reached 46.2 million in May, according to the most recent data, down from a record 47.8 million in December.

But much like the statistics on food security, the food-stamp numbers are historically high compared with prerecession data, suggesting ongoing challenges facing Americans at the bottom rungs of the economic ladder.

Against this backdrop, lawmakers continue to debate the future of government nutrition programs, such as food stamps, formally known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.

Rep. Mike Conaway (R., Texas), a likely candidate to chair the House Agriculture Committee next year if Republicans maintain control of the House, is expected to tackle changes to the food-stamp program. Mr. Conaway has said, for example, that able-bodied adults without children should have to meet work requirements to receive assistance.

The House Agriculture Committee is in charge of the national farm bill, which includes funding for the food-stamp program.





A little more than 60% of the families surveyed for the USDA report said that in the previous month they participated in at least one of the largest federal food-assistance programs. Among them are the food-stamp program and the national school-lunch program, which provides free or low-cost meals to children.

Feeding America, a hunger-relief charity that operates a network of food banks, said the newest data from USDA signal that low-income workers are still struggling to meet basic needs even though other economic indicators, like unemployment data, suggest the economy is gaining strength.

"The reality is millions of low-income Americans are still unemployed or working part time because they can't find full-time employment," spokeswoman Maura Daly said.


Monty Henry, Owner












Additional Resources:






















The Creature From Jekyll IslandThis Blog And Video Playlist Explains Why The U.S. Financial System is Corrupt and How It Came To Be That Way







Dropping Off The Grid: A Growing Movement In America: Part I







www.DPL-Surveillance-Equipment.com










































NOW, look in on your home, second home, lake house or office anytime, anywhere from any internet connected PC/Lap-top or Internet active cell phone, including iphone or PDA.

Watch your child's caregiver while sitting at a traffic light or lunch meeting, or check on your business security from the other side of the world. Our built-in hidden video features all digital transmissions providing a crystal clear image with zero interference. With the IP receiver stream your video over the internet through your router, and view on either a PC or smart phone. Designed exclusively for DPL-Surveillance-Equipment, these IP hidden wireless cameras come with multiple features to make the user's experience hassle-free.

NOW, look in on your home, second home, lake house or office anytime, anywhere from any internet connected PC/Lap-top or Internet active cell phone, including iphone or PDA: http://www.dpl-surveillance-equipment.com/wireless_hidden_cameras.html

Watch your child's caregiver while sitting at a traffic light or lunch meeting, or check on your business security from the other side of the world. Our built-in hidden video features all digital transmissions providing a crystal clear image with zero interference. With the IP receiver stream your video over the internet through your router, and view on either a PC or smart phone. Designed exclusively for DPL-Surveillance-Equipment, these IP hidden wireless cameras come with multiple features to make the user's experience hassle-free.

• Remote Video Access

• Video is Recorded Locally To An Installed SD Card (2GB SD Card included)

• Email Notifications (Motion Alerts, Camera Failure, IP Address Change, SD Card Full)

• Live Monitoring, Recording And Event Playback Via Internet

• Back-up SD Storage Up To 32GB (SD Not Included)

• Digital Wireless Transmission (No Camera Interference)

• View LIVE On Your SmartPhone!

Includes:

* Nanny Cameras w/ Remote View
* Wireless IP Receiver
* Remote Control
* A/C Adaptor
* 2GB SD Card
* USB Receiver



FACT SHEET:  HIDDEN NANNY-SPY (VIEW VIA THE INTERNET) CAMERAS

Specifications:

Receiver Specs:

* Transmission Range of 500 ft Line Of Sight
* Uses 53 Channels Resulting In No Interference
* 12V Power Consumption
* RCA Output
* Supports up to 32gig SD

Camera Specs:

* 640x480 / 320x240 up to 30fps
* Image Sensor: 1/4" Micron Sensor
* Resolution: 720x480 Pixels
* S/N Ratio: 45 db
* Sensitivity: 11.5V/lux-s @ 550nm
* Video System: NTSC
* White Balance: Auto Tracking

Make Your Own Nanny Cameras:  Make Tons Of Money In A Booming, Nearly Recession-Proof Industry!


Your Primary Customers Include But Are Not Limited To Anyone In The Private Investigator, Government, Law Enforcement And/Or Intelligence Agencies Fields!

* You Buy Our DVR Boards And We'll Build Your Products! (Optional)

















Our New Layaway Plan Adds Convenience For Online Shoppers








DPL-Surveillance-Equipment's layaway plan makes it easy for you to buy the products and services that you want by paying for them through manageable monthly payments that you set. Our intuitive calculator allows you to break down your order's purchase price into smaller payment amounts. Payments can be automatically deducted from your bank account or made in cash using MoneyGram® ExpressPayment® Services and you will receive your order once it's paid in full. Use it to plan and budget for holiday purchases, anniversaries, birthdays, vacations and more!


DPL-Surveillance-Equipment's Customers can now use the convenience of layaway online to help them get through these tough economic times.

We all shop now and then just to face a hard reality -- big credit card bills. However, our latest financing innovation can help you avoid that. Find out why more and more shoppers are checking out DPL-Surveillance-Equipment's e-layaway plan.

If you're drooling over a new nanny camera, longing for a GPS tracker, or wishing for that spy watch, but you're strapped for cash and can't afford to do credit, do what Jennie Kheen did. She bought her iPod docking station (hidden camera w/motion-activated DVR) online using our convenient lay-away plan.

Our online layaway plan works like the old-fashioned service stores used to offer. But, in Kheen's case, she went to DPL-Surveillance-Equipment.com, found the iPod docking station (hidden camera w/motion-activated DVR), then set up a payment plan.

"It's automatically drawn from my account," she said. "I have a budget, $208.00 a month.

In three months, Kheen had paid off the $650.00 iPod docking station. She paid another 3.9 percent service fee, which amounted to about $25.35 (plus $12.00 for shipping) for a total of $687.35.

"You pay a little bit each month," Kheen said. "It's paid off when you get it and you don't have it lingering over your head. It's great."

Flexible payment terms and automated payments make our layaway plan an affordable and fiscally responsible alternative to credit cards.

1. Register:

It's quick, easy and FREE! No credit check required!

2. Shop:

Select the items or service you want and choose "e-layaway" as your payment option. Our payment calculator makes it easy for you to set up your payment terms.

3. Make Payments:

Payments are made on the schedule YOU set. Check your order status or adjust your payments online in a secure environment.

4. Receive Products:

Receive the product shortly after your last payment. The best part, it's paid in full... NO DEBT.

More Buying Power:

* Our lay-away plan offers a safe and affordable payment alternative without tying up your credit or subjecting the purchase to high-interest credit card fees.

No Credit Checks or Special Qualifications:

* Anyone 18 years old or older can join. All you need is an active bank account.

Freedom From Credit Cards:

* If you are near or beyond your credit limit or simply want to avoid high interest credit card fees, our e-layaway is the smart choice for you.

Flexible Payment Schedules:

* Similar to traditional layaway, e-layaway lets you make regular payments towards merchandise, with delivery upon payment in full. Payments are automatically deducted from your bank account or made in cash using MoneyGram® ExpressPayment®

A Tool for Planning Ahead:

* Our e-layaway makes it easy for smart shoppers like you to plan ahead and buy items such as bug detectors, nanny cameras, audio bugs, gps trackers, and more!

No Hidden Charges or Mounting Interest:

Our e-layaway makes shopping painless by eliminating hidden charges and monthly interest fees. Our customers pay a flat transaction fee on the initial purchase price.

NO RISK:

* You have the right to cancel any purchase and will receive a refund less a cancellation fee. See website for details.

Security and Identity Protection:

DPL-Surveillance-Equipment has partnered with trusted experts like McAfee and IDology to ensure the security and integrity of every transaction. Identity verification measures are integrated into our e-layaway system to prevent fraudulent purchases.

Note: Simply Choose e-Lay-Away as a "Payment Option" in The Shopping Cart



DPL-Surveillance-Equipment.com is a world leader in providing surveillance and security products and services to Government, Law Enforcement, Private Investigators, small and large companies worldwide. We have one of the largest varieties of state-of-the-art surveillance and counter-surveillance equipment including Personal Protection and Bug Detection Products.



Buy, rent or lease the same state-of-the-art surveillance and security equipment Detectives, PI's, the CIA and FBI use. Take back control!



DPL-Surveillance-Equipment.com

Phone: (1888) 344-3742 Toll Free USA
Local: (818) 344-3742
Fax (775) 249-9320

Monty@DPL-Surveillance-Equipment.com


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