Last week I headed along to Siemens’ ‘Answers for the Environment’ event in Coventry, where I had the chance to have a quick chat with Security Solutions MD Dave Pickles. I even made a video of it. You can watch that here.

There’s also some video of a foal being born – it’s not nearly as gross as it could be. The mare belongs to champion showjumper Andrew Mizon, who had a surveillance system installed by IPEye using Axis cameras to keep an eye on his horses. Watch it here.

We’ve also had a fair amount of advice, tips and useful info on I4S this week – here’s The Networker on IP surveillance in the public transport sector ; the return of the CCTV Doctor, discussing megapixel cameras; and Iain’s Top 5, which looks at the public perception of CCTV.

Security Institute chairman Mike Bluestone has decided to move back into the world of guarding by joining Corps Security. SMT Online editor Brian Sims spoke to him about the reasons for the move. Read all about it here.

Also this week: zombies and holograms. Cool. Plimsoll Publishing has gone ahead and described some guarding companies as ‘zombies’. Why? Read the story and find out. And the holograms have to do with banknote security. There are some very cool pictures to have a look at here.

Our Song About Security this week is a truly reprehensible country number. Once you’ve listened to it, all other music will appear significantly better. It will help give you a healthy sense of perspective.

And here is a classic compilation video of news bloopers. Enjoy.

www.info4security.com, www.ifsec.co.uk

There are a whole bunch of big stories vying for your attention. First metaphorical cab off the rank is Tony Makosinski from Honeywell, who says that some installers are not taking advantage of the opportunity afforded to them by remote maintenance. Find out more by clicking here.

Also this week SMT Online honcho Brian Sims brought us a report on the new plans for a UK Register of Chartered Security Professionals/Practitioners (might have to be a bit more decisive on the naming there, chaps!). Read all about it here.

And the National Security Inspectorate’s chief Andrew White has decided to retire. We’ve got the details, a look back at White’s career, and some industry reaction – all accessible by clicking here.

Knowing what’s popular is great, right? That’s why we are such avid consumers of lists explaining ‘What’s Hot’ (the sun; radiators; an ironmonger’s forge) and ‘What’s Not’ (snow; Pluto; Thatcher). Where would we be without such indicators? Here’s another one: it’s the best read stories on info4security during June 2010. Interesting.

We’ve also got news of some acquisitions by Rentokil Initial; a bit of crystal ball gazing about the future of CCTV; an international view at the SIA’s Stakeholder Conference; and an IFSEC 2010 wrap-up, along with Norbain’s IFSEC competition winners.

The deadline for 2010′s Security Excellence Awards is looming. Looming! Like that loom of doom in the film ‘Wanted’. Not really. That is a ridiculous film. More like some top notch awards offering the possibility of oodles of industry kudos. Enter them! Read more about the whole thing here.

Our Song About Security this week comes from legendary geek rockers They Might Be Giants. I’m insisting that it’s somehow about network security, in order to fit it into this feature.

Here is a child who is learning very quickly about the horrors of ageing. And here is a man who is very frustrated at a shopping mall being closed. He indulges in some bad language, so be warned.

www.info4security.com, www.ifsec.co.uk

The first item on this week’s news agenda is our very own Technology Leaders’ Forum, organised in association with Veracity. The TLF is a specialist discussion forum which will convene to discuss the future of security. This time around the focus was on security systems and technology. Read the intro here, and then part one, part two, and part three.

Their television ads inform us that the Co-operative Group is ‘good with food’, but they’re also trying to be good with security. That’s why they ran a competition to come up with Big Ideas that they could implement. Find out who won by clicking here.

Jason McCreanney of Keyhole Security dropped by the I4S offices to show us how his Key Cam rapidly deployable surveillance camera could be set up remarkably quickly. Watch the video here.

Don’t forget to enter the Security Excellence Awards. The deadline is soon, and there are plenty of opportunities to win big at these prestigious and exciting awards. There’s kudos aplenty up for grabs! Read more about the whole thing here.

Our Song About Security this week comes from 80s favourites This Mortal Coil (not actually an allusion to a sentient slinky, apparently), who are singing all about sirens. Good work.

For real-time news updates follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/info4security and twitter.com/smtonlineeditor. And get more up to the minute news via our RSS feed.

Here’s a very odd video of a Japanese man with some unique talents/persistence. And to recover from that, here’s a video of a kitten riding around on the back of a tortoise.

www.info4security.com, www.ifsec.co.uk

First up is the UK’s Security Industry Authority, and its annual Stakeholder Conference (not a euphemism for a BBQ, more’s the pity). SMT Online honcho Brian Sims was in attendance. Here’s his report on chairman Baroness Henig’s opening presentation; SecuriGroup MD Russel Kerr on working in the private security industry; and Andrew Nicholls on the realities of buying private security services.

This week we’ve also got Jeremy Kimber from Honeywell, who suggests that the real value of IP video is only now just being found – and exploited. Read the story here.

Our old pal The Networker is back this week. This time around he’s on about public sector investment in surveillance. Check it out right here.

RapidVu says its cameras are bing installed in the homes of famous footballers (apparently there is a football tournament of some description going on at present); there’s a profile of PCL Whitehall’s John Legge; and Brian brings us a report from the Security Institute’s Annual Luncheon. It was on a boat.

This week’s Song About Security comes from inveterate rockers AC/DC. They are concerned about the security arrangements in the afterlife. They also played at Download – the metal/hard rock festival secured by Showsec. Read about their work here.

This year’s Security Excellence Awards are considered to be the single greatest awards to win ever in the history of mankind. If you miss out on entering, you’re only fooling yourself. And embarassing your friends and family. You’ve gotta be in it to win it! And so it goes.

For real-time news updates follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/info4security and twitter.com/smtonlineeditor. And get more up to the minute news via our RSS feed.

Here’s a video of some guitar playing superbness to see you through to the weekend.

www.info4security.com, www.ifsec.co.uk

Our top story this week is our latest Bench Test – and this time around, it’s the turn of the Q24 Hemispheric camera from Mobotix. How was it received by our experts? Click here to find out.

We’ve also got a statement from Direct Response Security, which was heavily criticised in a BBC ‘Watchdog’ programme last week. Check out what they had to say by clicking here.

And a Geutebruck video system is going undercover – IN YOUR HEART. Not really. It’s being used on a fancy dummy to help teach medical students. Read the story here.

Also today, Peter Kant from Rapiscan systems looks at the future of checkpoint security – vital at transport hubs and major events. What does he think is in store for the sector? Find out here.

We’ve got the launch of the Global Security Challenge for 2010; new thermal cameras from Samsung; and a ‘virtual tour’ (or ‘video’) of Raytec’s IFSEC stand.

This week’s Song About Security comes courtesy of those Rolling Stones, and centres on their exhortations to installers to get involved with the fire installation business.

Don’t you dare forget about entering this year’s Security Excellence Awards. They’re exciting and high profile. You could be too!

For real-time news updates follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/info4security and twitter.com/smtonlineeditor. And get more up to the minute news via our RSS feed.

And here is a video of the theme from The Fall Guy. Also, if you’re in Edinburgh this August and stuck for something to do, you should go to this.

www.info4security.com, www.ifsec.co.uk 

First this week is our round-up of the very best read stories on info4security during May. This was dominated, as you’d imagine, by the news and images coming out of IFSEC. Click here to see what you missed – and find out what others have been reading.

SMT Online honcho Brian Sims has looked into new UK Home Secretary Theresa May’s policing plans. Read the story here.

Then read up on the new licence-linked qualifications for door supervisors; and hear from Luke Martyn at ADT on what small to medium-sized businesses should take into account when tackling their security requirements.

Why not follow that up with some pictures and video of newly hatched rare leopard cubs, caught on an Axis network camera at Tallinn Zoo? They are cute etc.

And top that off by reading an interview with CSL DualCom advertisement star and IFSEC stand representative Hannah Gray – who also happens to be an aspiring pop star. Check out the videos and photos here.

Don’t forget to get your entries in for the 2010 Security Excellence Awards. If you end up being shortlisted, your esteem will rise in the eyes of all of your friends, colleagues, and enemies, resulting in a feeling of goodwill, and immense power.

Our Song About Security this week comes courtesy of sometime Eagle Glenn Frey – and the Beverley Hills Cop soundtrack.

For real-time news updates follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/info4security and twitter.com/smtonlineeditor. And get more up to the minute news via our RSS feed.

And here is a gibbon taunting some tigers. (It’s more amusing with the sound down, unless you’re a fan of zany sound effects.) Also: a great gift idea.

www.info4security.com, www.ifsec.co.uk

First up is the debut of our info4security Forums – a regular feature where top industry names gather to discuss the most pressing issues of the day. This first edition focuses on The Surveillance State – Myth or Reality? You can read all about it in three parts – part one, part two, and part three – and download the full audio from the forum, in six sections, from any of those articles.

Alex Carmichael of the BSIA has written exclusively for I4S on the latest updates with 21CN, and the work the trade association is doing to make the transition as smooth as possible for its members.

We’ve got two interesting stories with video content this week. One features CCTV footage of a baby in a pram rolling onto the tracks in front of an approaching train. Scary. The other is a demonstration from PPSS of its new cut, slash and bite protection fabric. The video includes some large blades, but sadly no biting.

There’s advice from The Networker on IP surveillance in extreme conditions; and from Iain Cameron, on remote video monitoring.

Also in the news this week were the boiler thieves foiled by SitexOrbis; Hikvision has debuted on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange; a new worldwide risk management consultancy alliance has been formed; and 4i Security claims that it is “revolutionising the alarms industry”.

This week’s Song About Security comes courtesy of the Cold War Kids, who are actually adults.

You should totally go ahead and enter the 2010 Security Excellence Awards. Go for it. Go on.

For real-time news updates follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/info4security and twitter.com/smtonlineeditor. And get more up to the minute news via our RSS feed.

Here’s a video of a cat rocking out to some guitar. Enjoy.

www.info4security.com, www.ifsec.co.uk

Well, it’s been an interesting week here at I4S Towers. We haven’t really had time to gather our collective breath following the rollercoaster that was IFSEC 2010 – we’ve plunged back into security news delivery mode.

The new coalition Government in the UK hasn’t wasted any time in addressing security issues. Deputy PM Nick Clegg has spoken out in favour of tighter CCTV and DNA database regulations.

And PM David Cameron has mooted reducing his personal security allocation. SMT Online editor Brian Sims was having none of this – and in a major London newspaper, to boot.

I’ve added a new slideshow gallery to our coverage of the IFSEC Awards, held last week. This one is of the glamorous folks in attendance at the shindig. Were you there? Know anyone who was? Have a look at the slideshow and find out.

(Don’t forget to keep an eye on our IFSEC news page for show follow-up reports, such as this story about a 50 million Euro deal signed last week – and check out the IFSEC’s Appeal gallery for all the sights of this year’s event.)

Of course one of the big industry buzzwords at present is ‘interoperability’ – and Siemens, having decided to go down the ONVIF route, have written an article telling us exactly why.

We’ve also got some videos of explosions courtesy of Eruma; videos of a man answering questions about logical access; and pictures and details of aspiring jewellery store robbers being driven off by a Fog Bandit.

This week’s Song About Security is a stone cold classic: Down In The Tube Station At Midnight, by The Jam. Check it out here.

For real-time news updates follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/info4security and twitter.com/smtonlineeditor. And get more up to the minute news via our RSS feed.

Welcome in the weekend by watching a video of some kittens attempting to use a slide. Outstanding.

www.info4security.com, www.ifsec.co.uk

This time around the focus seemed to be on High Definition CCTV; the emergence of ‘true’ integration in management systems; and, finally, the acknowledgement that simplicity and ease of use should be priorities for security manufacturers. But more about that next week.

Info4security has been at the show all week, bringing you up-to-the-minute news and images. It’s been interesting, and it’s been rewarding – but at the moment it mainly feels like it’s been tiring. Scroll down and you’ll find links to many of our stories from the show floor.

You’ll find many more on I4S – and eventually they’ll all make their way to our archived IFSEC news page.

Spare a thought for Martin Brown at Milestone Systems, who began his new VP sales role on the first day of the show. Fun!

Our Song About Security this week comes from mutli-pronged hip hop collective the Wu Tang Clan. Delightful.

For real-time news updates follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/info4security and twitter.com/smtonlineeditor. And get more up to the minute news via our RSS feed.

So put your feet up and relax. Here’s a nice little video of a rabbit chasing a snake. See you next week.

www.info4security.com, www.ifsec.co.uk

SMT Online editor Brian Sims has been busy chatting to some of the major exhibitors about their plans for the show. See what luminaries from Sony, Panasonic (Steven Gerrard, no less!) and HID Global have to say about what they’re launching, and the state of the market.

We’ve also got stories on the launch of IFSEC West Africa, which takes part during the show, and the Intelligent Integration Zone feature area, which looks set to be super interesting. Zone!

Of course there’s also a raft of preview information from more than 70 exhibitors on our dedicated IFSEC news page. Some of the latest articles focus on iDTEQ, Zyxel and ACTi, CSL DualCom, VideoIQ, Irisys, ASL Vision, Clearview, Honeywell, and the recently launched Mobile Phone Security Association.

In the midst of all of this IFSEC 2010 preparation, Brian has managed to find time to have a chat with Nick Palmer of VSG about the company’s rigorous vetting procedures.

And we’ve had advice from our Access Control Doctor on using the features of high end access systems.

Sometimes you just want to know what it is that everyone’s keen on reading. That’s why we provide our handy ‘Best read stories’ service. It tells you which I4S stories have been read by the most people in the last month. Wow!

Our Song About Security this week comes from excellent electropop Mancunians New Order. Have it, etc.

Also, there was an election in the UK yesterday. Interesting.

For real-time news updates, live from IFSEC 2010, follow us on Twitter: twitter.com/info4security and twitter.com/smtonlineeditor. And get more up to the minute news via our RSS feed.

To calm your nerves before next week’s cornucopia of excitation, here is a video of a dog dancing for his dinner.

www.info4security.com, www.ifsec.co.uk