Landlord Arrested For Putting Cameras in Smoke Detectors

Yikes: Newsday reports that two Hofstra students found spy cameras hidden in smoke detectors in their Franklin Square apartment. The tenants had asked a friend to check the detectors, which were found to be non-working. "The friend brought one of the detectors to a local firehouse, where a volunteer firefighter realized 'the guts were removed from that smoke detector and in its place was a digital video camera and some sort of a transmitter.'" Nassau police arrested the landlord Michael Murartore, who claimed he just wanted to make sure his apartment wasn't being damaged, but the cops told Newsday, "It's against the law to do that. It's kind of obvious."

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By Jen Chung in News on September 3, 2008 3:22 PM

Comments [rss]

DarkGemini

Scout, I won't bore everyone here with all the technical details behind the system, except to say that the info collected from passing tags to update that sign is not immediately dumped upon acquisition and delta calculations.

And no, I don't keep it in a case while crossing a toll plaza.

Geniuses everywhere, I swear...

Scout1

You know, it's funny you mention the EZPass tracking thing, Ed...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/18commuteli.html

My EZPass spends a LOT of time in a real RF isolation case, and not that foil bag BS they give you.

Uhm, the traffic info comes from how long it takes you to get from toll booth to toll booth. Keeping it in a RF case is a great idea...As long as you don't take it out of the case to pay the toll.

Spirit of 76

Eek! I've got to toss my American Express Blue because of that tracking chip in it! Or maybe not. Who cares if passports have chips in them? You think the Feds don't already have access to all passenger manifests for ships and planes leaving and entering the US?

mocanlagunas

Now do they send their rent checks to the prison?

JacqueMehoff

wow those RF shielded pouches are cool!

DarkGemini

edEx Said:

Is this the same friend who thinks that we're all being tracked with EZ-Passes, Credit Cards, Internet Connections, Net Flix accounts, Metro Card purchases, and/or just our plain old Social Security numbers???

You know, it's funny you mention the EZPass tracking thing, Ed...

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/18/nyregion/nyregionspecial2/18commuteli.html

My EZPass spends a LOT of time in a real RF isolation case, and not that foil bag BS they give you.

spiritross

Revenge of the Nerds 5: Landlords in NYC

anyway

Big brother is all around

All US Passports released after January 2008 have a computer chip in it.

http://travel.state.gov/passport/eppt/eppt_2788.html#One

buzzbuzzard

#4 You forgot to mention GPS In-Car Navigation aids.

ed_Extinct

I have a friend who insists the US government is going to hide surveillance equipment in DTV boxes. He thinks that's the REAL reason why everyone is going to be required to have one in their homes. Laugh if you want but I'm cracking that sucker open just in case as soon as I get one.

Is this the same friend who thinks that we're all being tracked with EZ-Passes, Credit Cards, Internet Connections, Net Flix accounts, Metro Card purchases, and/or just our plain old Social Security numbers???

westernqueensland

He must be homeland security.

Future Taliban

I have a friend who insists the US government is going to hide surveillance equipment in DTV boxes. He thinks that's the REAL reason why everyone is going to be required to have one in their homes. Laugh if you want but I'm cracking that sucker open just in case as soon as I get one.

John Del Signore

Yep, got to do whatever it takes to make sure those strapping young college kids don't do any damage with their reckless, rippling muscles.