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Webcams See All (Tortoise, Watch Your Back)
The New York Times ^ | 07 Jan 2014 | QUENTIN HARDY

Posted on 01/08/2014 10:01:16 AM PST by Theoria

In the Sahara, the African spurred tortoise lives for about a century. Thanks to modern technology, one named Franky has a shot at immortality.

“He gets about 10,000 viewers a month,” said Donnie Cook, the owner of Lou’s Pet Shop in Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich., where Franky, an easygoing 17-year-old, spends his days transmitting over the Internet a nonstop tortoise-eye view of the world. “We get people from at least 30 states, plus Italy, France.” A family in California has even sent the store $50 to keep Franky in lettuce.

Why should the National Security Agency have all the fun?

Franky’s fame illustrates the increasing surveillance of nearly everything by private citizens. Thanks to advances in miniaturization and cheap digital storage, tiny cameras are moving onto houses, people and nature. Everything is being filmed — from nannies and sleeping babies to vandalism-plagued parking lots to fireplaces awaiting Santa Claus.

YouTube gets notice for loading about 100 hours of video a minute. Dropcam, the maker of the camera atop Franky’s shell, uploads more than 1,000 hours of video a minute. That’s up about 500 percent over last year. Another 1,500 hours or more every minute is not recorded, but is presumably being watched live, according to Dropcam.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...


TOPICS: Computers/Internet; Pets/Animals
KEYWORDS: camera; dropcam; tortoise; webcam
Pretty neat. My cats would cut my throat as I slept or burn down the house if I even hinted at one of these. They have too many illegal rackets going on when I'm not around.

'What is the Franky cam? It's a wireless web camera that streams LIVE video to our website. The camera weights less than a cell phone so Franky does not mind it. His day is filled with the interaction of great people and awesome animals, which makes the perfect recipe for adventure!'

Franky Cam


1 posted on 01/08/2014 10:01:16 AM PST by Theoria
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To: Theoria

It would be more interesting if it were on a wild tortoise...............in the wild...............


2 posted on 01/08/2014 10:06:29 AM PST by Red Badger (Proud member of the Zeta Omicron Tau Fraternity since 2004...................)
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To: Red Badger

Sure, I remember the critter cams back in the 90’s when they would put cameras on seals and such and recover the information later once the camera declipped from the animal.


3 posted on 01/08/2014 10:09:35 AM PST by Theoria (End Socialism : No more GOP and Dem candidates)
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To: Theoria

http://www.ustream.tv/SouthwestFloridaEagleCam


4 posted on 01/08/2014 10:14:41 AM PST by Red Badger (Proud member of the Zeta Omicron Tau Fraternity since 2004...................)
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To: Red Badger
It would be more interesting if it were on a wild tortoise......

Tortoises can be cruel, it would be laughed out of town.......remember how Rudolph used to be treated.

5 posted on 01/08/2014 10:16:30 AM PST by Hot Tabasco (Miss Muffit suffered from arachnophobia.....)
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To: Hot Tabasco

6 posted on 01/08/2014 10:18:30 AM PST by Red Badger (Proud member of the Zeta Omicron Tau Fraternity since 2004...................)
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To: Red Badger

Now, THAT one was worth a few minutes


7 posted on 01/08/2014 10:30:49 AM PST by knarf (I say things that are true .. I have no proof .. but they're true.)
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To: Red Badger; knarf
Very old joke about how do tortoises have sex.....

IN......................OUT.........................IN...........................OUT............................IN..................................OUT

8 posted on 01/08/2014 10:42:26 AM PST by ken5050 (This space available cheap...)
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To: ken5050

They do it like they do it on Discovery Channel...................


9 posted on 01/08/2014 10:59:06 AM PST by Red Badger (Proud member of the Zeta Omicron Tau Fraternity since 2004...................)
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To: Red Badger

If you want to see a small turtle come alive, put it in a small wading pool with some polliwogs.


10 posted on 01/08/2014 11:32:55 AM PST by aimhigh
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