Home Security Television Simulator Offers Alternative to Lights on Timers

Lights with timers are a pretty home security good idea, because they can fool burglars into thinking someone is home. Most burglars don't want to come face to face with homeowners, so they go for empty houses. If you want to take the I'm-not-home-but-it-looks-like-I-am set-up a little further, you could get a television simulator. "Unlike timers that just turn lights on and off, this device mimics the flickering glow of a television to dissuade burglars who may be sizing up potential homes for thievery. Its built-in microchip simulates the scene changes, fades, swells, and color shifts of a TV as perceived from outside using a bright multi-color LED display diffused with an opalescent lens." In case you're wondering why you would buy something like this instead of just connecting a timer to your regular TV and having that turn on, well, the simulator uses only 2% of the power of a regular boob tube, so there you go. $40 at Hammacher Schlemmer: