Book Image

Raspberry Pi for Secret Agents - Third Edition

Book Image

Raspberry Pi for Secret Agents - Third Edition

Overview of this book

This book is for all mischievous Raspberry Pi owners who’d like to see their computer transform into a neat spy gadget to be used in a series of practical pranks and projects. No previous skills are required to follow along, and if you’re completely new to Linux, you’ll pick up much of the basics for free. We’ll help you set up your Raspberry Pi Zero, Raspberry Pi 2 and Raspberry Pi 3 and guide you through a number of pranks and secret agent techniques that are so inconspicuous yet high on mischief. You’ll learn how to configure your operating system for maximum mischief and start exploring audio, video, or Wi-Fi techniques. We’ll show you how to record, listen, or talk to people from a distance and how to set up your own phone network. Then, you’ll plug in your webcam and set up a motion detector with an alarm and find out what the other computers on your Wi-Fi network are up to. Once you’ve mastered the techniques, we’ll combine them with a battery pack and GPS for the ultimate off-road spy kit.
Table of Contents (7 chapters)

Chapter 3. Webcam and Video Wizardry

Aha, good! Still with us, our sly grasshopper is! For our second day of spy class, we'll switch our gear of perception from sound to sight.

You're going to learn how to get the most out of your USB webcam or official Raspberry Pi camera module, secure your perimeter, and then end it on a high note with some mindless mischief. Specifically, we will:

  • Take a look at the official Raspberry Pi Camera Module and how to connect it
  • Use the camera module to take video and still images
  • Connect webcams to the USB port, and capture video and still images
  • Build a video surveillance and capture system with built-in motion detection
  • Expand the video surveillance to support multiple cameras and remotely monitor it over the Internet
  • Build a wearable covert video recording device using the Pi Zero
  • Switch your TV on and off with scripts using the HDMI connection