Here’s Looking at You, Kid

A Spring Valley, N.Y., company specializing in surveillance is marketing a miniature audio-video recording system concealed in what looks like the base of a lamp.

The system, called Babywatch, is intended for concerned parents to monitor the behavior of their baby-sitters, said Rich Heilweil, vice president of Total Recall Corp., which sells the device.

The price is $2,599, or $199 for a three-day rental, Heilweil said.

Babywatch includes a small Sony Corp. black-and-white camera with a recorder-monitor unit in a wooden box 11 inches wide and 4 inches high. A lamp or vase can be placed atop to make it less conspicuous.

The device plugs into a standard wall outlet, records up to five hours of activity and can be played back on its own monitor.

Babywatch is meant to ensure peace of mind, Heilweil said. “It’s more to reassure yourself that everything you think is going right is going right.”