Device mounts in place of the common peephole and has LCD screen on the inside of the door. Z-Wave or ZigBee capabilities enable it to be incorporated into a connected-home system.
Michael Brown |
18 Oct |
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Some installations can be DIY projects, but anything involving the alarm system must be installed by a Comcast technician.
Michael Brown |
09 Oct |
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As is too often the case, my enthusiasm for the Myfox Home Security System--engendered by a 30-minute pre-launch demo--has waned following real-world testing in my home. Quality-control concerns let some air out of the balloon; discovering the system's limitations lowered my opinion a bit more. Myfox's innovative IntelliTag door/window sensor mostly lives up to the hype, but I quickly discovered that it has at least one major shortcoming.
Michael Brown |
05 Aug |
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One of Europe's leading home-security providers is coming across the pond in a big way. The 10-year-old French manufacturer Myfox today announced the availability of its Myfox Home Security System and Myfox Security Camera at Amazon, Home Depot, and other online and brick-and-mortar retailers. From what I saw during a hands-on demo last week, I'm comfortable saying Myfox's offerings are innovative and very different from what's on the market today.
Michael Brown |
26 Jun |
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There are pluses and minuses to contracting with a connected-home/home-security provider such as Vivint. On the bright side, you get professional installation as part of the package; and if anything goes awry, you simply call customer service and they'll help you resolve the problem or dispatch a tech to handle it. On the downside, you're limited to the products and services the company deigns to offer.
Michael Brown |
20 May |
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You probably have antivirus and anti-malware software protecting your Mac or PC. And you probably curse every time you're prompted to download and install the latest updates, or are reminded to scan your hard drive--especially if you have more than one computer on your network. What about your household's smartphones and tablets? Have you installed similar protection on them? What's protecting your home-security cameras from online attack? Your smart TV? Your connected thermostat?
Michael Brown |
17 Apr |
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Mention Flir Systems to a security aficionado or a defense-industry watcher, and they'll probably mention thermal imaging, the technology that lets you see where the bad guys are--or where they've been--based on their body heat. Today Flir announced its entry into the increasingly crowded home security camera business with the Flir FX. While we're disappointed to report that the Flir FX isn't capable of thermal imaging, Flir has come up with a trick that could be even more useful when you're looking for evidence of a crime.
Michael Brown |
08 Apr |
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If you're a longtime customer of an independent home-security firm, there's a good chance your system's control panel will soon need a major upgrade. That's because companies such as AT&T, Verizon, and others are gradually shutting down their 2G cellular networks to make room for faster and more efficient 3G and 4G networks.
Michael Brown |
25 Mar |
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Home buyers are becoming increasingly interested in properties with smart-home features, and more of these types of homes are coming onto the market. But most real-estate agents don't think sellers should add such features before listing their homes, and few think they make homes sell faster.
Michael Brown |
11 Mar |
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If you want to see a reporter's eyes roll, open your product pitch by saying your new widget is a "[insert name of longtime category leader here] killer." So my eyes rolled hard when Panasonic's PR representative told me the company would announce a "Dropcam killer" at Mobile World Congress this year.
Michael Brown |
03 Mar |
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EngGenius Technologies took the wraps off several new outdoor networking products on Monday, including two long-range 802.11ac access points and two inexpensive, high-definition Wi-Fi surveillance systems. The latter bundle a night-vision camera with a wireless access point that delivers exceptionally long range: up to five miles with clear line of sight.
Michael Brown |
24 Feb |
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By its name alone, you might think First Alert's new Onelink series of home-safety products at least shared a common app, even if they weren't integrated into a single system. You'd be mistaken.
Michael Brown |
09 Jan |
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Who'd have guessed there were so many ways to interact with a thermostat and a smoke detector? Nest Labs, the Google division responsible for developing the Nest Learning Thermostat and the Nest Protect smoke and carbon-monoxide detector, announced more than 15 new "Works with Nest" integrations at CES today. The devices range from smart door locks, to lighting controls, sleep monitors, and even IP telephones.
Michael Brown |
05 Jan |
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The peephole is a brilliant low-tech invention that lets you see who's at your front door without having to open it. But it requires you to put your eye right up to the hole, putting you in very close proximity to the person on the other side.
Michael Brown |
03 Dec |
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D-Link is targeting the DIY crowd with its cloud-based connected-home platform, which includes very basic lighting control, a motion detector, a limited number of its IP cameras, and mobile apps for programming and control. But this system has a long way to go before I can recommend it as the foundation of anyone's smart home.
Michael Brown |
30 Sep |
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