Not all that many years ago, when homeowners set out to make their homes safer for those who lived in them, they bought battery-operated sensors to bolt on the front door and maybe a big dog to act as a sentry. A properly trained security dog still isn’t a bad idea, but as far as gadgets go, high-tech home security has risen to brand new heights.
Thanks to wireless technology and the ability of smartphones, tablets and computers to control a wide range of security devices remotely, a person today can go about setting up a truly customized and highly efficient home security system that does a whole lot more than shriek when somebody opens the front door. Here’s a brief overview of four interesting high-tech security products.
The Canary Home Security System, due for release in July 2014, somewhat resembles a small stereo speaker or miniature air purifier. But in fact it’s a 24-hour-a-day home monitoring device that connects through Wi-Fi and is controlled by a mobile app. It provides real-time and recorded video and alerts to the possibility of a just-opened door or window by sensing a change in the indoor temperature and humidity. Units can be placed at strategic points throughout the home.
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One of the most functional door locks on the market is the August Smart Lock, fitted with Bluetooth technology to allow your computer or phone to fully manage it. You can “tell” the lock who to let in (and, thereby, who to keep out), and it all works with no codes or keys. Family members can be allowed in around the clock, where an electrician or plumber might have access just for an afternoon. There are other great features including a battery backup, which keeps the system running should your Wi-Fi go down.
Going a step further than Canary, the Amaryllo iCam HD Home Security System is a collection of fashionable cube-like devices that act as video and audio security monitors and also make excellent baby monitors. You interact with the Skype-powered Amaryllo through a smartphone or PC. A microphone allows you to hear whatever is going on near each unit, which you can remotely rotate 360 degrees, bringing into sight everything within about a 15-foot radius.
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The Piper Home Security System is controlled from a smartphone or tablet and allows for wide-angle zoom video monitoring and features sensors that detect changes in the environment and air temperature. Resembling at first glance a small speaker with woofer and tweeter, the system runs on Wi-Fi and the units can be placed on surfaces or wall-mounted. A useful feature is motion sensors that are designed not to alert every time a dog enjoys an ambitious back-scratch on the rug or when a cat dive-bombs an imaginary mouse.
These are just a few of the many new home security products that are showing up on the market. By employing common connectivity platforms, they make monitoring and safeguarding your home, its residents and its contents easier and more efficient than ever. But don’t completely overlook the protection dog, whose big bark inside a door rates extremely high on the deterrent scale.
