doorbell
Latest
Amazon confirms police can keep Ring doorbell videos forever
Video doorbell company Ring is facing heat from lawmakers and privacy advocates after it revealed authorities are able to keep homeowners' videos forever, and can share them with whomever they want.
Google is putting the Pixel 4 and Stadia on sale for Black Friday
Black Friday is just around the corner, and Google is sharing a sneak peek of the sales it will offer. We've rounded up the tech deals to look out for. Most start on November 28th, but a few sales will go live on November 24th.
Google adds seasonal Nest doorbell ringers in time for Halloween
If you're the type of person who goes all out each Halloween decorating your home to make it the star of the neighborhood, Google wants to help. Starting today, the company is updating Nest Hello video doorbells to add a new seasonal ringtone to help create the right atmosphere for the spookiest day of the year.
Arlo's first video doorbell provides an extra-clear view of your porch
Arlo is jumping into the video doorbell arena just a year after releasing its first smart doorbell, and it's claiming to one-up rivals with some hard-to-find features. The simply-named Arlo Video Doorbell captures footage in an unusual (for doorbells) square aspect ratio, giving you a clearer view of your front porch than many rivals. You can see a visitor's entire body, or get a better look at the package they just left at your doorstep.
Google will offer whole-home Nest Aware subscription plans
Google's Nest Aware subscription plans let users record what's happening and get alerts from their Nest Cams and Nest Hello doorbells. Until now, you've had to add a subscription for each additional camera. Today, Google announced that it's simplifying things a bit. Beginning early next year, it will introduce whole-home subscriptions.
Get a free Echo Show when you buy a Ring Video Doorbell
If you've been thinking about adding a smart doorbell to your home, then Amazon's latest deal may tempt you. The company is currently offering a free Echo Show 5 smart display to people who buy a Ring Video Doorbell 2 or Video Doorbell Pro through Amazon.com. Prime subscribers can save an additional $40 off the Video Doorbell 2 and $50 off the Video Doorbell Pro, making them $159 and $199 respectively. Otherwise, the two devices will set you back $199 and $249. The Echo Show 5, meanwhile, currently costs $89.99.
Amazon's Ring reveals where it's partnering with law enforcement
Amazon's Ring security service now works with 405 law enforcement agencies across the US. Today, Ring released a map showing every police department it's partnered with, as well as details on when each partnership began. The hundreds of departments listed have access to Ring's Neighbors Portal, which allows them to request footage from Ring's video doorbells.
Google's Nest doorbell knows when your packages arrive
It can be nerve-wracking if you're waiting for a package to reach home -- just because you received a "delivered" alert doesn't mean it'll be where you wanted it, or that it'll still be there when you get to your door. Google may ease your worries after today. It's rolling out package detection to all Nest Hello doorbell owners in the US with Nest Aware subscriptions. You'll get an alert when a box reaches your doorstep, and another when someone (hopefully a person in your household) picks it up. You can specify activity zones if you know there's a preferred drop-off spot, such as one side of your front porch.
Amazon’s Ring could finally get HomeKit support
The wait for Amazon's Ring video doorbell to integrate with Apple's HomeKit could soon be over. Ring has long promised HomeKit support, but it's faced repeated delays. Now, it looks like Ring's Video Doorbell Pro and Spotlight Cam have earned HomeKit certification. A Twitter user spotted the change on Apple's MFi licensing page.
August halts sales of View doorbell over WiFi problems
August's View doorbell hasn't had a stellar launch. The smart home company is "pausing" shipments of the View after reports of "performance challenges" in certain households. While it didn't say what those issues were, The Ambient noted that the View frequently disconnected from WiFi, rendering its camera less than useful for keeping watch over your front door. August vowed to use the shipping freeze to gauge feedback and make "critical improvements" to the smart doorbell.
The best smart doorbell camera
By Rachel Cericola, Jon Chase and Stacey Higginbotham This post was done in partnership with Wirecutter. When readers choose to buy Wirecutter's independently chosen editorial picks, Wirecutter and Engadget may earn affiliate commission. Read the full guide to smart doorbell camera here. If you want to see who's on the other side of your door without having to get up and look yourself, then the Ring Video Doorbell 2 is the best choice for most everyone. It lets you screen (and record) visitors and keep an eye out for package deliveries. Motion and ring alerts to a smartphone are typically fast, audio and 1080p video are clear, and the Ring 2 can be powered by either standard doorbell wiring or a removable rechargeable battery. The Ring Video Doorbell 2 performs like a cross between a modestly aggressive guard dog and a trusty digital butler. In addition to notifying you—audibly and via smartphone—of activity, it records all motion events to the cloud, letting you view those recordings (as well as live video) on your phone or computer any time. It's also compatible with a good number of smart-home devices, platforms, and monitored security systems. Though video recording and storage require a subscription, the $30 annual fee (a mere 8¢ per day) for 60 days of unlimited video storage is downright cheap compared with the competition. We like the Ring Video Doorbell Pro for all the reasons we like the Ring 2. Additionally, it has a much slimmer and sleeker design that will fit in more doorframes and includes the option for customized motion-detection zones. However, it's more expensive and requires a hardwired connection to your home's doorbell system in order to function—its slimness comes from dropping the Ring 2's battery pack. The only other difference is that it uses video analysis for motion detection in addition to infrared. This means you're less likely to get bothered by false triggers from waving tree branches and shadows. Nest's Hello is the slimmest and most advanced DIY doorbell cam we've tested and the one to get if security is your primary concern. Unlike most smart doorbells, it records and stores video 24/7. (Ring doorbells only record when motion is detected.) For easy access, Nest's cloud service also automatically tags clips that include motion or people, using facial recognition software to learn and identify who is coming and going—although in our testing this feature wasn't very reliable. This comprehensive approach comes with an elevated price, however: A Nest Aware subscription, which is essential for video recording, costs $5 a month to store five days of video for a single camera, $10 for 10 days, and $30 per month for 30 days—placing it in line with the cost of home-security services. The audio quality and 720p video of the original Ring Video Doorbell are noticeably worse than what you get from the Ring 2 and Nest Aware—it's fine for monitoring your door but less useful for security. However, it costs about half the price of those doorbells, and it still has the basic features that any connected doorbell should have, including motion detection, video and audio recording, and the option to see (from your smartphone or tablet) a live view of who's at your door, day or night. And because it can run on batteries, it's easy for renters to install, though recharging is a hassle, and notifications are slightly slower on battery power. Like the Ring 2, it requires a $30 yearly subscription to store videos for later viewing.
August's new battery-powered smart doorbell has a 1440p camera
After smart home security company August was acquired by Assa Abloy (smartlock outfit Yale's parent company) back in 2017, many assumed the business would disappear in a consolidation of the smart lock market. But now, over a year since the August brand released new hardware, it's back with a new wireless doorbell camera called the August View.
Netatmo unveils the first HomeKit-friendly video doorbell
Apple's HomeKit doesn't have a wide range of device support, but that's changing very shortly. Netatmo has unveiled the Smart Video Doorbell, which it says is the first doorbell to support HomeKit. You can view it through the Home app, or ask Siri to show you the doorbell when someone's waiting outside. And yes, it'll integrate nicely with your other devices -- you can turn on the porch lights the moment the device spots someone at the front door.
SimpliSafe monitors the outdoors with its first video doorbell
There is already no shortage of options for smart doorbells, and now you can add SimpliSafe's Video Doorbell Pro to the list. The device marks the security firm's first venture into home security outside of the house.
Ring doorbell flaw lets others watch after password changes (updated)
You'd expect a smart doorbell to instantly boot out everyone the moment you change your password, but that isn't necessarily the case. The Information has learned that the app for Ring's video doorbell wasn't forcing users to sign-in after password changes, regardless of how much time had elapsed -- in one case, an ex-partner had been watching the camera for months. Ring said it started kicking people out in January, after receiving word of the incident, but that window of opportunity still lasted several hours in an Information test.
Google sponsorship will cut ad time on Stephen Colbert's 'Late Show'
Google is determined to drum up attention for Nest's Hello video doorbell, and it's going about it in an unusual way: by taking over a commercial break. When The Late Show with Stephen Colbert airs on March 27th (that's tonight if you're reading in time), CBS will replace one of the usual ad breaks with a "More Show presented by Google's Nest Hello video doorbell." It's the first takeover in the show's history, CBS said.
August's smart doorbells now include 24 hours of video recording
Video doorbells are great for spotting visitors, but their live footage only goes so far. What if you don't pay extra for cloud storage and miss an important guest, or (perish the thought) a burglar? With August, at least, that shouldn't be an issue -- it's giving 24 hours of free cloud video to Doorbell Cam and Doorbell Cam Pro owners. This won't help much if you go on a vacation or need to keep footage for evidence's sake, but it could help you catch a lazy courier or give police a snapshot to work with.
Amazon acquires Ring's smart doorbell business
If it wasn't already evident that Amazon wants a stronger foothold in the smart home space, it is now. Amazon has acquired Ring, the device maker best known for its smart doorbells. The terms of the deal aren't clear, but it's expected that Amazon will keep the core Ring business intact while finding ways to integrate its work into the Amazon ecosystem. Ring already supports Alexa voice control, so we'd expect more than just obvious tie-ins.
August's latest smart locks warn if you left the door open
If you've lived on this planet long enough, you've probably had that moment where you thought you'd closed the door on your way out, only to find out that it didn't quite shut. But how are you supposed to know if no one's at home to tell you, and even many smart locks won't fill in the gap? August Home thinks it has the answer. It's introducing two new locks, a lower-cost August Smart Lock (shown at center) and the August Smart Lock Pro (at left), that include a sensor to determine whether or not the door is really closed. If it's ajar and the deadbolt didn't engage, you can find out through your phone instead of having to return home.
Nest said to be working on home security and a low-cost thermostat
Notice how Nest hasn't had any truly new products lately? If you believe insider accounts, it's no coincidence -- management troubles, and the struggle to develop a home security system, left it with little to show. However, it now looks like it's back on track... and then some. A Bloomberg source claims that Nest has multiple new products in the works, headlined by a reborn security system. The "end-to-end" design would include a central hub with a keypad, alarm sensors and a quick control fob. That doesn't sound too unusual, but it'd pair with a mobile app that lets you greenlight access for specific people, such as a friend checking in on your pets. The security setup is reportedly due to ship this year.
