homesecurity
Latest
Abode opens up pre-orders for its Outdoor Smart Camera
The company is expanding its DIY home security lineup.
Ring devices will soon work with Lutron's smart lighting systems
You can set your lights to turn on for a while when Ring devices detect movement.
The best home security system
By Rachel Cericola 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 home security systems. Peace of mind doesn't have to be pricey. Home security systems often require long contracts and pro installation, but there are smart systems you can install yourself that include a monitoring plan to keep tabs on it—and only when you want that. We found Ring Alarm to be the most affordable, comprehensive, and easy-to-use DIY home security system that has both self-monitoring and professional-monitoring options and doesn't lock you into a contract. Ring Alarm is the most comprehensive system we tested, with the most affordable monitoring plan we found. You can expand it with a variety of Ring security cameras, including indoor, outdoor, and video doorbell cameras. It also integrates with several third-party devices via the Works With Ring program, which includes brands such as First Alert, GE, Kwikset, Leviton, Schlage, Yale, and others, giving you more customization choices than other systems offer. It's also one of the few systems to provide both arming and disarming via Alexa voice commands with a four-digit PIN. Plus, you get 24/7 live customer service. SimpliSafe has a better-looking system than Ring, with voice prompts and support for Google Assistant as well as Amazon Alexa (but not Apple HomeKit). It also has add-ons such as a video camera, a doorbell camera, smoke alarms, and additional sensors. Unlike the Ring Alarm system, however, it doesn't offer outdoor cameras or self-monitoring options; you also can't add any non-SimpliSafe devices, and live customer service is available only from 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 a.m. Eastern.
Nest's security hub doubles as a Google Assistant device
You can already use Google Assistant to control a Nest Secure system, but the company is taking things one step further. From now on, the Guard hub at the heart of Secure can serve as a Google Assistant device. You can ask about the weather before you set the alarm without having to be in shouting distance of a dedicated smart speaker, for instance. Common features like Routines, reminders and smart home control will work as well.
Abode will add HomeKit to its new smart home hub
Brilliant isn't the only smart home hub creator hopping on the HomeKit bandwagon. Abode has revealed its Gen 2 gateway, and it's "100% committed" to bringing HomeKit support to the platform. More details will come "soon," the company said. However, this already makes it one of the more flexible hubs to date. It can already communicate with Amazon Alexa, Google Assistant and IFTTT, and it supports a raft of smart home devices using Z-Wave Plus, Zigbee and Abode's own abodeRF.
Kangaroo expands its line of affordable smart home security sensors
Smart home security is gaining traction, but it generally still comes at a price. Last year, however, startup company Kangaroo entered the market with its system of $30 peel-and-stick motion sensors and low-cost monitoring plans, designed to make security simple, accessible and affordable. Now, it's launching five new equally-affordable products to expand its repertoire and help its users take advantage of even beefier security.
Arlo unveils a home security system with Apple HomeKit support
Arlo is already known for its 4K security camera and doorbell, but for CES 2019, the company has launched a complete security system. The key component is a new multi-purpose sensor that can detect window and door breaches, motion, smoke, carbon monoxide, water leaks and more. The other pieces are a siren, remote control and hub that works with Arlo's various cameras, along with Zigbee and Z-Wave devices.
ADT's Command tablet is the new center of its home security system
The rise of smart home technology has opened up plenty of ways to build a home security system. ADT, a company that's been doing home monitoring for decades, is unveiling a new version of its security products that can tie in to a variety of other connected devices around your house. The center of the system is the new ADT Command panel, a 7-inch tablet that serves as the hub for your home security.
Engadget giveaway: Win a security package courtesy of Bitdefender!
Deliveries left out on your doorstep, nocturnal pet activities and network-connected devices open wide to the world for possible hacking or botnet conscription are just some of the reasons Bitdefender has provided this week's giveaway package. The company's Box 2 is at the center, essentially a dual-band router with a specialty in cybersecurity protection. The device can monitor your network traffic for dubious activity, provide a VPN for privacy and protect your devices from malware. Bitdefender's subscription service also provides Parental Control to safeguard children against cyberbullying and online predators. There are a host of ways this service can be a useful line of defense in an increasingly connected age, and once set up, you can worry less about them. All you need to do is head down to the Rafflecopter widget below for up to five chances at winning this package, which includes a Bitdefender Box 2 (with 1-year subscription), Blink 5-camera monitoring system and Ring Video Doorbell 2. Good luck! Winner: Congratulations to Jason H. of Gowen, MI! (TBC)
Arlo's new security camera has a 4K sensor and built-in spotlight
As if you needed more choices to think about when picking out a security camera, Arlo has a new option for you: the Arlo Ultra. The wireless camera features a 4K Ultra HD resolution sensor with high dynamic range (HDR) and comes with a built-in spotlight that can place a bright beam on anyone who moves in front of the device. The camera will run you at least $400 when it starts shipping sometime during the first quarter of 2019.
Schlage's new smart lock lets Amazon into your house
Locks are usually meant to keep people out of your house, but Schlage and Amazon are letting people in -- as long as they're dropping off a package for you. Schlage's new Zigbee-certified Connect Smart Deadbolt is the latest smart lock to work with with the Amazon Key service that allows packages to be dropped off inside your home.
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.
The new Ring Stick Up Cam works with Ring Alarm security system
Amazon is rolling out a bunch of new gadgets today, a few of which are focused on home security. Among those is a new Ring Stick Up Cam, which will come in both wired and battery-powered versions. It can be used indoors or outside, comes in black and white and will be able to work alongside the Ring Alarm security system when used indoors. These are the first cameras from Ring that are meant for indoor and outdoor use and they'll feature motion detection, 1080p HD resolution, night vision, two-way talk, a siren and a wide viewing angle. Users will be able to program them to start recording once Ring Alarm is triggered.
Alexa Guard makes your Echo a home security device
Amazon got into the home security game this year, first by buying Ring and then through the launch of full home security packages. As part of its massive Alexa event today, the company is announcing a new security feature that anyone with an Alexa device can take advantage of. It's called "guard mode," and it can be activated whenever you tell Alexa that you've left your house. It's made up of a few smart alerts, specifically when your Echo (or other Alexa speaker) hears the sound of breaking glass or detects an alarm from a smoke or CO2 detector. In any of those cases, it'll record a clip of the sound and send it to your phone so you are aware of the alert.
Swann sends home camera footage to the wrong person
Following a similar snafu in which Alexa sent a recording from one user to another, Swann Security could be in hot water after someone saw footage from a stranger's camera in their own app. The person who received the motion-triggered video was actually a BBC journalist who owns a similar camera.
Ring's home security system finally ships July 4th for $199
After navigating a lawsuit that put sales on hold, Ring is finally putting its home security system on sale. Ring Alarm includes a base station, motion sensor, door/window sensor, range extender and keypad in the $199 base package. You can augment your system with more motion ($30) and window and door sensors ($20) to cover your entire home if you like.
This mesh WiFi router can track motion to protect your family
Back at CEATEC in October, I came across Origin Wireless and its clever algorithm that can turn any WiFi mesh network into a simple home security plus well-being monitoring system, and that's without using cameras or wearables -- just plug and play. At the time, I saw a working demo that left me impressed, but here at Computex, the company has moved its setup to a real-life environment (a lovely hotel room high up in Taipei), and I was finally able to try its fall detection. Better yet, it turns out that Origin Wireless has already been working with Qualcomm to integrate its technology into the ASUS Lyra router, meaning we're one step closer to seeing these features outside the lab.
The Wyze Cam Pan offers robust security for just $30
There are plenty of connected cameras to record the goings-on in your home or office. But few offer as much value as the $20 WyzeCam. It packs a surprising amount of functionality into a tiny stationary frame. But for those who need more coverage from their camera, the company has a new model that can rotate 360 degrees and tilt its lens up and down. The Wyze Cam Pan costs only $30, making it a bit pricier than its predecessor but with a lot more capability.
Arlo's smart security light helps ward off nighttime intruders
Outdoor security cameras are all well and good, but what if you would like to scare intruders away in addition to recording their faces for posterity? Netgear's soon-to-be-stand-alone Arlo brand might have the answer. It just shipped a smart Security Light System that can both illuminate trespassers and switch on the company's cameras. You can tell the lights to change color or flash to be sure everyone knows there's a would-be burglar, and you can even use Alexa to control them without getting out of bed.
Amazon will install a full smart home security system for you
Amazon has been beefing up its home security business for quite some time now; earlier this year, it even purchased smart doorbell company Ring to take Google-owned Nest head on. Now, TechCrunch has discovered a portal on the company's Smart Home Services section offering full smart home packages. The five packages' prices cover in-home visits from experts, the smart home devices you want to install and their installation fee. Based on the information on the portal -- Amazon hasn't formally announced the service yet -- you'll only have to pay once. It has no monthly service fees some other providers charge.
