Chris Pirillo » security-camera

Monitor Your Home Remotely

Chris Pirillo — Fri, 15 Apr 2011 08:30:34 +0000

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My home is seriously secure. I know this because I have like a billion cameras pointed into every possible nook and cranny. Recently, I was going through a bout of insomnia and happened to catch some news that the security system I use – ADT – had a pretty cool new feature. I can enable or disable the entire system using an iPhone app! Hallelujah!

ADT Pulse gives you the ability to:

Arm and Disarm your home security system remotely.
Control and monitor your home�s thermostat and lights (allowing you to make your home more energy efficient).
Receive text message and email alerts for important events.
View live video of your home while you are away.

You have to be an ADT Pulse subscriber in order to use this app, which I happily paid for. I am gone out and about quite often. I love this extra peace of mind the app gives me. I can make sure doors and windows are closed with the tap of a button. I can turn the system off and on the same way, and I can spy on Wicket to make sure he isn’t getting into things he shouldn’t be.

I also started using another application within the past few days called Witness. You’ll again need to be signed up for an account. Witness turns your Mac system into a house alarm. It uses the iSight camera as a motion sensor. If any motions are detected, the app will send “mugshots” and video to your iPhone or iPad instantly. I’ve caught the dogs misbehaving more than once already.

The Witness Remote app will let you control the alarm system from a remote location using your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad. You can also use the app to check out any saved images and movies each time motion has been detected.

This application works very VERY well, and I’ve given them some ideas for future releases. Why purchase another camera for security when I already have one sitting right on my desk? Using this application adds another layer of peace to this brain of mine.

What home security solutions do you recommend?

Monitor Your Home Remotely

Lorex Baby Video Monitor Review

Chris Pirillo — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 14:49:58 +0000

Lorex Baby Video Monitor Review

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With Pixie so ill recently, I was happy that the folks at Lorex had passed along the Live “Snap” Video Monitor for me to review. I was able to keep an eye on her as she rested in another room. This little monitor is light and portable, and works VERY well.

The system comes with one camera but you can add up to four total cams. The unit comes with one base station and everything you need in order to keep an eye on your baby – even if that baby is a puppy. It’s compact and rechargeable and transmits wirelessly.

Store and share your video with microSD recording. It also has two-way audio, which is fantastic. I can hear what’s going on with Pixie… and she can hear me talk to her. That’s comforting for you and baby both, right? If baby (or pet!) is doing something particularly cute, you can touch one button to snap a picture.

The night vision mode works VERY well. Since Pixie’s eyes were injured, she had to be kept in low-light conditions. This camera made things much easier on us both.

Thanks again for passing along your get-well wishes for Pixie. She and I appreciate it a lot.

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Lorex Baby Video Monitor Review

Security Camera Systems for Home

Chris Pirillo — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 05:04:57 +0000

Security Camera Systems for Home

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The Vue is a wireless camera connected to my home network, thanks to the base station. The kit includes a base station and two wireless cameras. If you’re looking to add something like this to your home network, this is about easy as it gets. This was sent to me as a review unit, but I asked them how much it is for me to KEEP it. That’s how well this works!!

Essentially what I have is a personal video security network. Set up the base station, press a button on the cameras, and you’ve got the ability to see what’s going on inside your home. You can check this feed out from anywhere you are in the world, because the video can be accessed from anywhere. You can easily position Vue cameras anywhere with peel and stick magnetic mounts!

You can even share your feed if you like, by using your my.VueZone account. When you purchase the camera system, you’ll get 2 GB of storage and your first year FREE! You can even keep connecting devices to your base station… buy as many as you like, and add them anywhere in your home.

I asked the people at Avaak if there will be an iPhone App at any point, so that I can access my feeds on the go. I haven’t heard back from them yet, but I’m still holding on to hope! Having the ability to keep an eye on my home from anywhere in the world using my mobile device would be the ultimate icing on the proverbial cake.

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Security Camera Systems for Home

Which Wireless Security Cameras are the Best?

Chris Pirillo — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 00:30:50 +0000

Which Wireless Security Cameras are the Best?

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If you look at this little device, you’ll see it looks like a phone. It’s not, though. It’s picking up audio and video from the wireless signal in my bedroom. I can use this tool to pick up up to four of these little wireless cameras. I picked this up from Safety First. It’s marketed as a baby monitor, but it can be used for any time of home monitoring you may need.

The Safety 1st High-Def Digital Monitor provides a 100% clear connection anytime, anywhere. Its state of the art wideband audio clarity ensures no static, no interference, and guaranteed privacy while monitoring.

The battery doesn’t last very long, so I suggest using the AC adapter whenever available. I’m likely going to get three other devices for my home, so I can flip between all four. This way, I can keep an eye on who may be at one of the doors. Basically, I can keep an eye on any place in my home that I can’t physically be in at the time. This will give me more peace of mind, and help keep me focused on my work instead of having to run around the house to see why my dogs are barking.

The features include:

100% private, no static, no interference
Remote digital zoom and pan
DataLock technology means no dropped picture or sound
Indoor/outdoor range: 650+ ft.
Auto-night vision
Auto channel selector
Secure sound lights
Low battery/out of range indicators
Rechargeable parent unit with belt clip
Baby unit is battery operated or can be plugged in

This does not interfere with wireless networks. It has a belt clip so you can carry it around with you. If you’re looking for a wireless monitoring tool, every indication has been that Safety First has the premier setup. Don’t be fooled into thinking you have to have a baby or child in the house to buy one of these little setups for your home. If you want to feel more secure in your home, this will cover all your bases. It’s wireless, it’s affordable, and it’s expandable.

There you go – my initial review of the Safety First High-Def Digital Color Video Monitor is quite good. I am happy with my purchase of it, and I think you will be, as well.

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Which Wireless Security Cameras are the Best?