What is the number one reason people want smart technology in their home? If you guessed convenience, you are wrong. Although an important factor, convenience was actually number two on the list. The number one reason is security. In this day and age people want to be able to keep an eye on their home, business, property or pets no matter if they are on vacation half way around the word or out to dinner down the street. One of the best devises to accomplish this is a good old-fashioned security camera. But there is actually nothing old fashioned about these smart cameras.
What are the main features of a smart camera?
You can watch your camera via your smart device no matter where in the world you are! Whether you are on vacation or at work, you can keep an eye on your home in super clear 1080p HD. You can get custom notifications whenever your camera detects a person (it knows the difference between a person and a thing) or if it hears a suspicious sound such as a crash. It records the video for you to review and keeps it for a minimum of several hours or up to 30 days with a subscription purchase. You can hear audio and talk into it as well. Whether you want to tell your dog to stop chewing up your shoes or alert a burglar they are on camera, you can do it! There are also advanced features including familiar face recognition, tracking and zoom capabilities.
Where can they be installed?
Anywhere you’d like! Indoors or Outdoors. Mounted on a wall, standing on a counter or mounted with a magnet. Basically, anywhere you’d like a camera, you can put one! And they are weatherproof and tamper-resistant.
What if I don’t want anything complicated?
These cameras are very simple to operate! They are plugged in so no need to worry about changing batteries and they are monitored and operated via an app on your phone or tablet. If you are tech savvy, you can play around with the app to figure out how it works and customize your notifications. If that seems daunting, you can find a certified pro to install your camera, set up the app and show you how user-friendly it is to operate.
Do I need to pay any additional fees?
The cameras will work perfectly without paying for anything additional. However, if you want access to some of the advanced features including familiar face recognition and the ability to have your video stored for longer than a few hours, you can upgrade to a subscription plan. The good news is that if you have 3 cameras, you only need one subscription.
What about security?
If you are concerned about the security around smart cameras, let us help put your mind at ease. Some clients are concerned about the smart technology in their home being hacked because they have heard a story about someone’s camera or baby monitor being hacked. In these cases, it was an external breach and not internal. What does that mean? It means that the cameras themselves were not hacked but rather the individual user was hacked. This can be easily prevented by using a strong password for your accounts (preferably one you don’t use for any other accounts), don’t give your password out to anyone and use two-step verification.
*The smart cameras used for this blog post are Google Nest Indoor and Outdoor Cameras. In The Lite is a certified Nest Pro and can install these for you or answer any questions. Wifi is required for these cameras.
If you have any questions or comments, contact Sasha at sasha@inthelitellc.com. As always, we hope we’ve made your day brighter!