UPDATED 11:41 EDT / OCTOBER 27 2015

NEWS

Cute names, serious security: Newest smart home cameras with IFTTT

There are two new smart security cameras that have recently debuted on Kickstarter PBC, and both are getting a lot of attention for very different reasons. One is touted as a truly autonomous smart home security system while the other one looks like a cute little critter, both offering formidable security measures.

Angee

Angee has been described by its creators as ‘Nest meets Echo’ as it is a smart home monitoring system that can be controlled using your voice as well as your mobile device. It is a cylindrical device that offers a 360º view and uses motions sensors so no one can hide from Angee’s watchful eyes. You can set Activity Zones which Angee will specifically watch over, but make no mistake, it will still monitor other areas of your home especially with the help of its additional security tags that you can place on doors and windows to monitor for movement or activities.

angee smart home security camera systemAngee has a built-in battery which lasts up to 10 hours, making it not only portable but allowing the device to function during a power outage. All the recorded media is stored in the cloud, but if your Wi-Fi goes out, you can rest assured that Angee will continue recording and store the footage locally and upload it to the cloud once connection has been reestablished.

Angee can also act as a communications hub so even if you’re out of the country, you can easily check on the people you love. It doesn’t just show you what’s happening as it is a two-way communications device. Plus it has night vision so no burglar or sneaky teenager will be able to get past it.

As mentioned above, Angee has a voice control feature, but this can also be used to authenticate people, acting as a two-factor authentication system. With the use of security tags, it will be able to arm or disarm Angee’s system based on your smartphone’s proximity. To toughen up security, Angee can use your voice to determine if it is really you at the door before disarming the system.

Utilizing IFTTT, a service that allows you to automate things around you by creating recipes for the Internet, you can have Angee working well with other connected devices at your home. When Angee detects that you have arrived, using IFTTT, it can automatically trigger say, your Philips Hue lights to come on or your Nest to adjust temperature to your preference.

You get notified of suspicious activities right on your smartphone or smartwatch, and you can check on-demand to see what’s happening in your home. The device is autonomous as it eliminates the need human interaction in arming and disarming the system, but relies on data gathered by motion and proximity sensors from the security tags and your smartphone being detected by the system to determine if someone is home and if that someone is supposed to be there or not. As for the data gathered, Angee uses military-grade security to prevent hackers from accessing it, and even the Angee team itself doesn’t have access to your data. The great thing about it? The service is free.

Angee still has more than two weeks before its Kickstarter campaign ends, but has already surpassed its funding goal.

Ulo

Ulo is a small monitoring camera that looks like an owl’s head (coincidentally, ulo in Filipino means head), complete with those big expressive eyes. The reason for putting big eyes on the device? Eye expression is said to be universal so Ulo’s reactions can be easily understood, no matter where you are.

UloThe top of Ulo is a capacitive touch button. When tapped once, it turns on the device. When tapped twice, it activates Alert Mode so when you go out of Wi-Fi range, Ulo’s eyes are turned off but records every moment in the form of animated GIFs and sends them via email.

The reflective beak is a two-way mirror and houses the camera and the motion sensors, while the bottom of the beak houses the mic. The two eyes are 1.22” LCD screens, and inside the Ulo is where the rechargeable battery, orientation sensor and Wi-Fi module are located.

Its battery lasts up to a week on Alert Mode but with eye expressions turned on, it only lasts two days and then you need to charge it. You can also leave Ulo plugged in if you want eye expressions to be always on and not be bothered with having to remember to charge the device.

Ulo is an indoor device that can be placed on any flat surface or hung on a wall using the adhesive neodymium magnet that comes with it.

Its eye expressions can be customized, but there are a few standards; when the battery is running low, the eyes become droopy, like it’s about to fall asleep, and the eyes squint when taking photos. The colors of the eyes can also be changed to reflect mood.

Ulo also works with other devices by utilizing IFTTT. If Ulo detects movement at night, it can trigger Hue lights to turn on, and when movement is detected it will take still photos and send them to your Dropbox. If you leave the house it automatically turns on the Alert Mode.

As for the security end, Ulo only stores a few minutes of videos locally and nothing is sent over a distant third-party server. Ulo acts as your own personal server but comes at no cost to the user. Data will only be sent to your device when needed. When you set up Ulo, the app will generate a QR code which you will then show to the Ulo device to authenticate connection. This authentication setup will be repeated every six months to ensure that connection remains secure.

Ulo aims to raise €199,000, but has managed to raise €45,840 with 38 more days to go.

Photo by elhombredenegro

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