Video Doorbells and Smart Locks Beefing up Home Security at CES 2019

Amazon-backed smart home company Ring has launched the Door View Cam at CES 2019. Ring claims it’s a ‘doorbell for every home’, and so it is. Frankly because it fits right into the existing peephole slot of your door and doesn’t require any additional cabling and installation.

Ring Door View Cam is just like any other video doorbell intrinsically, but what makes is stand apart is the ease with which it can be installed. Just remove the existing door peephole, install the View Cam on either side of the door in place of the door viewer, put in the rechargeable batteries – Voilà, the Ring View Cam is all set to roll.

It’s evident by now that the View Cam can be used in any door with a peephole. This makes it a perfect security device for the entrance of rented accommodations since tenants can install the View Cam without any extra installation that landlord may hesitate to allow.Read More

Netatmo, a French company specializing in connected objects, is introducing a Smart Video Doorbell at CES 2019, which with its robust design, wireless prowess and unmatched video camera is a close rival to all surveillance devices with Apple bias. The Netatmo Smart Video Doorbell is first-of-its-kind doorbell compatible with the Apple HomeKit and can be voice controlled using Siri and Apple Home.

Featuring a 1080p HDR camera with a 160-degree wide-angle lens in its core, the smart doorbell is packed in a weather resistant casing and has a two-way speaker to allow homeowners to communicate with the people at the door.

Accompanied by a Netatmo Security app, the video doorbell can send alerts to the phone or any other device with the app installed. The doorbell is very easy to install since it doesn’t require any fancy wired connections; it is compatible with standard electrical installations.

Unlike some of the other video doorbells unveiling at the CES, the Netatmo smart video doorbell comes with internal storage to store all video footages captured by the doorbell. This means, there is no additional liability of subscription fee and additional costs that other doorbell manufacturers charge for storing footages on cloud. Read More

A company called Altro will be introducing a smart lock that combines a keyless lock and video doorbell in one at CES 2019. Dubbed the Altro Smart Lock this in addition to offering keyless control will also function as a video doorbell that will let you talk with people at the door.  The smart lock features a number pad that you’d be required to punch into to gain access. Additionally, it also syncs with local Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to allow controlling it remotely.

Interestingly, the Altro Smart Lock can also be operated using voice commands via Alexa and Google Assistant. 

Altro Smart Lock informs of someone’s arrival at the door with an alert on a paired phone. You can then pull up the video feed from its dedicated app to see who is at the door and talk to the person(s) if you may. The smart lock records a video footage every time its detects activity and stores it on cloud (the doorbell doesn’t support an SD card)

Scheduled to ship to homeowner next month for $349, it may not seem too affordable for many. But if you consider the price of a smart lock and a video doorbell separately, you’d end-up totaling upward of the Altro Smart Lock’s asking price.Read More

At CES 2019, California-based tech startup Deep Sentinel will showcase new Home Surveillance System that depends on a real “video surveillance team” to keep an eye on burglars or intruders remotely. The security system uses connected cameras to keep an eye on your home 24/7. The basic system consists of three wireless 1080p full HD cameras with night vision, PIR motion sensing, and 130-degree lenses.

The cameras come with four rechargeable batteries, a smart hub connecting all the cameras, three wall mounts, a yard sign, and decals to remind potential thieves that they are being monitored.

Besides keeping an eye on your home, the LiveSentinel virtual surveillance guards can easily tell the difference between potential intruders and other activities – thanks to “advanced deep learning Artificial Intelligence”. Instead of relying on the algorithms to tell if something requires a closer look, they directly contact emergency services or police, in case of a security breach.

The cutting-edge AI technology allows this new home security system to predict situations that may lead to burglaries, break-ins, package thefts, and other potential dangers. Deep Sentinel guards can even speak to a potential intruder via the cameras’ two-way intercom. The cameras are waterproof and have integrated 104-decibel sirens and strobe lights.

According to Deep Sentinel CEO, David Selinger, this sort of surveillance service does not exist. Other home security systems are able to respond to sensors, but this new system can interact with the incidents and detect the real crime moves by the AI.

The built-in smart hub further saves the recorded video locally and has a roughly six-month storage capacity, although it varies based on the activity around your home.

The Deep Sentinel home security system is priced at US $399, moreover, the company’s service costs $50 per month with a one-year commitment.Read More

Tuya Smart is scheduled to launch a video doorbell (the name is not confirmed yet) at CES 2019, which will employ artificial intelligence and facial recognition to identify members of a family based a single image of each person. Not much information is available about the AI-enabled video doorbell that would use facial recognition technology, but we learn that this is one device in the company’s ambitious Smart Home 2.0 line of smart home security devices comprising ten products.

Tuya Smart has however hinted that its security device will recognize when an unidentified person is detected in the vicinity. It will take action on its own and begin playing music or switch on the lights to alert homeowners.

The doorbell Tuya informs will pair with alarms, sensor and will take voice commands from Amazon Alexa and Google Home that makes it stand out in the crowd of surveillance devices and video doorbells to make rounds at the CES 2019.  Read More

At the CES 2019, you can catch a glimpse of the US:E smart lock which comes in two variants – a lock with 3D facial recognition and another with fingerprint scanner. Already gaining traction on Kickstarter, the US:E smart lock has the same name for both models, which could change when it’s shipped in May this year.

US:E smart lock features a German B-grade lock cylinder and has a zinc alloy body. According to Elecpro Group, the lock can withstand up to 350,000 open and close cycles.

US:E smart lock that unlocks with face recognition allows users to store 50 faces per lock and has a built-in camera with infrared multipoint 3D recognition which cannot be duped with a photo, the company claims. The model that opens with a fingerprint can save up to 10 fingerprint IDs.

In addition to the core unlock modes – facial recognition and fingerprint scanning – the US:E smart locks can be locked or unlocked in many other ways. Both models can be opened with a physical key, a key fob, using a smartphone, fingerprint scanning, with a password and using the built-in camera.

The list price for fingerprint scanning version is $219 and for the facial recognition lock is $339. You can even score a deal by backing the smart lock on Kickstarter – early bird price – $149 for the password version and $199 for the facial recognition lock.Read More

Hayward, California based manufacturer Maximus is bringing one-of-its-kind dual camera video doorbell to CES 2019. Called the Answer the dual camera video doorbell uses two cameras to capture a wider field of view. This helps eliminate top and bottom blind spots that are a handicap with almost all video doorbells on the market that generally have a single camera. 

This easy-to-install smart home security device features a pair of 1080p HDR cameras, each with 155-degree viewing angle. It also has a front facing speaker, which enables two-way communication. In addition to let you speak with the person at the door, the built-in speaker also allows you to play custom messages and greetings to the guests.

Maximus informs that Answer video doorbell consumes less power and connects faster to the internet as compared to other doorbells with similar prowess.

Answer comes with a dedicated Kuna app that plays notification, sound alarm, allows users to see and speak with visitors, and even dial 911 in the case of an emergency. Read More

After its success with smart smoke detectors and connected devices, First Alert has introduced a smart video doorbell called Onelink Bell at CES 2019. Entering the new market with a bang, the First Alert Onelink Bell video doorbell features a 1080p HDR camera that has a super, 180-degree lens – a wide angle you wanted your doorbell to achieve.   

First Alert Onelink Bell camera also supports night vision and has a two-way speaker that lets you speak with the person at the door from the comfort of your couch or from your hotel room in the other side of the world.

Cross compatible with First Alert’s own Onelink Safe & Sound – a smoke and carbon monoxide detector with microphone and speaker – which homeowner can use to communicate with the doorbell. Yes, you can speak with the Onelink Bell using the Onelink Safe & Sound.

The Onelink Bell smart doorbell is also compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant. There is no word on its price and availability yet.Read More

Dave Zatz, an expert technology reviewer has spotted an image of August View Doorbell which will be revealed at the CES 2019. The redesigned doorbell takes a detour from the clunky square design of its predecessor – it has a sleek rectangular design which looks more appealing. Obviously, the smart doorbell is going to have video capabilities but it remains to be seen whether it will have the much-needed features of locking and unlocking doors without the need for a standalone smart lock.

For now, there is just an image of the August View video doorbell which surprisingly reminds us of the Ring Smart Video doorbell. Chances are that the August doorbell is going to be pitted against Ring doorbell which is priced very competitively.Read More