Amazon Ring has announced a new home security camera that can virtually let you walk around the house when you're not around. Ring Always Home Cam is mounted on a sort of drone that can fly on a preset path to check for intruders, open windows or ovens left on. Is it worth it or could it be a problem?
Amazon Ring: A few years ago it started as a simple video doorbell, it has become a real home security empire. In the US, there are Ring cameras for indoors and outdoors, peepholes, alarm systems, even panic buttons. But no matter how many cameras you have looking at your home and yard, you'll always miss a point. To fill that gap, Ring has now unveiled the Always Home Cam.
A stupid name for a clever idea
In essence Ring Always Home Cam is a camera mounted on a small drone, which can buzz around your house to check for intruders or more mundane things like windows left open or lights left on. Last January I told you about a similar product coming to the outdoors, Bee. Amazon did it first and better, in my opinion. Users can watch via the Ring app wherever they are. The drone can then be paired with the Ring Alarm system so it can investigate when something triggers the alarm.
Obviously, this idea raises a few eyebrows (one of mine, because that's who I am: a little and a little). Ring, of course, assures everyone that a privacy catastrophe is not about to happen. For one thing, users must set flight paths in advance, and the Ring Always Home Cam can't be controlled manually, limiting the view any potential hacker gets. Have I seen too many films myself, or is it not certain that a hacker will not be able to hijack this thing where he wants?
When the drone is in its housing, the camera is physically locked. Don't worry, then: that little eye without lids doesn't peek. Perhaps. For Hitchcock lovers: no, it's not a cross between "Birds" and "Psycho", it won't surprise you in the shower. Or at least you will hear it coming, because it is quite noisy in flight.
Ring Always Home Cam, the guardian drone of the house
The most important function in the end is the one you have under your eyes: it is a drone designed to fly in an enclosed environment. Not cheap things. The propellers are covered, does not fear shocks and has an integrated technology that makes it avoid obstacles. Even when they are people.
Even the biggest possible problem is under our eyes. Think about it for a second: Ring recently signed partnership with police forces in some US cities. Under certain circumstances, the company can give access to people's private video and audio streams recorded by their Ring devices. Of course, the company insists on the fact that users will always have to give permission before their data is shared, but this "flying eye" observing at home is a bit like Big Brother. And a bit of Brunga too, for those who remember the Japanese cartoon Chobin (boing boing boing).
