Keep an eye on the road with clever dash cam
Reco Smart Car Cam €210, ASUS
Cameras are everywhere. On the streets, in our homes and on our phones. I’ve noticed an increasing number of cyclists even, wearing helmet-mounted cameras as they weave through rush-hour traffic. In Russia and Asia, dash-mounted cameras are growing increasingly popular with motorists who hope they’ll help indicate who might have done what if there is a collision.
I tried one such device from ASUS, a premium version of its dash-cam that also doubles as a portable action camera, the Reco Smart Car Cam. Unpacking the Reco Smart reveals the small, round camera that feels well-built, a camera car-holder, a dual-car charger and long USB cable for the charger.
The camera itself is small and unobtrusive at around 6cm across which helps ensure it doesn’t interfere with your view of the road. The device supports a 32GB SD card which should let you record almost seven hours of continuous driving footage. This is a smart camera, so to get the best out of it, I downloaded the Reco app from the iOS App Store. However, if I had been using an Android phone with NFC, a simple tap with the phone on the camera starts the set-up process by downloading the app instantly.
Straight away, by tapping this extensive app’s preview button I was able to see the live streaming video from the camera on my phone’s screen. I set the camera to Car Mode and to Auto Record using the app, meaning it started to record as soon as the car moved. It’s also possible to record audio from the car interior which I disabled with a swipe.
The camera’s mounting bracket holds the camera very firmly in place and as I moved off, it began to record video from the car.
Reviewing the captured footage on the app revealed the quality of the camera. The Reco has a Sony CMOS sensor and shoots really crisp HD video, even in low light.
And if you find yourself parking in an isolated spot there’s a useful Parking Monitor Mode. The camera sleeps, but if it detects movement outside your car, it starts to record and will continue to do so until the movement outside has been stopped for a minute.
The camera doubles as an action cam if you detach it from the car but the Reco Smart’s forte is as a dash-cam. The ASUS cloud can also be used to store recorded videos, illustrating just how much the standard dash-cam concept has evolved. It really is like having an extra set of eyes on the road.
In Parking Mode, the camera sleeps but starts recording when it detects movement