GADGET GURU
Save some cash on security
cams, keep track of your sleep and cater to your Flight
Sim whims
A Oh, sure. Amazon is becoming basically overrun with Chinese wireless cams, some as cheap as $30. But you’re not an idiot (or you might be, Guru isn’t here to judge) so you’ll realise that a budget security solution is basically the tech equivalent of buying cut-price toilet paper: it’s neither pleasant nor a particularly secure experience, and one which may just let human waste through.
GaGu would absolutely steer you towards a known brand that costs slightly more, be that the only-vaguely-known Kami (check out the chunky Wire Free Outdoor Camera, priced around $130) or Amazon-owned Blink (the XT2 is compact, with the required hub, and lasts for two years on a pair of AAs). Or even, y’know, going wired, which causes a bit more pain when installing but generally bags you cheaper, more reliable hardware that doesn’t require you to shimmy up a ladder for regular battery changes.
If he were truly steering you, Guru would take the bypass and park up in a higher bracket still. Where security is concerned, the little benefits of pricier cams take on a far higher value. The QHD resolution of the Arlo Pro 3 ($799) or even the full-on 4K of the Arlo Ultra 4K ($1,039) gets you far more admissible footage should you need to get a perp collared, for a start; lower cams have a cheeky way of overstating their resolution, using lesser sensors and upscaling them into a smeary mess. Arlo’s top-line cams are also both lightning-quick to fire up for live view. Decent battery, too.
A budget security solution is the tech equivalent of buying cutprice toilet paper: it’s neither a pleasant nor a secure experience