Smart security cameras

CAMERAS DO MORE THAN PROTECT YOUR PROPERTY, THEY’RE ALSO GREAT TIME SAVERS.

SECURITY CAMERAS USED to be exclusive to the rich and famous. Visitors would pull up to their fenced-off estate, state their business to the watchful camera, then drive up the winding pathway with CCTV cameras carefully monitoring their every move.

Your needs are a probably a little more modest than Lady Gaga’s, so you don’t have to spend thousands of dollars on a professional security rig. But you may be interested in something simple that can help you keep an eye on the kids when you’re not around, or check who’s lurking around your front door.

The recent arrival of ‘smart security cameras’ have made this kind of technology far more accessible to the everyday Australian. No fancy installations or electrical work required. For less than five hundred bucks, you can buy a single smart security camera off the shelf from your local electronics store that can be up and running in less than five minutes.

The latest batch of smart security cameras are remarkably versatile. Connecting wirelessly to your home’s Wi-Fi network, these cameras let you see a ‘live feed’ of the camera that you can check remotely from your phone. Built-in motion (and often sound) detectors can pick up on any unexpected activity and send your phone an instant notification while at the same time recording a video clip in case you need evidence to show the police.

These cameras are equally handy indoors and out, and the ultra-wide viewing angles mean one camera can typically monitor an entire room, front porch or backyard. Indoors, they can monitor for any break-ins while you’re at work or overnight, or keep an eye on the kids while you’re out or in another part of the house. Outdoors cameras can be used to communicate with couriers and other unexpected visitors, with most of the latest cameras including two-way audio communication.