Keeping Your Home Safe

by Mike Elgan

Turn a Smart Phone Into a Security Camera One way to keep your home safe is to set up motion-detection security cameras. Unfortunately, these can be expensive, especially if you need them only once or twice a year. My favorite trick is to use old smart phones and tablets for a free and effective security system. All you need is a device capable of taking a picture, connecting to the Internet and running apps. If you're like some gadget enthusiasts, you've got a box full of them somewhere.

Here's how you do it. Download an app that will upload pictures when motion is detected. My favorite iOS app for this purpose is MDC Free (MDC stands for "motion detection camera"). It's easy to set up the app to upload any motion-detection photos to Facebook — but shared only with yourself. There are many apps in Google's Play Store for Android and Apple's App Store for iOS that you can choose from. Some send pictures via email. Others post them elsewhere. It's a good idea to download a few highly rated ones and try them out. Once you've got an app you like, change your phone's Auto-Lock feature (which turns off your phone after a certain number of minutes) to Never, so your phone doesn't go to sleep. Set up each iPhone, iPad or Android device you want to use so that it's plugged in and the camera is pointed at the room, door or area you want captured if someone comes in. Make sure you test it a few times. And you're done! While you're away, if anyone comes into your house, you'll not only be notified, but you'll have pictures of the crooks and evidence of their crime.

Lockitron - $179.00 » Control Your Door If you're going to be away for a while, you might want people to check on the house, feed the goldfish, water the plants, that sort of thing. But you might not want to be handing keys out to people. A nice alternative is the Lockitron door lock from Agipy. It functions like any other lock. The difference is that you can lock and unlock it remotely using an app, even if you're out of town. You can also send virtual "keys" over the Internet, allowing someone to unlock your door with a smart phone. Those keys can have expiration dates, so if you want someone to check the house only on Wednesday, the key won't work on Thursday. Likewise, if someone needs to enter your house for some unexpected purpose while you're away, you can use Lockitron to unlock your door remotely via the smart-phone app. Or you can send a key via SMS or email. Lockitron even has a knock sensor. If someone knocks on your door, you can receive a notification.

by christiestreet.com »

DoorBot - $189.00 » If crooks suspect you're not home, they'll often test that theory by simply ringing your doorbell to see if anyone answers. One new product, called the Edison Junior DoorBot, lets you answer the door even if you're on the other side of the world. When someone rings the bell, you'll get an alert on your phone. By using the smart-phone app, you can see who's there via the DoorBot's built-in camera and talk to them over your phone and through the DoorBot's speaker and microphone. By combining DoorBot with the Lockitron, you can see who's there, talk to the person and then let him or her in the house. Or, if it's someone you don't want in your house, the person will assume you're there because you're answering the doorbell over what appears to be an intercom system. Or you can call the police. Best of all, DoorBot could be a helpful addition to your front door even when you're not traveling. www.teambluesky.ca