We’ve come a long way from the days when our mothers warned us never to speak to strangers. Mom was right, of course. You can’t be too careful when interacting with someone you know nothing about. But in today’s increasingly virtually connected yet IRL-disconnected world, you can know nothing about your next-door neighbors and everything about a person you’ve only ever “seen” via avatar.
Social media and technology have changed our world into something that would have been unrecognizable even 10 years ago. We have “followers,” a term once equated with stalking. We open our lives to people we don’t know and will never meet. Unless one carefully filters and blocks posts and photographs, these online names and faces, which may or may not be realistically represented, will see our children, pets, parents, work spaces and homes. Meanwhile, the news is rife with daily headlines about break-ins, assaults and worse.
No one is suggesting you delete your accounts, turn your home into a fortress surrounded by an alligator-filled moat, and never emerge, but there is something to be said for the old adage “You can’t be too careful.” Considering how much time you spend on your phone — talking, texting, e-mailing, scheduling cam appointments, maintaining your calendar and updating your status — why not also put the device to good use for personal safety?
Home security can be as simple or as complex as you like. If you just want the basics, check out the Vivint Smart Home Skycontrol Panel. For only $49.99, the winner of PC Magazine’s Editors’ Choice 2017 gives you remote control of your door locks, cameras and sensors. The Smart Home is only one of many products Vivint offers. Visit the website to look at smart locks, doorbell cameras, indoor and outdoor cameras, and other ways to customize your system and fully control your home.
If you’re an iPhone and/or iPad user, look no farther than iTunes, where you’ll find the AtHome Camera app from Circlely Networks. AtHome claims to connect with more than 10 million devices to provide all forms of video monitoring and communication. Combine it with the AtHome Video Streamer to keep an eye on things when you’re away and receive instant alerts if there are problems.
If you’re looking to go high-end, check out the iSmartAlarm (pictured at the top of the page), an editors’ favorite at PC Magazine and on CNET. User-friendly, easy to set up and expandable, the iSmartAlarm requires no contracts or monthly fees and features motion sensors, cameras and alarms. Packages are available for all sizes and needs, from studio apartments to standard and large homes, doors, windows and perimeters.
When you think of home security, chances are you think of ADT. You’ve probably seen their commercials and ads, and you’ve seen their “home protected by” stickers in the windows of commercial and residential properties. ADT Pulse is the company’s remote home monitoring system, and of course it works from your smartphone, iPad or computer, allowing you to control locks and lights, view security camera feeds, open and close the garage door, and perform other automated services via the ADT app.
Learn more about mobile apps for home security and how to choose the one that’s right for you via SafeWise right here.
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Jenna Andre is a total gearhead who also appreciates the simpler things in life. Email her at Jenna.Andre@ynotcam.com.
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