The Infiray P2 Pro thermal camera is a tiny but powerful device that connects to your smartphone and lets you see the heat signatures of objects and creatures around you. At 9g and 18mm x 27mm x 9.8mm, it is the world’s smallest thermal camera and, despite this, boasts some impressive stats. Its 256×192 pixel resolution is excellent at this price range and beats some competitors at higher prices.
Eight years ago, I reviewed the Ring Video Doorbell. This was such a new product category at the time that I wrote, “knowing who’s standing at your door when you are or aren’t at home is a pretty handy superpower.” Honestly, I still think that’s true. The all-new Ring Battery Doorbell Plus is the brand’s most significant update to its battery doorbell lineup yet, and one of the features being touted is battery life that can last up to three times longer than that first-gen Ring Video Doorbell I reviewed, but that’s just the start.
Before Covid, I rarely used webcams. Calls requiring my video presence weren’t part of my normal day-to-day, but that’s no longer the case. Video conference calls have become my new normal, and that’s why the Lumina webcam seemed like a perfect fit when I was offered a review unit. Lumina is a tiny, premium webcam that claims to provide adaptive color correction, a realistic depth of field effect, and AI features — including adjustable bokeh and cameraman effects — so you’ll always look your best. Intrigued? Read on.
My first Escort radar detector was a boxy black contraption that had a volume dial, analog radar signal strength meter, highway/city toggle switch, and an alert light on its front … and that’s it. Thirty-six years later, I’ve got the Escort MAXcam 360c in for review. This current generation Escort may still be a bit of a boxy black contraption, but it offers useful features above and beyond simply detecting police radar that can help improve a driver’s situational awareness and safety, both on the road and in some cases, even when their vehicle is parked.
The democratization of home security doesn’t get enough attention. Sure, you can call a company, go to the hassle and expense of waiting for them to install the system only to be then saddled with a substantial monthly monitoring fee. Or, you can turn to one of our favorite smart home security brands and let the Arlo Security System secure your home for less.
Anker has quickly become one of our favorite mobile device accessory companies; several of us use their chargers and other products all of the time. Anker’s announcements for CES include everything from new wall adapters to portable power stations to video conferencing bars and more. Here’s a look at a few that we have to look forward to in the new year.
There are a lot of home security options out there. But for every person who is fine with buying their own devices and setting it up, there are people like my parents who vastly prefer to stick with the consistency of one company handling everything for them. They already use Comcast for their internet, cable, and home security, and they’ll be very excited to hear that Comcast is expanding its offerings early next year with the Xfinity Video Doorbell!
If you’ve ever needed to place a security camera in a remote location, only to realize that without reliable Wi-Fi access or electricity, it simply wasn’t going to work, you are going to love this news. Arlo has just announced that the latest generation Verizon Arlo Go 2 LET/Wi-Fi Security Camera is now available. Whether you are keeping an eye on a construction site, vacation home, boat, RV, the far end of your oversized yard, or some other location that doesn’t have reliable (or any) Wi-Fi, the Arlo Go 2 is an excellent and relatively inexpensive option worth considering.
While things are slowly going back to a new sense of normal, and we’re back in person for a lot more work than we were a year ago, it’s safe to say that video conferencing took a giant leap forward during the pandemic. It is so convenient that even when we’re not working remotely, it’s going to be a tool for the future to bring us face to face no matter where we are in the world. Dell is ready to embrace the future with the Dell UltraSharp Webcam, the most intelligent 4K webcam in its class!
Eufy Security has just announced a host of new outdoor cameras, many of which offer 8GB on-device storage. The new devices include the eufy Security SoloCam E20 & SoloCam E40, the eufy Security SoloCam L20 & SoloCam L40, the solar-powered eufy Security SoloCam S40, and the eufy Floodlight Cam 2 Pro. Read on to see the details on these new security cameras and what they have to offer.
If working through the pandemic has meant that you’ve been at home more than usual, then you’ve likely run into challenges that have made you wish for equipment upgrades. One of my biggest pain points has been virtual conference calls. Having to do so many virtual meetings in the past year has exposed how insufficient my iMac’s built-in webcam has always been. If you’ve felt let-down by your video conferencing set-up, then the new AnkerWork PowerConf C300 Webcam and the PowerConf S500 Conference Speaker might be of interest.
There are many reasons why you might want to have one or more cameras in certain rooms of your home, like entrances, common areas, or the nursery when you’ve got a baby. The Google Nest Cam IQ Indoor aims to not only help you keep a close eye on the people coming and going in those areas, but it also allows you to communicate with them.
OnePlus has just announced a three-year partnership with the esteemed camera manufacturer, Hasselblad, to “co-develop the next generation of smartphone camera systems for future OnePlus flagship devices.” Most excitingly, we can expect to see the first OnePlus x Hasselblad camera system, called ‘Hasselblad Camera for Mobile,’ in the upcoming OnePlus 9 Series!
Home security is something everyone worries about. It’s become much more accessible with internet-connected cameras, doorbells, and smart homes that don’t require paying for a monitoring service or having a professional installation. This is great, except it still leaves one big issue to consider: privacy. How secure is it to have cameras in your home? Are you sure they’re not recording when you don’t want them to? Arlo has an easy solution to all your worries with the new Arlo Essential Indoor Camera with Automated Privacy Shield!
For a few years now, Apple and Samsung have battled for leadership in the global smartphone market share. This is particularly obvious in regions like the US, where both brands dominate. But did you know that Chinese manufacturer Huawei is consistently in the top three as well? In fact, it was #1 in Q2 2020 — yes, the same Huawei that the US government put on an entity list in 2019, barring it from doing business with US companies like Google.
I’m all-in on the Arlo ecosystem, so I was pleased to see that they have two new products showing at CES including the Arlo Essential Indoor Camera and the Arlo Touchless Video Doorbell. Both sound intriguing, but we don’t yet have a lot of details.
We’re hopefully going to see an end to the COVID-19 pandemic soon, but there will be some lasting changes to how we work. Even when people go back to work, it’s unlikely we’re all going to be mingling like the before days. Lenovo is all set to make this transition easier, whether it’s working from home or holding virtual meetings across the world, with a line of adorably tiny computers, webcams, a soundbar for better audio (no more “I hear feedback, is it you or me? Hello?”), and ThinkSmart Manager to make the whole thing run smoothly.
Home security is no longer only the realm of expensive monthly subscriptions but something you can install and monitor yourself if you wish. Comcast Xfinity has your back with a new program called Self Protection that lets you monitor your front door/back door/dog in the kitchen, all with continuous recording for only $10/month.
Our friends at Ring announced a bunch of really cool new products today that already have the internet buzzing. The most surprising of them all is the Always Home Cam, an autonomous drone that will fly around your house, allowing you to check on multiple rooms while you’re out. Check out the rest of the 2021 Ring lineup below.
Arlo makes one of the best DIY home security systems that you can buy, and I’m excited that they’ve just announced two new wire-free devices in their Essential Series, the Arlo Essential XL Spotlight and the Arlo Essential. What sets the Essential Series apart from their Pro series is that these devices connect directly to your home’s WiFi, with no need for a SmartHub, and they can act as a standalone security solution or complement your existing Arlo home security system.
Samsung recently announced the Galaxy Note20 Ultra, and it packs a very interesting camera system. It’s similar to what Samsung offered on the Galaxy S20 Ultra earlier this year, but with a few key differences. Since I’ve been using the company’s latest flagship for a few days, I wanted to share my experience shooting photos (primarily) and videos. So what’s new, what’s different? Is it better, is it worse? Let’s dive in.