Home Security 2.0

I’m not going to take the usual alarmist approach and tell you that the world is going to hell and you need to lock up your house with more security than Rikers Island. No, its pretty plain that crime rates have been falling for decades and we are nominally safe in and around our homes. But bad things do still happen to good people, and Amazon packages go missing, front doors get vandalized, and backyard pools get snuck into. And we live in the future, dammit! I don’t want just a rickety old fence or a dog that greets every stranger with a big sloppy lick. I want my future security tech. Welcome to the world of home security 2.0

The most exciting thing to happen to the simple door lock occurred when a crowdfunding campaign launched for a bluetooth-enabled lock that could be operated by your phone. Keep your smartphone in your pocket, as the door already knows you’re there. The whole world collectively thought: “its about time!” Kwikset smartly snapped up the company and have released the device under the Kevo brand. Right now, the Kevo is the best and the brightest of this new breed of smart locks. The device even lets you assign short-term “keys” to others so they can unlock your door with their phone inside a 24 hour period.

If you’ve got a stranger at the door, Brinno has stepped in with their Peephole Camera that snaps a quick video of anyone who sets off a peephole mounted motion sensor and camera. The idea is that you can arrive home after work and review everyone who has come to your door during the day. The device nicely works with the existing peephole insert already in most doors, so installation is a snap. This cool device can be up and running in your house inside 10min. Now you’ve got yourself an easily browseable video log of every visitor who comes to your door.

But what if you want to bring video protection to more than just your front porch? Enter Dropcam and their easy to set up and expand series of home security cameras. Dropcam has become the go-to name in simple to set up home camera systems. Whether you want 1 or 15, these cameras are easy to set up and get working together. If you’re looking elsewhere for another camera, stop. Drop it in the trash and go buy a Dropcam. ‘Nuff said.

Home security has seriously stepped up in the last 5 years, and the next 5 are going to be even more interesting as more and more major manufacturers roll out their internet of things brands that truly connect you home and give every homeowner an end-to-end security presence. Now that’s peace of mind. Even if it is just for your next Amazon package.