Ring is taking preorders for the Floodlight Cam Wired Pro ($249), an outdoor security camera with 3D motion detection, a 110 dB siren and color night vision, said the company Wednesday. 3D motion detection lets homeowners customize areas of their property for monitoring by selecting distance thresholds. A radar sensor determines when an object crosses the distance threshold by measuring its specific distance from the camera, and the camera activates once that threshold is crossed, sending homeowners a motion alert, it said. Its “bird’s eye view” feature is an aerial map view of motion events in front of the floodlight camera showing the path visitors take when visiting the property, the company said. Audio+ has an array mic with enhanced audio and echo cancellation to provide more distinct sound, it said. Privacy zones exclude areas in the camera field of view from video recording. Price of the original Ring Floodlight Cam dropped to $199.
SurgeX is shipping the Squid power management device, said the power conditioning company Thursday. Features include network control, AC and DC analytics, and front-end protection with multistage surge elimination, remote monitoring and analytics, said the company. Security protocols include 802.1x authentication and active directory. Sequencing, scheduling, auto-ping, IP control and monitoring capabilities help integrators reduce service calls through proactive management, it said.
Allterco introduced a motion sensor that uses Silicon Lab’s low-power Wi-Fi IoT technology. The Shelly Motion sensor ($39.90) can remain connected to a Wi-Fi network for more than a year on one charge, said the companies Wednesday. Shelly Motion connects directly to a Wi-Fi router without a dedicated hub and is compatible with Alexa, Google Assistant, SmartThings and other third-party home automation platforms, they said.
ADT and Google’s home security collaboration, announced as a $450 million investment by Google in August (see 2008040064), gives the two companies a competitive edge “against all competitors” in the smart home security market, blogged Parks Associates analyst Amanda Kung Tuesday. Software and hardware providers, including Alarm.com and Resideo, will need to innovate and expand the market to maintain their status as “the gold standard in home security” to compete with Google, she said. Alarm.com is expected to continue providing service to existing ADT subscribers on its Command and Control platform and, beginning in 2023, on the ADT + Google platform via a royalty-bearing intellectual property license. “Alarm.com will continue to derive revenue from newly subscribed customers to the proposed ADT + Google platform,” said the analyst.
The smart kitchen appliance market is “unscathed” by the COVID-19 pandemic, reported Technavio, forecasting $6.2 billion growth from 2020-2024. Increased adoption of modular kitchens is a trend in the market. A key driver for smart appliances is demand for innovative technology, it said Tuesday. North America is expected to have a one-third market share.
Eight-five percent of security dealers provide services beyond professional monitoring, including video verification, personal emergency response systems (PERS), cybersecurity and independent living services, reported Parks Associates Monday. As a result of the pandemic, more emphasis will be placed on PERS and independent living services, said analyst Brad Russell: “The devastating impact of COVID-19 in senior living facilities ensures that more seniors will want to stay in their homes or apartments and their families want to help that happen.” Do-it-yourself security systems benefited from stay-at-home trends, with 24% of consumers reporting in Q2 they completed a home improvement project during the pandemic. Surveys this year show a big jump in the percentage of DIY home security system purchases with professional monitoring, Russell said. Some 43% of traditional security dealers now offer DIY systems in addition to pro-installed ones. Pro-installed security systems dropped 25% since 2017, while sales of DIY systems jumped nearly 60% during the period. A quarter of dealers said they provided fee deferments or relief to customers during COVID-19.
Arlo introduced a wire-free, battery-powered video doorbell, it said Monday. The Arlo Essential has HD video resolution, two-way audio and offers personalized alerts that allow users to respond to guests or take action, it said. Users can set up calls to go directly to a mobile device. The Wi-Fi doorbell can be powered by its rechargeable battery or hardwired, Arlo said. The $199 camera was optimized for front doors with a 1:1 aspect ratio, allowing owners to see a person from head to toe “or a package on the ground.”
In home networking, CommScope continues to see a drive toward streaming devices, “and we're reacting quickly to reallocate resources to ensure we have a primary position as this transition takes place,” said Chief Technology Officer Morgan Kurk on a Q3 call Thursday. New technologies like Wi-Fi 6 “will give us even greater opportunities to support applications with our streaming devices in the future,” he said. The “collection of spectrum” in the U.S. “will become the foundation that enables 5G to reach its potential,” said Kurk. That spectrum will drive “increased competition for consumer wallets between wireless operators for mobility” and hasten the fight between wireless and fixed-line operators “in the battle for the home,” he said. “As the impact of COVID-19 will likely impact the world throughout 2021, operators will need to enhance the fixed-line access, given how essential connectivity has now become in the home.” Though the pandemic brought many challenges, it shows “the world how essential network connectivity is,” said new CEO Charles Treadway, who joined a month ago from Accudyne Industries (see personals section, Oct. 5). “Whether it's keeping businesses running, maintaining our education systems with virtual teaching or helping people stay connected to their loved ones, COVID-19 has highlighted the power of network connectivity.”
Comcast’s next-generation xFi Pod, available Thursday, delivers twice the Wi-Fi speed of its predecessor, said the company. The Pod, $119 for one or $199 for two at Xfinity stores and xfinity.com/xfipods, has a tri-band radio and works with the xFi gateway to extend Wi-Fi coverage via a mesh network. Users can add the device to a network using the Xfinity mobile app; they can also view connection status and monitor and pause Wi-Fi devices, it said. It has two Ethernet ports. Since March, Comcast has seen demand for Pods double as households increase their Wi-Fi use, said Dana Strong, president-Xfinity Consumer Services.
Amazon’s hardware introductions (see 2009240052) Thursday “underscore a focus on the connected home as an entry into its ecosystem” Cowen analyst John Blackledge wrote investors Friday. They’re also “another opportunity” to leverage Amazon Web Services, he said. It's “going for multiple shots on goal with the burgeoning connected home, leveraging innovations in cloud computing (AWS) and machine learning (Alexa) that can be incorporated across nearly all of these devices.” Cowen estimates 31% of U.S. households own an Echo vs. 27% in Q3 last year. It predicts continued Echo share gains in Q4.