In a world where we all rely heavily on our smartphones and everything seems to be automated, home security has become stuck in our parents’ generation. Outdated, expensive and not user friendly. But there is a recent crop of do-it-yourself style home security solutions that have harnessed the latest in mobile technology. That’s right they are all controllable from your smartphone; you can check in on your house through your phone from anywhere. These new systems don’t come with pricey contracts and they don’t have monthly fees. But they leave it all up to you the user. So what is the best option?
We tried out the latest from Canadian based company Piper. There are many systems out there to check out but what we liked about Piper was that it was an all-in-one for a great price. And it was easy to install and reliable. So what exactly does it do?
Well first off it is a home surveillance camera. This little guy comes with a wide angled lenses that you can control from your phone, which means you can zoom in and out remotely to see what’s going on inside. The camera unit comes equipped with a 105d siren that you can set to go off when it detects motion inside your home. And when it detects motion, it sends a text, email or even phone call alert to your phone. It goes one step further and it records the event.
But you can find those features on most DIY style home security systems. Piper seems to have more to offer. The unit also includes temperature and moisture monitoring. It detects light and sound not only motion. Moreover, the Piper NV we tested out included night vision. One of the standout features is the two-way audio. Yes, that’s right, you can hear what’s going on in your place and you can speak from your phone.
Piper also has add on accessories that can expand to Z-Wave home automation with door sensors, water detection (to alert you when your basement starts flooding), smart switches for lights and appliances and even smart light bulbs. All of these items can be synced up and controlled from your phone.
The set up is dead simple. You simply plug in piper to a power outlet (and it has a battery back up as well). Download the app from the app store. Then, add the camera to your home wifi system. All settings can be adjusted from your phone. That’s it.
The Piper NV unit comes in white or black to blend in with home aesthetics and retails for $279 without accessories. And remember, no monthly fees.
