Devices that collect information on you

I am staggered that people pay so much for doorbell cameras. Particularly as they are of little help or use year on year.

I've fitted front and back security cameras but do not pay an annual fee but just save generally pointless data onto an SDcard in the Hub. Then every now and then format the card and start again.
 
Cotswold said:
I am staggered that people pay so much for doorbell cameras. Particularly as they are of little help or use year on year.

I've fitted front and back security cameras but do not pay an annual fee but just save generally pointless data onto an SDcard in the Hub. Then every now and then format the card and start again.
Click to expand...
Agreed, all vendors jumped onto the monthly subscription train. Do your cams only record when motion is detected?
 
I bought two TAPO cameras and hub which operate via a phone app. From memory I think they are C200 but can't check as I'm in Australia at the moment. They were less than £200 for both and are a well made product. Cameras are battery operated and need charging from time to time.
They operate by motion detection and you can blank out areas that you don't need to be viewed, or are a problem - like bushes and plants that wave about in the wind. The software they supply to blank out is not the best but just about OK. Maybe they'll improve it though.

I did have the Amazon Blink2 cameras initially bought without subscription but now Amazon don't like that so they crashed the software and prevented me from reinstalling unless I took out a subscription. So I went out and bought the TAPOs

TAPO keep badgering me to upgrade to a subscription and storing videos on the net but I'm not interested. Doesn't seem any point. Who needs to view video clips from a year ago, or whatever? However, TAPO's support is very good, excellent. In fact 10/10 all round for product and support.

(total opposite to Amazon. Amazon have no idea what support, or a customer is and were really hard work and I can state they came across as being intentionally unhelpful from the start. Would not advise anyone to use an Amazon product after my experience with Blink2)

I have a couple of Amazon Blink2s and the hub and if I come across someone who wants them to extend an existing installation, they can have them.
 
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AccessBlaster said:
I have two ring cameras with subscription. I mostly use them to keep an eye on the cat, see if he's loafed up on the door mat.
Click to expand...
Me too. Honestly I don't know what I'd do without them, they're just endlessly useful. The other day we were showing our home (it's listed for sale) and we watched the people enter and exit while we waited down the block in the car. Nice to be able to profile them a bit and know who's looking at your house. Then you have the Notifications that show a brief 4-second animation of who left or entered. I always know whether or not we already walked the dog, when my son gets home, if we got a package, etc. etc.
 
Cotswold said:
I bought two TAPO cameras and hub which operate via a phone app. From memory I think they are C200 but can't check as I'm in Australia at the moment. They were less than £200 for both and are a well made product. Cameras are battery operated and need charging from time to time.
They operate by motion detection and you can blank out areas that you don't need to be viewed, or are a problem - like bushes and plants that wave about in the wind. The software they supply to blank out is not the best but just about OK. Maybe they'll improve it though.

I did have the Amazon Blink2 cameras initially bought without subscription but now Amazon don't like that so they crashed the software and prevented me from reinstalling unless I took out a subscription. So I went out and bought the TAPOs

TAPO keep badgering me to upgrade to a subscription and storing videos on the net but I'm not interested. Doesn't seem any point. Who needs to view video clips from a year ago, or whatever? However, TAPO's support is very good, excellent. In fact 10/10 all round for product and support.

(total opposite to Amazon. Amazon have no idea what support, or a customer is and were really hard work and I can state they came across as being intentionally unhelpful from the start. Would not advise anyone to use an Amazon product after my experience with Blink2)

I have a couple of Amazon Blink2s and the hub and if I come across someone who wants them to extend an existing installation, they can have them.
Click to expand...
Virtually all modern IoT devices are holding their owners hostage. If those devices don't stay connected to the web, or you stop paying the subscription, they're programmed to stop working.
 
AccessBlaster said:
I have two ring cameras with subscription. I mostly use them to keep an eye on the cat, see if he's loafed up on the door mat.
Click to expand...
When I leave home, my cat camps out on the doormat until I return. He follows me everywhere, including my early morning walks around my community.
IMG_0302.jpeg
 
Isaac said:
Me too. Honestly I don't know what I'd do without them, they're just endlessly useful. The other day we were showing our home (it's listed for sale) and we watched the people enter and exit while we waited down the block in the car. Nice to be able to profile them a bit and know who's looking at your house. Then you have the Notifications that show a brief 4-second animation of who left or entered. I always know whether or not we already walked the dog, when my son gets home, if we got a package, etc. etc.
Click to expand...
Are you leaving AZ?
 
AccessBlaster said:
Are you leaving AZ?
Click to expand...
For the moment we're moving back into our rental in a better part of town -then regrouping to see what we really want for the longer term.
Possibilities...staying in the Phx metro area vs. moving out of state (I'm voting for SW Washington state where my brother lives).
 
Isaac said:
For the moment we're moving back into our rental in a better part of town -then regrouping to see what we really want for the longer term.
Possibilities...staying in the Phx metro area vs. moving out of state (I'm voting for SW Washington state where my brother lives).
Click to expand...
Would you entertain moving to Tampa Bay area? Real estate prices have gone down here. I live in an affordable townhome, inside a gated community. HOA fee is $320/month.
 
moke123 said:

techcrunch.com

Amazon's Ring to partner with Flock, a network of AI cameras used by ICE, feds, and police | TechCrunch

Agencies that use Flock can request that Ring doorbell users share footage to help with "evidence collection and investigative work."
techcrunch.com techcrunch.com
Click to expand...
Yeah I think both ring and Amazon are pretty big on cooperating with law enforcement. Of course most people volunteer whatever recordings they have to help out the cops I think anyway... But it's nice to have a choice
 
BlueSpruce said:
Would you entertain moving to Tampa Bay area? Real estate prices have gone down here. I live in an affordable townhome, inside a gated community. HOA fee is $320/month.
Click to expand...
I'd consider the greater Tampa area.
320/mo...holy cow. There better be six heated pools and every kind of sports Court imaginable LOL
 
Isaac said:
I'd consider the greater Tampa area.
320/mo...holy cow. There better be six heated pools and every kind of sports Court imaginable LOL
Click to expand...
The $320/month HOA fee primarily covers maintaining the common areas, replacing anything on the outside of your home, including your roof and painting, bulk rate cable/internet, trash/sewage, and building up the reserve funds. No heated pools included. The beach is not far away. Don't swim in any Florida lakes, they all have Gators and Snakes. Plenty of Par 3 and regulation golf courses around, average fee = $20. Tampa Bay has professional teams in all major sports. School Baseball/Softball games are a big thing here.
 
Isaac said:
Yeah I think both ring and Amazon are pretty big on cooperating with law enforcement. Of course most people volunteer whatever recordings they have to help out the cops I think anyway... But it's nice to have a choice
Click to expand...
How would you feel if your neighbor across the street opts in to allow constant access to LE? They'd be able to watch you 24/7 without your consent.
 
They'd see some really boring stuff. Me mowing the lawn, some edger action. The cat laying around etc etc.
 
moke123 said:
How would you feel if your neighbor across the street opts in to allow constant access to LE? They'd be able to watch you 24/7 without your consent.
Click to expand...
Many would feel their privacy violated, some more protected, and others don't care because they have nothing to hide. Surveillance is ubiquitous. There's no escaping it. Our mobile devices are beacons. They can find, watch, and hear us anywhere anytime.

Has the number of stolen packages left at doors gone down as a result of security cameras?
 
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