Seen At 11: Home Security Through Your Smartphone

NEW YORK (CBS 2) Whether youre at work, running errands or on vacation, what is going on back at your home is likely always on your mind.

Fancy security can cost thousands of dollars, but as CBS 2s Kristine Johnson reported Wednesday, you dont have to spend the big bucks. In fact, all you need is a smartphone to make a home safe home.

Mark Beach said he came home after a recent weekend away to discover that his home had been burglarized.

They took lawn equipment, they took sporting goods equipment, Beach said. I was just mad.

Summer is prime burglary season. The FBI estimates that more than 2 million burglaries occur in the U.S. each year, costing homeowners an average of more than $2,000.

If youre away on vacation for an extended period of time, someone may pick up on that fact and decide to come and pay you a visit, said security consultant Chris McGoey.

But now, you can monitor your home without even being there. All you need is a smartphone.

Anyone can do this now, said CNET senior editor Bridget Carey, not just the rich and famous or the uber-tech savvy.

The cheapest method is a free app called Presence. Very simply, it lets users turn their old iPhones or iPads into home security cameras, and view the live streams through their current phones wherever they might be for free.

If theres motion being detected, it can send you an alert on your phone, Carey said.

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Seen At 11: Home Security Through Your Smartphone