Ion began selling action cameras in 2012 -- you know, the GoPro kind that you tether to yourself or to your gear to capture first-person footage. But after a couple years of helping folks record daring stunts, the company decided to expand into home security. That's where the $130 Ion the Home Wi-Fi camera comes in.

This entry-level DIY camera will be available at Walmart and on Ion's online store from October 31. While I'm just starting to test this thing, there's at least one feature that's already making an impression: free cloud storage.

Most of the cameras we've reviewed have fee-based cloud storage that starts around $10 per month. The $200 Dropcam Pro champions this system: you can pay Dropcam $10 per month for 7 days of continuous footage or $30 per month for 30 days. Even Ion the Home's identically priced competitor, the $130 Belkin NetCam HD+, charges $10 per month for its basic cloud service.

Arcsoft's $150 Simplicam, has a lower, $5 per month storage option, but few are ever free.

Icontrol's $200 Piper and Foscam's $220 FI9826p are two exceptions; Icontrol will save 1,000 clips and Foscam will save 30 clips or 100 photos for free.

Ion appears to be following suit with its base-level storage option: free, rolling 24-hour cloud service. That is, after storing 24 hours of footage, the first hour will be deleted to make space for new video clips. And, if the 24-hour video storage isn't enough, Ion will also offer payment tiers identical to Dropcam's $10 per month for 7 days and $30 per month for 30 days.

Here's a chart comparing Ion the Home to some of its competitors:

Aside from the free cloud storage, Ion the Home strikes me as a pretty standard Wi-Fi security camera. The Ion the Home app is already available for Android users and there's an iOS version en route. I originally tried out the app on a first-gen Nexus 7, only to find out that it wasn't compatible with tablets. I switched to a Samsung Galaxy S5 and had it set up in no time.

Ion the Home also has night vision, 720p and two-way talk with push notifications, email alerts and a Web app in the works. I'll continue to test it and report back with more details as soon as Ion launches its full suite of features.

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The price is right on Ion's new Wi-Fi security camera

If youre looking for an IP camera for home security, you'll want to know about Homeboy. It remedies almost every drawback Ive seen in security cameras. It doesnt cost a fortune. And youll be able to buy one soonwithout having to participate in a crowd-funding campaign.

If Homeboy looks familiar, it's because it built on the intellectual property developed for the Hive camera that garnered a lot of attention about two years ago, but that was ultimately never brought to market.

I spent some hands-on time last week with a production-level Homeboy and a beta version of the iPhone app that goes with it (which is why this isnt a formal review).

The Homeboy, roughly 2.5 inches in diameter, is deceptively simple-looking. Its eyeball-like industrial design reminds me of the old Connectix Quickcam from 1994. The similarity ends there.

Homeboy runs on a rechargeable battery, so you can put it virtually anywhere indoors (its not weatherized against the elements). It eliminates the expense associated with a monitoring service that can contact an emergency dispatcher, but it delivers some of the most important benefits a paid monitoring service provides. It can function as a stand-alone device, or you can integrate it into your home-control system to trigger other devices, such as a light switch.

It sends video clips (with optional audio) to your smartphone. It can be armed and disarmed using geo-fencing, so you dont need to remember to activate it every time you leave your house. Its outfitted with basic night vision, so it can operate in the dark. It has a motion sensor, a mic, and a built-in siren to let intruders know theyve been detected. And you can deploy an almost unlimited number of Homeboys at a single location without worrying that youll overwhelm your Wi-Fi router.

Ive kvetched about how power-hungry Wi-Fi can be, so I was surprised when Homeboy inventor Mark Richards told me the camera operates on battery power. It seems he's been working to develop very-low-power Wi-Fi technology for some time. Richards says the camera will operate up to three months on a full charge. Thats impossible, right? A camera thats powered up and streaming video to the cloud 24/7 wouldnt last a day on battery power, much less three months.

The Homeboy captures and sends video clips. It's not designed for remote log-in and real-time monitoring.

Thats the Homeboys first trick. Its also the factor that will immediately remove this device from consideration if youre looking for a conventional IP camera. The Homeboy spends most of its time in sleep mode, waking only while armed and after it detects motion.

When something moves in front of the camera, it boots up in just 500 milliseconds to capture a snippet of video and operate its siren. The video is then sent to your smartphone via your Wi-Fi router and the cloud.

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Hands-on with Homeboy: This could be the best home-security camera yet

Austin, TX (PRWEB) October 21, 2014

Homeboy, the worlds most accessible home security system, today launched into public beta. The security system features intuitive mobile apps and the worlds first wire-free, long-life, Wi-Fi camera in production. Homeboy is also the only social home security system that leverages your trusted friends and family to make home security more accessible. Starting today, Homeboy cameras are now on sale for an introductory price of $149 at homeboy.com.

Homeboy cameras are elegantly designed and hassle-free to set up. To install a Homeboy, remove it from the box, charge the camera, connect it to your Wi-Fi network and mount it to its magnetic base. No larger than a tennis ball, Homeboy cameras feature automatic motion detection, night vision, and sirens, in a beautifully designed, rechargeable, wire-free piece of hardware that weighs only 153 grams. Homeboy cameras connect to a wifi network through an intuitive, feature-rich mobile app for iOS and Android.

The Homeboy system is also uniquely designed to work as a stand-alone system or as a social security system. Owners have the option to invite a trusted social network, known as their crew, to help them watch their back and make home security a shared experience. If, when the system is armed, the Homeboy camera detects motion, the owner and his or her crew will be notified instantaneously. The owner or the crew can then view the video and take action by giving the all clear or by calling friends or police to investigate.

Home security is in desperate need of a refresh. Popular streaming and monitoring cameras are not home security systems, and the incumbent home security systems trusted by the generation before us that are hopelessly antiquated and prohibitively expensive to the vast majority of renters and homeowners, said Mark Richards, founder of Homeboy. Everyone deserves home security and the freedom to customize their system to match their lifestyle. We built Homeboy to be open and accessible to all from day one. Homeboy is home security for the rest of us.

Homeboys mobile apps also boast intelligent features to help owners automate their home security experience. The apps feature geo-location based automatic arming and disarming when owners leave or arrive, pet mode and delayed notifications. The apps also enable owners to customize alerts by leveraging automated push notifications or email messages.

In addition, the Homeboy system is built on top of an open platform that integrates with IFTTT and communicates with over 130 smart home applications, devices and services. The Homeboy Channel on IFTTT currently offers 8 triggers and 6 actions that enable users to develop Recipes which truly customize their home security experience. Recipes allow Homeboy to connect to Nest, Phillips Hue, Belkin WeMo, SmartThings, Dropbox, Facebook and Twitter, among others. These integrations make Homeboy the most open and versatile home security system available on the market today.

Starting in early 2015, owners will have the option to strengthen their home security system by adding professional monitoring on a flexible, non-contract basis.

Get your first Homeboy today http://www.homeboy.com.

About Homeboy:

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Homeboy Launches The Worlds Most Accessible Home Security System To Democratize Security For The Smart Home Generation

Bell Aliant NextGen Home Security Home Automation
Description.

By: BellAliantFibreOP

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Bell Aliant NextGen Home Security Home Automation - Video

Toplock | Home Security | Patio Bolts
Do you have sliding doors in your home that you would like to make more secure? https://www.toplock.net.au.

By: TopLock Locksmiths

Follow this link:
Toplock | Home Security | Patio Bolts - Video

Toplock | Home Security | Coloured Keys
Coloured keys MIGHT seem like a good idea, but think again! https://www.toplock.net.au.

By: TopLock Locksmiths

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Toplock | Home Security | Coloured Keys - Video

That's $75 off list and the lowest price around by at least $50. Plus: a killer tablet bonus deal!

iSmartAlarm

Home security is a tricky business. Professional systems can be expensive, to say nothing of the monthly monitoring costs, and camera-based systems are a hassle to install (and not really a deterrent unless the thief sees he's being recorded).

Somewhere in the middle lies a new generation of Internet- and app-savvy DIY solutions. Like this one: Today only, and while supplies last, Best Buy has the iSmartAlarm Preferred Package wireless security system for $124.99 shipped (plus tax). It lists for $199 and sells elsewhere for $179.

Intended for smaller homes (but scalable for larger ones), the bundle includes two door/window sensors, two remote tags, a motion sensor, a pair of window stickers (great deterrents themselves) and the CubeOne central hub/siren.

Save for that hub, which requires an Ethernet connection to your router and AC power, all these components are wireless and battery-powered. Installation: fast and painless.

Better still, the system requires no contracts or monthly fees. Everything is controlled via Android or iOS app (and also by the two remotes, which actually allow for quicker, easier arming and disarming). If something triggers an alarm, you get a text message (identifying exactly which sensor was triggered) and an automated phone call.

The system does not, however, call the police -- which in some respects could be a benefit. A few of my relatives have company-monitored alarm systems, and false alarms (always when they're away) have proven to be a costly hassle. (Apparently there are additional charges if the company has to dispatch the police.) Here, you call in the cavalry only when you're certain it's necessary.

CNET had mostly positive things to say about the iSmartAlarm, the exception being the hard-to-configure remote camera (which isn't included in this bundle, so problem solved!). I'd say if you own a small home and want a sophisticated, decidedly affordable security system, this deserves a close look.

Bonus deal: It's not Tablet Tuesday, but I can't let this go by: For a limited time, and while supplies last, A4C has the refurbished Lenovo IdeaTab A2109 9-inch Android tablet for $74.99 shipped. (The listing page calls it the "IdeaPad," but it's definitely an IdeaTab.) I'll let CNET's review fill you in on the key details, noting that it was based on a $300 price tag. I've rarely seen a tablet this big for this little money. Could be ideal for a nightstand, coffee table or minivan backseat!

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Get an iSmartAlarm home-security system for $124.99

Veronica Sanchez, 12 News 12:50 p.m. MST October 19, 2014

Sid and Ilene Reiff spend a lot of time at their Sun Lakes home. She's in hospice care and in bed most of time.

They've been married 25 years. "It feels like 40, but don't put that on the camera," joked Sid when we visited him at his home.

He contacted Call 12 for Action after he was unable ato cancel his contract with Monitronics Security, the alarm company that serviced his property. He reached representatives at the company and told them his wife was in hospice care at home.

Ilene suffers from COPD, or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and needs oxygen 24 hours a day. Because she's at home, the couple didn't need a security-alarm system anymore. When Sid Reiff explained that to company representatives this summer, he didn't get much sympathy, he said.

"They weren't interested. They wrote back, you're responsible for the contract," Sid said. "I was a little annoyed, and I told them I'm not paying any more money."

Our volunteers worked with Rob Washington, Monitronics customer service vice president, to get Sid's contract canceled. He no longer is bound to a three-year deal, meaninag he can concentrate on taking care of his wife without the stress of an unnecessary monthly payment.

"Thank you," Sid said.

Call 12 for Aciton saved him $1,900.

"It feels fine. It's in my pocket, not theirs," he said.

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With ill wife at home, man tried to cancel security contract

Home Security System #Lehigh Valley #Allentown #Bethlehem
Home Security System #Lehigh Valley #Allentown #Bethlehem.

By: Altronics Security

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Home Security System #Lehigh Valley #Allentown #Bethlehem - Video

MONTEREY >> Your home may be your castle, but home-improvement vendors from all over the Central Coast lined up Saturday at the Monterey County Fair and Events Center to tell homeowners how they can turn that castle into a palace.

The Inspired Home Expo of Monterey, a free event that continues from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, features guest speakers on home-improvement topics such "Designing Rooms in Your Garden" by author/TV celebrity Steven Katkowsky, scheduled at 2:15 p.m. Sunday. Saturday's attendees heard Katkowsky on "Creating the Illusion of Size in Your 5x8 Bathroom," and Graniterock's Keith Severson, who conducted a "Patio Design" workshop.

"This is a product that is very unique it's called ICF block, and the ICF stands for insolating concrete forms," explained Brooke Lewis of Siesta Spas, a Carmel company that specializes in energy-efficient backyard hot tubs. "They build homes all over the world out of this product, but we use it to build hot tubs."

The idea, he says, is to build the hot tub using Styrofoam blocks separated by metal, then pour concrete between the Styrofoam blocks, creating "totally insulated concrete."

He then covers the insulated concrete with ornate rock and/or tile for a striking aesthetic.

"A rock and tile hot tub doesn't hold the heat, and it costs way too much energy to keep it hot," said Lewis, who sat surrounded by photos of picturesque backyard spas. "With this technology, we can now use the standard equipment that's used for every portable hot tub, and that equipment will keep big hot tubs hot. It's like putting coffee in a really good Thermos: At the end of the day you can open that Thermos and the coffee will still be piping hot."

Rows of vendors filling two indoor buildings and an outdoor corridor pitched water-conservation methods, home security systems, decorative windows, bamboo privacy hedges, landscaping, custom bathrooms and space-saving technology such as a modern-day Murphy bed that electronically lowers from a wall.

"We started our business after we built our own house because we knew we would end up looking after my parents, and also my wife's mom. We knew our little tract home wasn't going to do it," said Richard Muench, who, with his wife, Ann, started an East Bay company called Residential Elevators.

Muench figured out that building a home with vertical space costs far less in California than purchasing enough property for a spacious, one-story house.

"Because of the cost of land in California, it's cheaper to go up than out," Richard Muench said.

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From castle to palace, Inspired Home Expo has answers