Chris Davies

Prepare to hear a lot more about SmartThings. Kickstarter success turned Samsung acquisition, the smart home startup isn't the only DIY approach to home automation and security out there, but it may well end up being one of the best funded. SmartThings' mantra is one of openness, aiming to work with as many third-party components as possible rather than lock users into a closed platform. Admirable, but it could easily add up to confusion; I've been living the SmartThings life for the past six months to see whether it works.

We've come a long way in home automation. What once was solely the preserve of the rich, demanding expensive installation or - if foresight had been lacking during construction - even more expensive retrofitting, has transitioned to a new age of plug & play components, cross-platform connectivity, and the sort of DIY-friendliness that makes setting it up yourself straightforward.

That's a marked difference from the attempts at consumer smart home tech that came in-between. X10 and other platforms were flexible but complex, and more frustratingly for everyday use they were often ugly in a bland, beige, unstyled way. All that changed with the advent of the smartphone.

SmartThings' approach - like others we've seen in recent months, such as Revolv - has been to eschew clunky controllers and complicated dip-switches for setup, and instead turn the smartphone into a remote control. The company's app handles not only installation but ongoing interaction, whether you're home or away.

The $99 hub itself is a small block of glossy white plastic, powered by a wall-wart AC adapter, and hooking up to your router with a supplied ethernet cable. Inside, there's most conspicuously ZigBee and Z-Wave radios; WiFi is handled by your home router. Absent are Insteon and Bluetooth.

From that central beginning it's a case of adding your choice of peripherals, with SmartThings offering a range of its own as well as compatibility with a growing number of third-party devices. The easiest way to get going is with one of the company's starter kits, which includes the hub and a few bundled components.

There are five main pieces to the SmartThings range. The Multi Sensor looks the most straightforward, a battery-powered door or window sensor that's stuck in place with self-adhesive strips and triggered when the two parts are separated. However, inside it also has an accelerometer for reporting physical movement, and a thermometer for tracking temperature.

See original here:
SmartThings Review: Living in the Smart Home

JURUPA VALLEY (CBSLA.com) Residents of a Jurupa Valley neighborhood are keeping a watchful eye out for a manwho has been knocking out their home security cameras.

CBS2s Tom Wait spoke to residents on the 7400 block of Pico Avenue who arent quite sure why they are being targeted.

Its a story Only On CBS2.

Security camera video shows a man leave his pickup and make his way to a roof, where he rips a security camera from its position. The question is, why?

You just dont know what to think, said Jeff Navigato, the homeowner.

He had driven by one time and he saw the camera and backed up and came back, and thats when he decided to disable the camera on the roof, said Navigato.

The homeowner told Wait hes stunned by the brazen nature of the crime.

The man knocked down the camera in the middle of the afternoon.

Navigatos home wasnt the only target.

A home just down the block was hit, too. The homeowner there says one security camera was stolen.

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Jurupa Valley Residents Keep Watch For Person Knocking Out Home Security Cameras

A photo of a New Jersey home flying a flag that resembled the flag of ISIS, the militant group being bombed by U.S. planes in Iraq, sparked alarm and a complaint to the Department of Homeland Security -- but the home's occupant said he meant no offense and was just expressing his religion.

Mark Dunaway told ABC News that he's flown that black flag for the 10 years hes lived in Garwood, New Jersey.

Im Muslim, and I fly a flag in front of my home that says Im a Muslim, he said.

Dunaway has flown the black flag -- which bears the Arabic inscription familiar to Muslims, There is no God but God, and Muhammad is the messenger of God -- every year during Ramadan, and every single Friday, he said. Having already had the flag up during Ramadan, he originally planned to keep it up until Friday.

However, after the Garwood Police Department received a complaint about the flag, officers visited Dunaway's home on Tuesday.

"The Garwood Police follow up with any complaint received," Police Chief Bruce Underhill said in a statement to ABC News.

Police came by that day on a matter of safety, Dunaway said, I had no idea until they pointed it out to me. My reaction was, Are you serious?

"Mr. Dunaway was very receptive when we approached him with our concerns and he voluntarily took the flag down," said Chief Underhill.

Watch: The View From the Frontlines of the War Against ISIS

Read More: German Artists: We Switched Brooklyn Bridge Flags

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ISIS Flag Flap: Man 'Expressing My Religion' Sets Town on Edge

Home Alarm Systems Gilbert AZ 480 500 7662
Home Alarm Systems Gilbert AZ http://newhomesecuritysystem.com/az/ In today #39;s modern-day world, although there are lots of brand-new methods to secure your house and belongings, you can never...

By: Alexander England

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Home Alarm Systems Gilbert AZ 480 500 7662 - Video

The added convenience and efficiency of anytime, anywhere control of our thermostat, lights, television, home security and more is alluring. So much so, that the number of "smart" devices is expected to grow to more than four times the number of connected computers and smartphones over the next few years (reaching 26 billion connected devices by 2020). The Internet-of-Things is going to become ubiquitous and so is the risk that comes with it.

Smarter devices need more protection

Devices collecting information in our most intimate spaces can make us vulnerable. How? By exposing our activities and behaviors including our location, personal preferences, medical details and more over the Internet. IoT devices have already been the victims of security attacks, and consumers are beginning to show some anxiety. A recent survey found 7 out of 10 people to be concerned about the security of the Internet-of-Things, and with good reason.

Read MoreRobots are the new butlers at Starwood Hotels

There are currently no policies among device manufacturers or standards from the security industry regulating the safety of connected devices. Without regulation, these gadgets are more susceptible to abuse, infections and more. Furthermore, most consumers don't know how to detect or fix compromised devices. That risk is multiplied when devices are networked to one another and sharing very intimate details about their owners.

What's worse? There are a lot of question marks around how these devices collect personal data, and when, where and how they disclose this information. Privacy safeguards are not clear or consistent. A lack of consumer trust in mobile application providers, whose software enables access to IoT devices, exasperates this concern.

Safe steps to a smarter home

So what can consumers do to reap the benefits of the Internet of Things while minimizing their privacy and security risks?

Do your research. Prior to purchasing a new smart device, be sure to investigate the company security policy and ease with which the product can be updated. If you have any doubts, consider contacting the manufacturer for additional clarification.

Read MoreHow some are making money off the NSA revelations

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Lights on, lights off: Beware the smart house!

The added convenience and efficiency of anytime, anywhere control of our thermostat, lights, television, home security and more is alluring. So much so, that the number of "smart" devices is expected to grow to more than four times the number of connected computers and smartphones over the next few years (reaching 26 billion connected devices by 2020). The Internet-of-Things is going to become ubiquitous and so is the risk that comes with it.

Smarter devices need more protection

Devices collecting information in our most intimate spaces can make us vulnerable. How? By exposing our activities and behaviors including our location, personal preferences, medical details and more over the Internet. IoT devices have already been the victims of security attacks, and consumers are beginning to show some anxiety. A recent survey found 7 out of 10 people to be concerned about the security of the Internet-of-Things, and with good reason.

Read MoreRobots are the new butlers at Starwood Hotels

There are currently no policies among device manufacturers or standards from the security industry regulating the safety of connected devices. Without regulation, these gadgets are more susceptible to abuse, infections and more. Furthermore, most consumers don't know how to detect or fix compromised devices. That risk is multiplied when devices are networked to one another and sharing very intimate details about their owners.

What's worse? There are a lot of question marks around how these devices collect personal data, and when, where and how they disclose this information. Privacy safeguards are not clear or consistent. A lack of consumer trust in mobile application providers, whose software enables access to IoT devices, exasperates this concern.

Safe steps to a smarter home

So what can consumers do to reap the benefits of the Internet of Things while minimizing their privacy and security risks?

Do your research. Prior to purchasing a new smart device, be sure to investigate the company security policy and ease with which the product can be updated. If you have any doubts, consider contacting the manufacturer for additional clarification.

Read MoreHow some are making money off the NSA revelations

Original post:
Beware the smart house!

Gilbert Home Security Prices PH 480-500-7662
Gilbert Home Security Prices http://newhomesecuritysystem.com/az/ In today #39;s modern world, although there are lots of new ways to secure your house and possessions, you can never ever be...

By: Alexander England

Go here to see the original:
Gilbert Home Security Prices PH 480-500-7662 - Video

Security Alarm Now Gilbert AZ 480 500 7662
Security Alarm Now Gilbert AZ http://newhomesecuritysystem.com/az/ In today #39;s modern world, although there are numerous brand-new means to secure your house and belongings, you can never...

By: Alexander England

Read this article:
Security Alarm Now Gilbert AZ 480 500 7662 - Video

GILBERT, AZ (CBS5) -

A Gilbert woman says her home security company told her to leave equipment she owned behind when she movedand then wanted to charge her for equipment in the new home.

In many home security contracts, you own the equipment and that means you have the right to take it with you if you move.

"I've been a very loyal customer, never missed a payment," Sharon Milite said.

Milite is angry with her home security company. She signed up with a company called Protection Source, but her contract was serviced by another company called Guardian Protection Services. She says after 34 months with Guardian, she called to tell them she was moving. She says Guardian gave her specific instructions regarding the old house.

"They said the equipment, or sensors are to be left at the home and when I move to the new house, contact them, and they would have a serviceman come," Milite said.

All she took was the control box and key fob. Milite says she had paid about $500 for her equipment. Since she left it behind at Guardian's request, she expected equipment at the new home to be free. But she says Guardian wanted over $350 for it.

"I've been paying on the previous sensors and equipment in the old house, you told me to leave it, why am I being charged again," Milite said.

Milite says Guardian offered her free equipment if she agreed to add a year onto her contract. Milite says the company didn't tell her the cost of new equipment up front and never gave her the option to use her old equipment.

"I would have definitely had someone come and professionally uninstall it, and bring it to the new house, knowing what I know now," Milite said.

See the article here:
Home security equipment can move with you to new home

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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) Two men who stormed into a Plum Borough home and held the family at gunpoint are still on the run, but police are working with some pretty solid evidence: surveillance footage of the men breaking in.

The property owner recently installed a home security system.

The alarm wasnt on, but the in-home cameras were.

WATCH: EXCLUSIVE: Violent Home Invasion Caught On Camera

It happened early Sunday morning.

KDKAs Kym Gable talked exclusively to the mother who asked not to be identified.

She says she heard the door open and turned to see who it was.

And I looked and there was a guy, she said. He had a mask on and a gun pointed to me, and I was in shock and just stood there. I dont know why, but I got up and turned toward the back of my house and tried to go downstairs.

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Violent Plum Home Invasion Caught On Security Camera