Skip to main content

Vivint Launches A New Home Automation System Complete With A Tiny Doorbell Camera



Home security and automation starts and ends with the front door. It needs to keep the bad guys out yet let the good guys in without hassle. Either a system gets it right or it doesn’t, and, until now, I had yet to see a system that’s truly impressive. Meet the Vivint Sky Smart Home — a home security and automation system that offers a tantalizing glimpse into the future but is available today.

When a person approaches the door, the Vivint Sky Smart Home’s inconspicuous doorbell cam starts recording. Ring the doorbell, and the homeowner gets a live video feed (with 2-way audio) through a smartphone app or on the system’s wall panel installed in the home. If the person inputs the correct code on the deadbolt, the system disarms and performs any number of set actions from turning on lights to adjusting the climate control.

Like good technology, the experience is magical.

The Vivint Sky Smart Home is pricey but it’s more complete than anything offered by Google, Samsung or ADT.

I’ve tried the new system. It works as advertised. The doorbell is the most impressive part of the system, too. It’s tiny, and unlike most doorbell cameras, the video doesn’t look like it was shot through a fishbowl. It takes about 8 seconds to load the live video after the phone receives the alert. Vivint tells me that within a couple of months, the camera will be able to authenticate faces and unlock the door and disarm the system within seconds.

The Vivint Sky Smart Home is a compete security system with window sensors, motion detectors, additional cameras, smart climate control, and a connected smoke detector. The system is inclusive and comprehensive, which makes it so special. Home owners and installers can pick the parts needed for each situation.

The company designed everything to work harmoniously. It’s not cobbled together or reliant on a collection of apps or online recipes to perform certain functions. The inherent downside is that everything comes from Vivint itself; a homeowner cannot buy most components at Best Buy.

Right now there are two ways to automate and secure a home. Either piece together a system, item by item, from makers such as Google, Samsung or countless startups. In this scenario the homeowner buys the items, many of which were designed independently of each other, and cobble them together into a single workable system. But there will be holes in the shield. Often homeowners are authenticated by a Bluetooth or RFID device, but what if the phone is left inside the house by accident or a child needs to gain entry?

APX Alarm Security Solutions rebranded as Vivint in February 2011 in an effort to be more than just a home security system. A year later Blackstone purchased a controlling interest in the company for $2 billion. From what I can tell, the company didn’t just change its name and get new management; it overhauled its business. The company recently opened a large tech lab in Utah and has steadily rolled out innovative products since becoming Vivint.

Vivint is not alone in its quest to expand past home security. ADT, Comcast and Verizon offer similar home automation and security systems. I’ve tried these as well and they’re comparable to Vivint’s offering prior to launching this latest platform. With the new Sky Home System, Vivint is the closest a company has come to truly automating a home in a meaningful and harmonious way. Security and authentication should not be dependent on a device or key fob. Homeowners should be able to walk up to their home and have the system unlock and disarm automatically.

Until recently, the front door was secured only by a lock and a key. Then came keypads and smart locks. The next chapter in home security will do away with everything extraneous and it seems Vivint is helping write it.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How To Hide Text In Microsoft Word 2007, Reveal It & Protect It

Sometimes what we hide is more important than what we reveal. Especially, documents with sensitive information, some things are supposed to be ‘for some eyes only’. Such scenarios are quite common, even for the more un-secretive among us. You want to show someone a letter composed in MS Word, but want to keep some of the content private; or it’s an official letter with some part of it having critical data. As important as these two are, the most common use could involve a normal printing job. Many a time we have to print different versions of a document, one copy for one set of eyes and others for other sets. Rather than creating multiple copies and therefore multiple printing jobs, what if we could just do it from the same document?  That too, without the hassle of repeated cut and paste. We can, with a simple feature in MS Word – it’s just called Hidden and let me show you how to use it to hide text in Microsoft Word 2007. It’s a simple single click process. Open the docum...
1 comment
Read more

Boom, the startup that wants to build supersonic planes, just signed a massive deal with Virgin

Have you heard about Boom? Boom is a relatively new startup that’s aiming to build something pretty crazy. They’re not building an app… or a social network… or even some new gadget for the Kickstarter crowd. Boom wants to build planes. Really, really, really fast planes. Specifically, they’re trying to design and build a supersonic passenger plane that goes 2.2x the speed of sound. If all goes to plan, they’ll be able to shuttle people from New York to London in 3.5 hours, and SF to Tokyo in 4.5. Sound crazy? I wouldn’t disagree. It’s worth noting that the company is in the very early days for something as intensive, massive, and hugely expensive as designing and producing a passenger aircraft. They’re still working on their first prototype, and hope to fly it by late next year. But it’s also worth noting that the team behind the plane has some serious talent in its blood: the company’s 11 employees have collectively contributed to over 30 aircrafts — having worked on thin...
Post a Comment
Read more

Build Your Own Awesome Personal 3D Avatar with Avatara

Do you use social networks and want to build your own awesome 3D avatar? Maybe you want to send someone a cute cuddly image of yourself (kind of)? Or maybe you have your own ideas of what you would do with an Avatar… Well look no further than Avatara which I discovered from the MakeUseOf directory . You can create 3d avatars out of pre-set up templates or create your own from scratch. To start, visit Avatara’s homepage . You will see this screen: Click Get Started to umm, get started! That will take you to this screen: You see that you can build your own Avatar using an uploaded head shot like the Obama one above (just an example, guys). Or roll with one of their awesome avatars. I chose to start with a blank avatar by clicking Start with a blank avatar at the bottom of the screen. That takes you to here: I clicked on the filter at the top and told it to filter out everything but male characters and then I saw this: I rolled with Buck and continued. You need to click Select...
1 comment
Read more