Smart home security systems are awesome but they usually cost a ton of money for the equipment as well as the labor to install them. VueZone has created a system that you can monitor from your smart phone and setup your cameras anywhere in the house starting at $170.
We had an opportunity to setup their system and were amazed at how quickly we got it all up and running.
We setup the SX2700 that included two motion sensing cameras and a base station. You simply plug the base station into your router then sync it to your cameras. There are no wires! The cameras connect remotely to the base and you can place them anywhere in your house.
Once you register on VueZone you can see your cameras from any location with an internet connection and you can also view on your phone using their app which quickly installs via their QR code.
Besides the technology we also liked the design of their cameras. They can sit stationary or also be connected to a back mount that allows it to connect to the wall or ceiling and it's a ball and socket type connection that will let you move the camera smoothly in any direction.
They recently released a new outdoor mount that makes the camera waterproof and a window mount for even more options.
If you want to view your cameras using your smartphone you'll have to subscribe and it's $4.95 per month which doesn't seem like much to have an extra set of eyes back home.
For more information on the VueZone system, check out their website.
In addition to installing smoke alarms throughout your home, you may opt to keep a couple of fire extinguishers on hand in case of an emergency.
Yet fire extinguishers, like most other things in your home, need to be inspected regularly to ensure they're in proper working order. Experts recommend waiting no more than a year to inspect your fire extinguishers, but checking them more often is encouraged. You may want to consider planning your fire extinguisher inspection to coincide with Daylight Saving Time, which is also an ideal time to check your smoke alarms and carbon monoxide detectors.
Check your fire extinguisher's gauge. If it doesn't read 100, you'll want to have it examined by a professional. It may be fixable, but you may also need to replace the extinguisher.
A little known secret in the home security world is that the appearance of security is about 90% of the actual benefit of having a home security system. Meaning, if it looks like you have a system, potential intruders will typically err on the side of caution rather than test their luck (unless you have something they really want, but that's another topic). So we especially love when there are products that create the appearance of security (thereby creating a certain level of security) that actually have a purpose beyond that appearance.
For our UK readers, Urban Outfitters is offering this security camera birdhouse by Donkey Products. Constructed to look like a standard security camera, this birdhouse is wall mountable and made to appear as if Big Brother is always watching -- that is, when a swallow or finch isn't nesting in it.
Coming home with a large bag of groceries and fumbling with keys to open a back door can be a frustrating experience, so can having your kids forget the keys but need to be let inside.
These small frustrations can add up but the SmartCode deadbolt seems like the best answer to help calm our nerves as well as provide great security. Don't worry about hiding a key outside, just share the code with whomever you trust and if you need to change the code you can do that almost instantly.
We've got a deadbolt on our back door and went through the process of installation which took less than 20 minutes including program setup. The SmartCode comes in a small box with everything you need except batteries.
