In Pictures: Getting Connected To Next-Gen Home Security
In Pictures: Getting Connected To Next-Gen Home Security
By
Life-Saving Technology
On the afternoon of May 22nd, 2011, Edith Lawellin was startled by an alarm from her hall: “Tornado warning. Evacuate immediately.” Like many residents of Joplin, Missouri, she had a storm closet (a reinforced room under the stairs). She ran for the closet, locked the door, and only minutes later, an airborne car tore through her house. Finally, only the closet was left standing. If not for her security system’s just-in-time warning, Edith is convinced she would have died that night.
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Thats where the money is at. Who is going to rob the ghettos?
Burglar alarm ... probably not necessary. Well other than for specific high cost items and any home safes.
Weather (as in this instance), Water (as in water tank failed), Gas (as in gas line failed), Fire (many systems have integrated fire detection), CO Detection, Nanny/Family Cam (to make sure the kids aren't having a party while your out) and maybe Line Disruption Warning (phone/power not working - network/wifi ?) ... could be useful.
Frankly, very. I have friends who live on golf courses in a neighborhood patrolled by two security trucks who've been broken into. The fact that it's affluent paints an even larger target on it. The challenge is overcoming the security, so you end up with a more skilled thief.
Thats where the money is at. Who is going to rob the ghettos?
The #2 best protection anyone can have is good relationships with their neighbors who know you, know what your friends look like, and are not crooks themselves.
#3, if someone really wants your stuff, they will get your stuff. Prevention is largely based on intimidation. The real trick is catching someone's face and/or actions on camera. Not having night vision on a $4000 system would have been a dealbreaker for me. That is just really dumb. Your average $20 piece of crap pinhole camera has night vision, there is no excuse to not have it in a $150 camera.
#4 where prevention fails, recovery is most important. Everything of value that you own of value should have a marking on it that you can prove to be yours. Back in high school and college it was as simple as putting some nail polish in an obscure place that you document, but nobody else knows about. Then when your bike/laptop/whatever is stolen you can show the cops a picture and easily identify the item as yours. As you get older there are more advanced ways of doing this, but the general rule applies. I recovered my bike 3 times back in college with this method. Thankfully that was all that was ever stolen.
Anywho, I think my point is that for the average person living in an apartment or 3 bedroom house in a suburb, the bulk of your security money should be in documentation and recovery, with just a little bit invested in prevention and active protection because the monthly premium that comes with that $4000 system will likely add up to more than would ever be stolen in the first place for most of us.
#1 document everything
most people are lazy as hell in this regard, everything of mine of reasonable value that wont degrade (as in lose value fast or naturally be used up) i have the serial numbers, and photos, and a safty deposit box with a usb duplicate.
#2 insure everything for more than its worth
make damn sure everything you own is documented and insured for more than its worth. my speakers arent great, they cost me about 250$, but if they were stolen, it would cost me 1000$ to get an exact replacement.
#3 have a list of small items.
i'm in the process of finding software to record the bar codes of all my games, dvds, and other valuable coded items, dvds and games are easy to get rid of because no one really thinks twice that this may be stolen
#4 prepare for the worst
no mater the lock, no matter the security system, it can be broken in seconds by someone skilled.
no current lock that i know of is bump proof, most being broken into in less than 5 seconds.
#5 who wants your crap
the average theif who is an opertunist, or the master thief who spent time planing? a loud alarm may scare off the opertunist, but the master knows what they want, and will get it. do you want them gone, or do you want them to stay a while thinking they beat the alarm. silent alarm, or loud noise... its a tough choice.
#6 the one and only camera you need
a camera on the door, that activates the moment it sees more than 15% movement, and records sound, with a hq mic. this way you get the face, and the voice of who went in your home
no matter the lock, no matter the security system, it can be broken in seconds by someone skilled. no current lock that i know of is bump proof, most being broken into in less than 5 seconds.
You didn't visit the link on bump keying.
There are means to make your home more secure that the monthly fee for these would pay for in no time:
1. Buy steel doors as they are very difficult to knock down.
2. Ensure that those doors have deadbolts.
3. Ensure you have smoke and CO2 detectors.
Over and above those three things, a security system only buys you faster response time - IF - you have the system armed. If you disarm the system while you are home, then even if someone breaks in or you have a fire, if I am not mistaken, then you lose the advantage of the response time.
Making money on these systems means making potential customers feel insecure, or exploiting feelings of insecurity that already exist. They are, essentially, "insurance policies," where the provider of the insurance bets that you will never need the services.
In my opinion, the question becomes what is it worth to you? Is it worth paying for services that may never be needed for that "sense" of security even if the sense garnered from these systems is false?
It is bump resistant, not bump proof
I do like the idea of the functionality of how the system works, just not the base it sits on.
iPhone screenshot of camera in cation
http://www.elkeinland.com/img/vivint1.PNG
Looking at camera same time (hidden in basket)
http://www.elkeinland.com/img/vivint2.JPG