Canary is the latest smart security brand to spread its wings and promise us 24/7 video surveillance of our dwellings. But talk is cheep; what does it actually do?
Like the proverbial bird in the coalmine, Canary promises to act as a first line of defence should some ne’er-do-well break in to your home to rob your valuables.
As well as boasting a 1080p Full HD camera that comes with a night vision mode, a neat trick up the Canary’s sleeve it’s got a semi-direct line to the commissioner; if it detects any motion it will automatically ping a notification to your phone, giving you the option to call the police directly from within the app.
This is useful if you don’t actually happen to be at home during the time of a break in, which in the UK tend to peak around Christmas time, when many people are off visiting friends and family.
You can also sound Canary’s alarm directly from the app – this 90dB speaker will let thieves know they’ve been well and truly rumbled. For reference, 90dB is pretty loud – exposure to noise at 90-95dB over sustained periods can lead to hearing loss, which should give you some idea of how pant-fillingly loud this would be to someone trying to creep around a house.
Of course there’s no good PR like a news story showing off your product in action; like Lookout before it, Canary has been responsible for papping criminals in a couple of cases, first of all in Chandler, Arizona and then in New York City earlier this month.
Canary’s CEO and co-founder Adam Sager said: “From the first days of our initial US launch, interest from the UK has been incredibly strong. While CCTV is a common approach to security in the UK, the video quality in most products is sub-par. We’re excited to finally give renters and homeowners in this market a legitimate all-in-one security solution.”
Unlike Swann’s One system and Nest Cam, it’s unclear how Canary could work with other smart home products and at the moment, it’s also not known if Canary plans to launch an IFTTT (If This Then That) channel.
For folks who want a quick and easy-to-set up smart security system, you can snap up a Canary now for £159 (€215) from Currys PC World, Amazon, John Lewis, and Maplin in the UK and Ireland.
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