All Sections

Turn your old iPhone into a security camera with IFTTT and Manything

Manything is an IFTTT channel that lets you turn any iOS device into an impromptu security device. 

The channel can make your iPhone, iPad or iPod stream live video if it detects motion in your home, streaming live video and stills to a remote console. From your laptop or desktop you’ll be able to review play and share clips. 

Manything can be configured to work with things like Nest Protect letting you review any potential fires. You can also pair Manything with Philips Hue lights or a Belkin WeMo switch to flick the lights on when motion is detected, to make it look somebody’s home. 

Rescue your old iPhone 4 from expensive paperweight status by giving it a job as a security guard
Rescue your old iPhone 4 from expensive paperweight status by giving it a job as a security guard

This is ideal if you’ve got a spare iPhone 4 lying around that you either can’t sell or don’t want to part with, but you’re perhaps wondering what to do with knowing that it can’t get iOS 8

Rather than having to shell out for separate cameras which are either expensive (Dropcam) or not very good (the Archos Smart Home cameras), Manything lets you leverage tech that you probably already have. 

Manything CEO and co-founder James West says that this is all part of gently introducing people to the Internet of Things, making home automation fun and configurable. 

West said: “Manything fits into what the ‘Internet of Things’ is really all about – taking everyday objects and adding a new level of control to save money and to make life easier.

“Homeowners can now add sophisticated video monitoring to the list of things they can control while away. Best of all, they don’t need to buy a dedicated camera to achieve this.” 

Perhaps taking a cue from Apple’s own HomeKit, Manything will also let you use Siri to start recording as soon as you leave home. You can also issue manual instructions to Manything to record video or clips using text messages. 

Daily reports can be sent to you for review letting you check up on your pets when you’re at work. 

Right now you can access 30 days of continuous recording in the Manything console for free. Price plans for storage will be introduced later this year, but Manything hasn’t said anything about how much anything will cost yet. 

Aside from that, the only thing you’ll need to worry about is your electricity bill – old Apple phones with non-removable batteries aren’t know for holding great amounts of charge and if you’re going repurpose them as ad-hoc CCTV cameras, you’re probably going to have to plug them into the mains. 

You can download the Manything app from the iTunes App Store now. 

Comments

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *