EverCam, a new security camera from the Eufy smart home brand, owned by Anker, was launched today on Kickstarter and looks very impressive. The water-resistant high-definition recording device advertises itself as a true indoor or outdoor wireless home security camera, which means it does not have to be screwed or plugged into a power source. It can adhere to any metal surface through built-in magnets (or with a unique screw mount if you really want to make sure it's safe), and can run up to 365 days on a single charge. The device has already raised more than $ 300,000 from more than 1,000 sponsors.
Because the camera runs on a 13,400 mAh lithium-ion battery from Anker, a leader in battery technology and intelligent charging, it is kept in very low power standby mode unless it detects movement, which will then begin to record. An included base station, which is kept plugged in and connected to Wi-Fi, communicates with the camera to make sure it is ready to record and to establish the low-frequency wireless protocol that helps it connect to the Internet.
The included 16GB microSD card is protected by 128-bit AES encryption, and any recorded recording can only be unlocked and viewed once The card is connected to the base station, which then communicates with your computer or smartphone. In this way, you can access the footage without the need for a subscription to the cloud. Eufy estimates that the card will have an average of up to 12 months of filming with normal use, although the new footage will overwrite the old footage automatically. (There is an optional cloud storage subscription of $ 2.99 per month to save and view video clips in real time). The camera, as well as the base station, are equipped with sirens in case the camera moves without disassembling it.
Live feeds can be viewed directly from the Eufy mobile application, and the app will also help you manage the artificial intelligence functions of the camera. The company says the AI helps the camera reduce unnecessary recordings, recognizing familiar faces over time, differentiating between people and pets, and using a built-in infrared sensor to trigger recording and send notifications only when it detects heat . source. The camera can be set to record continuously or only under certain parameters, such as when it detects movement, heat emitting bodies or certain faces. Eufy says that none of these features are blocked behind a subscription to the cloud, as is the case with Amazon, Nest and other intelligent manufacturers of security cameras.
There are some open questions we have about the product. According to Kickstarter's frequently asked questions, the camera can not record continuously even when connected to a power source, a feature that might be worth adding in the future. We also do not know how fast the 16 GB of storage would be used if the camera were directed to a busy part of your home or office. Eufy says on his Kickstarter page that the estimated lifetime of the battery for one year and the storage limit of 16GB is based on "10 detections of movement per day and 30 seconds each time". The company plans to sell larger microSD cards, up to 128GB.
At $ 299 for a single camera and $ 499 per pair, the EverCam is almost as expensive as Google's Nest Cam IQ Indoor / Outdoor, which has more proven artificial intelligence features. After all, we have no idea how well the AI features of EverCam work, and if you really can differentiate between people and pets or if you learn to recognize faces and reduce alerts as a result. We would have to see the camera in action, and Eufy says that the completed review units will not be available for testing until this summer.
Still, the idea of a device that can be placed virtually anywhere with little or no discomfort and no wires to deal with is very compelling. And you can not really exceed the projected battery life of up to a whole year. The product will begin to be commercialized in September and, because the project reached its original goal in Kickstarter so fast, Eufy says it will work to integrate Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa and IFTTT support. You can now back the project by writing down $ 219 for one camera (MSRP $ 329) or $ 329 for two cameras (MSRP $ 499).