Month: July 2017

How to Eliminate False Motion Alerts on a Nest Cam

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One of the best features on a Nest Cam is the ability to receive motion alerts.  Unfortunately one of the most frustrating features on a Nest Cam is dealing with motion alerts.  Especially false motion alerts.  So today we will discuss how to eliminate false motion alerts on a Nest Cam or at least how to minimize them. False motion alerts drive me nuts.  In the beginning, I pick up the phone every time I receive a motion alert to see what’s going on.  Turns out the alert occurred because the leaves on the tree moved or, even more comical, the lights went … Read more

The Best Place to Put a Nest Cam and How to Put it There

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In addition to all the hardware improvements that came with the Nest Cam, a new mount was introduced.  Proper use of the mount and positioning of the Nest Cam will make a significant difference in video quality and usefulness of the camera.  This article will show you how to select the best place to put a Nest Cam and how to put it there.  Although this article is written with Nest Cam in mind, the concepts presented can apply to many other cameras, especially the predecessor of Nest Cam which is called the DropCam Pro. Your Nest Cam came with a … Read more

How to Setup an Alarm Schedule on a Samsung SmartCam Camera

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The Samsung SmartCam security cameras come with a lot of features, some of which are only available through their web site.  An alarm schedule is one of those features. This article will show you how to setup an alarm schedule for your Samsung SmartCam.  It’s not hard when you know how to do it.  Like most home security cameras, the included documentation is minimal so this information isn’t easy to find. What’s an Alarm Schedule? An alarm schedule is a way to tell your camera when motion or sound alerts should be monitored.  Everyone is probably working between 9 and 5 … Read more

Nest Cam Versus Samsung SmartCam HD Plus

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Now that I have had some time to play around with these two cameras, I thought it appropriate to compare them head to head.  It’s showdown of two of the most popular manufacturers of cameras.  It’s Nest Cam versus Samsung SmartCam HD Plus (Samsung Model Number SNH-V6414BN).  We look at the most important rating criteria and give our opinion which is the better in that category. We previously wrote detailed reviews on these cameras if you would like to read all about them first: Nest Cam Review Samsung SmartCam HD Plus Review Let’s get on with our head to head analysis. … Read more

How to Setup Gmail on a Samsung SmartCam Security Camera

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Most Samsung SmartCam models made since 2014 have the capability of sending out event alerts using Gmail.  As of mid-2016, Gmail is the only supported email provider for alerts on the Samsung Smartcam series.  I suppose the SMTP server name must be coded in the SmartCam firmware but that’s just my guess. I learned how to do this the hard way as I missed quite a few alerts since what I thought was setup was not working.  It all depends upon the level of security that is established for your gmail account.  Those with 2-step authentication are the ones that are … Read more

How to Select the Right Baby Monitor Camera

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Many home security cameras can be used as a baby monitor.  However, not all will provide features that are important for monitoring a sleeping baby.  We look at features we believe to be important when selecting a baby monitor so that you can build a list of what’s important.  This will help you to select the best home security camera for your baby monitor needs. Event Detection In my opinion, this is the most vital of home security cameras that are required for a baby cam.  Even detection refers to the ability to send an alert based upon something that just happened.  That … Read more

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