review

myQ Smart Garage Camera is an Interesting Addon for Chamberlain and Liftmaster Owners

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The myQ Smart Garage Camera is one of those niche security cameras that is best suited for owners of a garage door opener that works with the myQ ecosystem.  That’s primarily Liftmaster and Chamberlain. It’s a basic camera that integrates into the myQ application that allows the user to see what’s outside the garage door as it opens.  It aligns the video image into the history log to permit immediate reference of the associated video.  When we say immediate, we mean immediate.  That’s because without a video archival subscription, you cannot see past events. The myQ Smart Garage Camera has … Read more

Blink XT2 Smart Security Camera Review

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The Blink XT2 Outdoor/Indoor Smart Security Camera is the latest entry from Blink.  Most specs are the same from the prior generation.  The introduction of two-way talk via a rear mounted speaker and enhanced recording ability set this apart from the earlier generations. We encountered the first generation from Blink two years ago.  The Blink Home Security System was a decent wireless camera but was still a work in progress.  Seeing the opportunity for an outdoor model, the Blink XT was introduced and we liked this a lot.  The Blink XT2 builds upon the older XT so readers shouldn’t be … Read more

Blink Mini Goes Traditional with Wired Connectivity

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The opportunity to review the Blink Mini Indoor Smart Security Camera was greeted as a welcome diversion from all the scary pandemic news.  Breaking away from their traditional wireless battery powered cameras, Blink decided to give the traditional wired model a shot.  They did a nice job. We encountered the first generation from Blink several years ago.  The Blink Home Security System was a their first generation and is still their wireless indoor camera offering as of April, 2020.  Two additional wireless entries were introduced including the Blink XT and Blink XT2.  Both are suitable as indoor or outdoor wireless … Read more

The Blink Mini Pan-Tilt Mount Overview

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This is an interesting product.  Rather than come out with their own pan and tilt camera, Blink decided to come out with a mount that fits a camera released three years prior.  They call it the Blink Mini Pan-Tilt Mount. What is Pan and Tilt? We always liked the Blink Mini.  Basic features and extremely well priced.  And most importantly, very reliable.  But that’s it.  Nothing special. Until now. The Blink Mini Pan-Tilt Mount breathes additional life into this camera model.  Rather than sitting on a shelf and sucking in the 110 degree field of view, this mount permits the … Read more

Ring Solar Panel Plus Sun Equals Power Almost Anywhere

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The Ring Solar Panel is an interesting accessory.  I like to see a company think out of the box.  That’s exactly what Ring did when they designed this product. We wrote an article titled Alternative Power Sources for Home Security Cameras several months back.  In this article we detailed how to power a home security camera when an AC power outlet wasn’t nearby.  We looked at a few options including Power Over Ethernet (POE) and how to turn a light socket into an AC adapter.  We didn’t look at solar because this product was unknown to us.  That recently changed after stumbling upon … Read more

Ring Video Doorbell Review

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A common problem for those looking to monitor the outside of the house is finding a feature rich camera that can overcome the weather elements and power challenges.  The Ring Video Doorbell has a lot of that figured out.  The Ring Video Doorbell replaces your current doorbell or can be added as a brand new doorbell to homes that do not have a traditional doorbell connection. This is the first generation of video doorbell from Ring.  Unlike the second generation, only the first generation supports battery power.  The newer generation requires a hardwire. Software You can access the Ring Video … Read more

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