Originally published at: https://boingboing.net/2019/12/02/5-smart-video-doorbells-with-a.html
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No concerns about security or privacy with any of these?
It seems really odd for Boing Boing to hawk these things with no mention at all of the problems that many of these internet-of-things cameras have.
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The real bummer is that putting boingboingshop into the “ignore” list does not hide these advertisements away.
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Yeah. Once again, the stuff BoingBoing shills for in their adverts seems to be at total odds with their editorial standpoint. How can you blog about video doorbells creating an orwellian nightmare, and also advertise some handy cheap options for readers?
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Because the stack social algorithm sees that Cory and Rob et AL have said “doorbell cameras” a bunch of times.
It frankly wouldn’t be surprising if the BoingBoing store tried to sell racist murderer police from all the mentions.
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I am on my second video doorbell.
First had a Ring several years ago but uninstalled it because I did not want to be a monthly revenue stream just so I could see the saved videos. Long after that the police panopticon stuff came up. Remains on my workbench in the garage.
Now I have a Uniden U-Bell I bought because the data sheet said it would be visible as an IP camera and that the thing will save video to internal SD card storage and playback over the net. Turns out the phone app is crap, the device does not support wireless n (which my Google mesh only supports), and even after I put an old b/g wifi point on my network for the doorbell to talk to the connection is still bad. Looking to replace that one now too.
My requirements are not that complex:
Support wifi N
Be visible as an IP camera with H.264 or H.323 so I can save the stream to my NAS via iSpy on my PC in the garage.
Run off the 24 volt doorbell circuit.
Ring the legacy doorbell chime in the house when someone presses the button.
Don’t require a subscription fee to use the features of the device.
Bonus points if there is an open API to the device.
Of course the descriptions of the five products in the post are not definitive on these.
Let us know what you get. Please
I always thought that BB is at an interesting nexus. Blog as they already do about the many security issues around IOT devices. Then, search for, test and highlight devices that do have good security and make some well earned money off selling these devices. of course the obvious response, is that no such devices exist. Which kind of boggles the mind that at least one company wouldn’t see the secure-security device niche as profitable.
I don’t think these items are tested and highlighted as having good security. I think they are just piles of shit like all the other internet-connected doorbells and video cameras. I’m pretty sure BB doesn’t curate these ads at all, they just feed us whatever their corporate sponsors would like us to buy.
It’s really very disappointing.
Yes, I am certain that they don’t know what will come through the sales pipe. And I can appreciate the upsides of having a store that just magically refreshes what is available.
But I can still dream of a BB store that is curated by the editors here in a way that if it is in the store, then you you know it is built well and is secure.
FWIW, I have bought a few items from the store over the years. Nothing IOT of course. But some basic electronic items I have bought there have served me well and also a tech course for $20ish when I needed a refresher.
I’m willing to spend money there to help keep the BB lights on, if the item is something I need and meets sensible standards on quality and security (when that applies). I’ve have heard as much from most of the regular folks here.
I buy t-shirts from the old BB merch store on occasion. I like the Areceboing design.
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I found this post but the link to the shirt just takes me to the top of the current shop. Then I lost my momentum.
It was the old store, which is deprecated now.
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Oh I see. I thought maybe it was still alive in some half hidden stealth mode.
That deserves a drink of your choice.
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The non technical person’s guide to building products and apps.
Aka
How to be unnecessary middle management.
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I have spent the last 3 days trying to parse feature requests from non-technical people (that make a fuckton more money than I do). I’ve had more concise fever dreams. The last one sounded a bit like how trump speaks with random phrases interjected.
I typed up a page of notes calling out every single point that made no sense and exactly why. I barely stopped myself from pasting it all into the feature request. Instead I sent it to my manager that knows the executive that wrote this is an idiot and will deliver my feedback in away that doesn’t get me fired.
I am speechless at how illiterate (Technically and English) this guy is. You know him. He leaves at 2:30 to play racket ball when he is supposed to be in bug triage to address post patch issue that needs to be addressed ASAP.
[deeeeep breath]
[deeeeep breath]
[deeeeep breath]
Ok. Better now.
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