Samsung targets technophobes with 'simple' Wi-Fi surveillance camera and baby monitor

1/08/2012

The Samsung WiFi IP SmartCam will be available in March for $149.99 (click to enlarge).

(Credit: Samsung Techwin America)

 

LAS VEGAS--Along with introducing its InTouch Skype HD videophone for TVs, Samsung Techwin America today rolled out two new consumer video-monitoring cameras, the WiFi IP SmartCam and WiFi Video Baby Monitor. 

Both cameras are designed to be very simple to set up and both will hit the market in March for $149.99. 

Samsung claims the set-up is basically a no-brainer, requiring a single button push (or really two). 

"Users simply locate the WPS [WiFi Protected Setup] button on the device and their home router," the company says, "and with a click of each, the two will automatically sync and the camera will be added to the network in less than 30 seconds." 

The Samsung WiFi Video Baby Monitor will also ship in March and cost $149.99 (click to enlarge).

(Credit: David Carnoy/CNET)

Once you're connected to your home network, you then create an account on SamsungSmartCam.com, where you can register your camera and view real-time footage from the device without installing any software. This is very similar to what Dropcam and a few other competitors have been offering for a while. 

Like Dropcam, Samsung says free apps will be made available for Android and iOS platforms, "allowing users to keep an eye on what's going on at home no matter where they may be." 

However, the company is quick to note one big difference between its products and those of competitors. 

The company says, "Unlike traditional IP cameras which host video on a remote video server, the Samsung SmartCam leverages peer-to-peer technology for an enhanced experience. With peer-to-peer technology, Samsung makes a one-time verification--or handshake--between the SmartCam and the device that will be used to view the footage. Once that connection is made, the SmartCam is then able to stream directly to the consumer's computer or mobile device without having to go through a remote video server that could experience significant delays with increased use." 

Both the SmartCam and Video Baby Monitor offer standard-definition video recording (640x480-pixel / 30fps / H.264) and can record events in the dark through the use of non-visible infrared LEDs (up to 15 feet). The company also says that because the cameras have an embedded microphone and speakers, they're also capable of two-way talk and can be configured to automatically record video when motion or sound is detected. 

"That footage will automatically be uploaded to a secure YouTube account and users will be notified of the event via real-time push notification," the company says.

Front and back of the Surveillance Camera (click to enlarge).

(Credit: Samsung Techwin America)

by David Carnoy | cnet.com

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Thunderbolt strikes LaCie anew, this time 2big

LaCie's Thunderbolt family of external hard drives now includes both the Little Big Disk and the LaCie 2big.

(Credit: LaCie)

  

LAS VEGAS--If LaCie's Little Big Disk Thunderbolt is, well, too little for you, get ready for this!

LaCie announced today at CES 2012 that its new LaCie 2big external hard drive now features a Thunderbolt connection. Originally, the 2big series only offered USB 2.0, FireWire, and eSATA for Macs. There's also a version that offers USB 3.0, which is geared toward Windows users.

The fact that the LaCie 2big features dual-volume, allowing for RAID 1 and RAID 0, means that Mac users now have another option, other than the Promise Pegasus, to have a fast external storage device that also offers data security. LaCie's other Thunderbolt drive, the Little Big Disk Thunderbolt, only comes with a single internal drive, hence it's susceptible to disk failure.

Similar to the Little Big Disk Thunderbolt, the new Thunderbolt-based LaCie 2big comes with two Thunderbolt ports for daisy purposes and supports no other connection types. This means it only works with Thunderbolt-enabled computers.

 

LaCie says the new Thunderbolt LaCie 2big drive will offer speeds up to three times faster than FireWire 800, its internal drives are hot-swappable, and its casing is made of solid aluminum. The drive offers up to 8TB of storage space in RAID 0 (or 4TB in RAID 1), and when two or more of the drives are daisy-chained together, performance will be increased.

The new Thunderbolt-based LaCie 2big is slated to be available in the first quarter of 2012 with pricing to be announced then. One thing you can know now, however: it will not include a Thunderbolt cable, which you'll need to purchase separately from Apple for $50.

by Dong Ngo | cnet.com

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