Waterdipper
Waterdipper's Stats
- Review Count12
- Helpfulness Votes21
- First ReviewMarch 23, 2015
- Last ReviewDecember 23, 2017
- Featured Reviews0
- Average Rating4.7
Reviews Comments
- Review Comment Count0
- Helpfulness Votes0
- First Review CommentNone
- Last Review CommentNone
- Featured Review Comments0
Questions
- Question Count0
- Helpfulness Votes0
- First QuestionNone
- Last QuestionNone
- Featured Questions0
- Answer Count3
- Helpfulness Votes40
- First AnswerMarch 23, 2015
- Last AnswerDecember 29, 2017
- Featured Answers0
- Best Answers1
Canary - Indoor Wireless Full HD All-In-One Home Security System
Secure your home and get help in seconds with this Canary all-in-one home security system. The small footprint doesn't take up much space and lets you monitor your home, infant or pets at a glance. This Canary all-in-one home security system offers one-touch access to emergency services with the compatible app.
Nifty device, getting better
Customer Rating
5.0
I'm going to say up front, I really like this product and have no regrets purchasing it. That being said, as with any product, there are start-up blips and things that could be better.
The unit was easy to install - just follow the directions and you should be up and running in less than 20 minutes, assuming you have a good strong WiFi signal or can link the unit to your router by Ethernet cable.
The functionality of Canary is almost excellent - high quality video image (but see below), simple operation that works pretty much as advertised. The unit also monitors and records the last ~24 hours of temperature, humidity, and air quality at the location of the unit. This could be useful means of detecting a problem with your HVAC/air handling system when you're away. The air quality function is interesting, but they need more info on how to interpret it.
Activation of the different modes (see below) is based on detection or absence of occupants (really, their cell phones) who have been registered and paired with the Canary unit. These operations are controlled via a cell phone App that has been somewhat less than excellent (mine is the iPhone version). The App has not always automatically updated the presence of all registered occupants (I will refer to "all registered occupants" simply as "occupants" from here on) when one or more has been away and comes home. Eventually it does, usually once I do something in the App, like open the icon for that person, or just touch the Mode setting button. Sometimes there's a delay in seeing a list of detected events for the current day. This hasn't been a big problem, but it should be able to update itself without me having to do anything. Another problem that doesn't occur often, but does occur, is the unit sometimes has frozen and had to be rebooted to function or communicate properly (such as detecting the presence of occupants) and update associated event records.
The couple of times I've activated a "help ticket" for a problem or question, I've gotten responses within 24 hours. There is an FAQ section that seems to be expanding, and thus improving with time. But don't try to phone - no phone # provided.
There are three mode settings: privacy (camera and mic are off, no watch-live function); disarmed (camera & mic are active and will record if and when motion is detected, but will not send alerts, watch-live enabled), and armed (motion activates recording, sends an alert, watch-live enabled, you can also activate the siren through the App &/or call the police). To avoid a lot of unnecessary recording activity, the unit can be set to automatically switch to a selected default mode, such as privacy, when at least one occupant is home and automatically switch to the armed mode when none of the occupants are detected. You can also set this to manual, so the system will not activate when no occupants are present unless you activate it through the App. This is useful if you have visitors staying who are not registered to the system, but whom may be present when all (registered) occupants are out, so it doesn't send you alerts and record what they're doing.
Motion detection is a bit sensitive - it definitely detects when people enter the frame, but it also detects "activity" when there in no obvious motion in the resulting video record. There is a learning function that allows you to enter the types of things that were present in the video, e.g., shadows, sunlight, reflections, computer & TV screens, pets, people, etc. I don't know how long it takes to desensitize itself or how it works to filter these none-threat things, such as pets.
Video quality is excellent in daylight or under reasonable room-lighting conditions at night. The quality seems to deteriorate slightly under low-light/dark-of-night/night-vision conditions. Deterioration is not bad, but distant objects (more than ~10-12 feet) are grainy; I'm not sure how clearly recognizable a distant person would be under those conditions, but if they came close enough to the Canary unit they would be pretty clear, even at low light. This is not unusual - same deterioration happens with most digital cameras under the same type of conditions. There is also a light ring at the bottom that activates when in the disarmed or armed mode, which tells you (and anyone else who notices) that the unit is in a recording mode. It changes color and/or blinks to alert you to connection problems. One problem associated with this light ring is that if the Canary unit is on a shiny surface (such as on top of a refrigerator) I think the light reduces the night-vision of the unit under dark-room conditions. Light from the ring reflects off nearby surfaces and (in my opinion) reduces the low-light sensitivity of the camera, albeit slightly. This mainly affects the ability to see movements and objects in darker areas furthest from the unit (>15-20 feet away, depending on actual low-light conditions).
When you first activate your account, you're automatically placed in a trial service plan that would normally cost ~$10 per month, but is initially free. I don't know how long the free trial lasts, but I'm guessing 30 days. There are also more expensive fee plans. The free trial plan saves up to 7 days of records and allows you to store up to 50 selected video clips. The standard always-free plan only saves the last 12 hours of records and store only up to 5 clips. All records and video clips are saved on a Canary-provided Internet website, not locally, and not on your cell phone.
I wish the free plan would keep 24 hours of records - 12 hours seems a bit short and makes it much easier to miss and lose a detection event, especially if you're out of WiFi and cell data range for a while (my guess is this is designed to push you towards a monthly fee plan). Assuming you've got one or the other, you should receive an alert by email or text as soon as an alarmed activation occurs and thus, the record will be available. However, say you get an alert, check the record, and discover someone who shouldn't be there. You can phone the police (Emergency #'s for your Canary location are automatically listed) and save the video to your Canary account so it doesn't get removed after 12 hours, but you have no way to send it to the police. And you can't save it to your cell phone. That doesn't help if you're on a trip, days to weeks from coming home.
My understanding is that the Canary team is constantly working to improve the product, so I assume it will get even better with time. For the most part issues have been minor and overall, the product may be an excellent alternative to expensive home security monitoring services. I'd suggest anyone interested in this device check the website and read through their FAQs and also the trouble-shooting documents, as they provide a lot of insight.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Verified Purchaser:Yes
My Best Buy number: 0048219174
My Best Buy number: 0048219174
+13points
16out of 19found this review helpful.
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Logitech - M325 Wireless Optical Ambidextrous Mouse - Silver
Logitech Wireless Mouse M325. A better mix of precision and comfort-with designed-for-Web scrolling. Designed for how you use the Web, our newest micro-precise scrolling makes everything you love to do online easier. Its feel-good, contoured shape and textured grips help keep your hand happy-even after long hours. And with up to 18 months of battery life, it virtually eliminates the hassle of changing batteries.*
Easy to install, comfortable fit
Customer Rating
5.0
The Logitech Wireless optical mouse installed easily - just plug-in the receiver (don't forget to turn-on the mouse itself - power switch on the bottom) and wait for the drivers to load. Its small form factor makes it easy to transport and yet it still fits nicely into my hand. Responsiveness was fine. No issues.
I would recommend this to a friend!
Verified Purchaser:Yes
My Best Buy number: 0048219174
My Best Buy number: 0048219174
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0out of 0found this review helpful.
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Waterdipper's Questions
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Waterdipper's Answers
Resideo - Wi-Fi Water Leak and Freeze Detector - White
Protect your home from water damage with the white Resideo smart leak detector. This Bluetooth enabled device mounts onto any wall or floor near a water source, and the removable cable sensor detects leaks and low temperatures. Install the Resideo smart leak detector app on your smartphone to receive notifications when water or freezing temperatures are detected.
Is the cable sensor pictured in the photos included with this item?
Yes. I purchased mine via Best Buy & the cable sensor was included. I had no problem with set-up and when I tested it (by placing the main unit on a thin puddle of water), the response was just as described in the User Manual. I will likely buy 1 or 2 more.
6 years, 5 months ago
by
Posted by:
Waterdipper
Logitech - M325 Wireless Optical Ambidextrous Mouse - Silver
Logitech Wireless Mouse M325. A better mix of precision and comfort-with designed-for-Web scrolling. Designed for how you use the Web, our newest micro-precise scrolling makes everything you love to do online easier. Its feel-good, contoured shape and textured grips help keep your hand happy-even after long hours. And with up to 18 months of battery life, it virtually eliminates the hassle of changing batteries.*
Is green light supposed to be solid or go off after a few seconds?
The battery is new but the green light still goes off after a few seconds and never comes back on unless I turn it off and restart it. Is this defective?
Mine stays green. The manual says the light will turn red or not glow at all if the battery needs to be replaced. So there isn't any information that a blinking green light means anything specific, which also suggests it's not normal.
9 years, 2 months ago
by
Posted by:
Waterdipper
from
Michigan
Logitech - M325 Wireless Optical Ambidextrous Mouse - Silver
Logitech Wireless Mouse M325. A better mix of precision and comfort-with designed-for-Web scrolling. Designed for how you use the Web, our newest micro-precise scrolling makes everything you love to do online easier. Its feel-good, contoured shape and textured grips help keep your hand happy-even after long hours. And with up to 18 months of battery life, it virtually eliminates the hassle of changing batteries.*
what is the piece called that plugs into your laptop to make the wireless mouse work and can you buy that piece if you already have the mouse?
what is the piece called that plugs into your laptop to make the wireless mouse work and can you buy that piece if you already have the mouse?
The part you're referring to is called a "receiver" or "nano-receiver". You can purchase it separately, just Google "Logitech Unifying USB Receiver" and make sure what you pick is specified for your mouse model.
9 years, 2 months ago
by
Posted by:
Waterdipper
from
Michigan