Ring, the smart home security company owned by Amazon, debuted a bevy of new security devices last week during Amazon’s annual hardware launch event.
While many of the company’s new releases centered around extending their line of products to the automotive sector, Ring also unveiled several new home security offerings including an indoor drone camera. Dubbed “Ring Always Home Cam,” the drone is designed give homeowners a variety of viewpoints throughout their home without the burden of having to purchase multiple cameras.
When used in conjunction with Ring Alarm, the drone will fly the appropriate paths to check for potential disturbances when an alarm sensor is triggered. To address privacy concerns, the drone only records video when in flight and makes an audible sound while it is flying. When not in use, it remains in the dock where the camera is physically blocked.
In addition to the drone cam, Ring also announced a mailbox sensor. The Ring Mailbox Sensor sends notifications to the Ring app or Alexa-enabled devices when mail arrives or when the mailbox is opened.
Ring is also beefing up its cybersecurity by offering users end-to-end encryption for recorded video footage. Later this year, the company said that customers will be able to turn on video end-to-end encryption for compatible devices from the video encryption page within the “Control Center” dashboard in its app that enables users to manage their security and privacy settings.
“Privacy and security guide everything we do at Ring and we are always looking for ways to deliver more user control and improve our customers’ experience,” said Leila Rouhi, President of Ring. “We are proud to be one of the first major players in the smart home security space to offer video End-to-End Encryption as part of our home security solutions.”
Company Places Emphasis on Automotive Security
Ring also introduced several new products that it is calling “Ring of Security for Cars,” which is a combination of three new solutions — Ring Car Alarm, Ring Car Cam, and Ring Car Connect – designed to prevent motor vehicle theft and break-ins.
Ring Car Alarm is a wireless device that plugs into the OBD-II port, available in 99% of cars on the road in the U.S. today, and sends alerts to users regarding bumps, break-ins, tows, and more. When an event is detected, Ring Car Alarm sends a real-time alert via the Ring app, enabling users to then trigger its siren.
Ring Car Cam also actively monitors for bumps and attempted break-ins and if an event is detected, it can send a real-time alert to the user’s phone where they can then check in and see what is happening in and around the vehicle via the Ring app over Wi-Fi or from anywhere via LTE (with an optional connectivity plan).
It also helps users stay safe with “Emergency Crash Assist,” which requests help from first responders at the car’s location whenever a serious crash is detected, even if the user can’t make the call themselves. Additional features include “Traffic Stop,” which lets drivers simply say, “Alexa, I’m being pulled over,” to record the interaction and save it to the cloud. The device also features privacy controls like a physical camera shutter to electronically disable the interior video and audio.
Ring Car Connect is an API for car manufacturers that enables customers to receive mobile alerts for detected events, watch recorded vehicle video footage, and see important vehicle information such as if the car is locked or unlocked. Any auto manufacturer can integrate on the service starting now. The first compatible vehicles for Ring Car Connect are Tesla models 3, X, S, and Y. Once users install this aftermarket device, they can watch Tesla Sentry Mode and recorded driving footage in the Ring app over Wi-Fi or from anywhere via LTE.
