Ring is switching on end-to-end encryption for video worldwide, adding extra security to its camera and video doorbell streams. The expansion follows Ring's technical preview of encryption that launched earlier in the year, though which at the time was only available to users in the US.
Details and what appears to be an image of Ring's upcoming Car Cam have leaked, with the connected dash cam expected to add security both when the vehicle is parked and while it's on the move. The newest addition to Ring's line-up was actually announced in September 2020 as part of Amazon's big device launch, though at the time no pictures of the Car Cam hardware itself were shared.
Amazon Sidewalk launches this month, but I just headed into the Alexa app to make sure I wasn't automatically enrolled into the controversial shared neighborhood network. Part of Amazon's Echo and Ring products, Sidewalk makes big promises about more resilient connectivity, useful features like lost object tracking, and even helping get new smart home devices online. At the same time, though, Sidewalk and the way Amazon is launching it has given many users pause.
It might not be as big a name in tech as Google or Apple or Microsoft or in social networking like Facebook but it's hard to argue that Amazon may have actually trumped them all. Best known for its e-tailer business, Amazon's empire actually covers a whole range of industries and there seems to be no stopping its ambitions even in the face of controversy, criticism, and lawsuits. Its latest will surely put it under a microscope once more as it prepares to flip the switch on its controversial Internet sharing experiment known as Amazon Sidewalk.
Amazon Sidewalk, the controversial neighborhood network created by select Echo and Ring devices, is gaining Tile tracker integration, potentially making it easier to hunt down the AirTag rivals. In addition, Level smart locks are also adding support for Sidewalk, while more Echo devices are gaining compatibility for the technology.
ADT is suing Amazon's Ring, with the home security company arguing that Ring's "blue octagon" is a blatant copy of the signage ADT has long used. Ring began using the blue octagon design earlier this year, featuring it on its outdoor siren and in a number of yard signs intended to make clear that a property is "Protected by Ring."
Ring has a new addition to its camera-toting security light line-up, with the Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro promising smarter detection and more useful alerts. Like the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2, launched back in February, this new floodlight camera borrows tech more familiar from modern cars, with a radar sensor to power 3D Motion Detection.
Ring has revealed a new, smarter doorbell camera, with the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 borrowing sensors you might normally expect to find on cars and clever drones for a big upgrade to motion detection. The new model packs a radar sensor for 3D Motion Detection, for what Ring says is an improvement in detection along with a bird's eye view of the area around your front door.
Ring is adding a new Geofence feature to its video doorbells and security cameras, promising to cut down on unnecessary alerts as well as make more intelligent use of home/away mode. Rolling out from today, Ring Geofence sets up a virtual boundary around your home, and then uses that as a barrier to adjust which notifications and more you get from the system.
Although it is still mired in privacy controversy, Amazon's Ring video doorbells remain one of the most popular brands in that specific market. It's so popular that there are almost a dozen models just for the video doorbell alone. Of course, there's always room for one more and Best Buy accidentally revealed one that's coming in over a month, bringing a much-needed upgrade to the Ring Video Doorbell Pro with features that seem to be opportune for today's health situation.
Ring Video Doorbell customers are getting a variety of new capabilities in the form of Smart Responses, including Alexa Greetings, Motion Warnings, and Quick Replies. With these features, users can have Alexa greet visitors, get more information about why they're visiting, offer directions for delivery services, and more.
Smart doorbells are convenient not just because they connect to the Internet but because they can also take photos and videos of who's at the door. Many of these rely on motion sensors to trigger their cameras which, in turn, can often have a wider and farther view than just what's immediately in front of your door. That has made these smart video doorbells interesting for law enforcers and almost 2,000 of these are now enlisted as partners that can request a copy of what the Amazon Ring may or may not have seen.