Answer: I don’t know if there really is one… especially once a new device called “Point” is formally introduced at Engadget Expand NY this week.
The team behind Point calls it a new, softer approach to home security; rather than a camera-based system that relies on peeking into your home, Point listens to the normal sounds of your home, senses what’s in the air and then lets you know if anything is amiss. Designed to only alert the user to things they care about, the system monitors for the sounds of windows breaking, alarms sounding, guests arriving or the presence of smoke and more.
Point connects via WiFi, keeping users in touch with the device wherever they are. The device is small (only 80mm or just over 3 inches) in diameter and unbranded (as expected from it’s Scandinavian lineage). In other words, the Point is designed to blend in anywhere. Perhaps even more importantly, the Point runs on normal batteries — placement is not limited by access to an outlet and tests indicate that batteries will only need to be changed once a year.
Peace of mind when you’re away from home shouldn’t have to mean cameras at the dinner table.
–Nils Mattisson, Founder and CEO of Form Devices
Point uses an elegantly designed application to set rules for responding to events; color-coded back-lighting of the device can indicate if there is a loud noise at night with a red glow or remind users to be respectful to neighbors by glowing yellow if sound levels are too high late at night.
Point is now available for pre-order on Kickstarter and is expected to ship worldwide this summer. Special early-bird offers are still available as of the time of this publication, but they will likely be gone soon… the campaign has raised more than half of it’s goal in less than 12 hours.
[button link=”https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/830527119/point-a-softer-take-on-home-security” window=”yes”]Back the Point Kickstarter Project[/button]
The Architechnologist will be following up with Form Devices and getting some time with the prototype Point at Engadget Expand NY on Friday (they are a finalist pitching during the InsertCoin competition at the event as well) — we will bring you any updates after the event.