New App Turns Your Old iPhone into a Home Video Monitoring

System

Wouldn’t it be great If you could keep an eye on your stuff while away from the house – whether at work, running errands or on vacation? Well, actually, there already are a number of apps on the market that can do just that, including one called Manything that turns iPhones, iPods, and iPads into video monitoring cameras with live feeds, unlimited recording, motion detection, and more…possibly to the delight of homeowners insurance companies, although that is still to be determined.

What Thieves Don’t Know

Such is the case of an Oklahoma City man, who downloaded the Manything app after seeing a demonstration on the Today Show. Remarkably, it didn’t take long for the man to experience the usefulness of his download. Apparently, the app worked as intended, the proof being his ability to view, in real-time, burglars helping themselves to his stuff while he and his wife were at work.

You’re on Camera

The Manything app threw off a signal that there was motion in the home, indicating it had been broken into. Unfortunately, the man could only watch, helpless to do anything about the burglars as they roamed throughout the house, with pillowcases in hand, and grabbed whatever items they considered of value.

Contact PoliceWhile the Oklahoma City Police have yet to apprehend the thieves, they know what they look like and hope the streaming video will aid them in identifying the people who broke into the home. The obvious drawback, here, is – unless the police are contacted immediately once the breach has been detected and they arrive virtually during the break-in, the burglars are, in all probability, long gone…and, so is your stuff.

How it worksManything uses the existing camera in retired smartphones or an extra device you may have laying around to transform it into the perfect instant video monitoring solution, without the hassle and expense of having to buy any special equipment. The app takes only a few seconds to install worldwide from the iTunes App Store and, because it has the ability to run on battery and switch between W-Fi and cellular networks, it’s more powerful and resilient than the average Closed Circuit TV (CCTV) system.

The FutureCurrently, Manything represents a completely new category – one that streams and records continuously, to survive network and power outages, to detect motion and sound, and to easily create clips of the highlights you wish to share with your friends or the police..

The FutureVery soon, according to the developers of the app, it will be just as simple to integrate Manything into a home automation ecosystem, where a camera will be able to trigger, and be triggered by, other connected devices in the home.

Things to ConsiderThe advantages of potential of having an around-the-clock video monitoring at a minimal cost, using discarded smartphones, could impact homeowners insurance premiums in a positive way, should insurance companies get behind the advancing technology. Of course, you may want to check with your carrier to see if the added security qualifies you for a possible discount.

Contact Us With or without additional security features, you still want the best rate on your homeowners insurance. Why not get a free homeowners insurance quote today?

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