The Boblov W4 is a wearable camera that looks to compete for a place amongst the best action cameras, or, more specifically, the best POV cameras. With the ability to mount the camera using either a 360-degree rotatable clip or an innovative magnetic clip, the W4 is designed to be worn on any type of clothing.

The lack of a display will be a problem for some, but if you're looking for a very simple and compact wearable camera without too many bells and whistles, then this is it. And, with prices starting at just $59.99, it doesn't get any more affordable than this, especially for 4K recording.

Serious security professionals (recognising the Boblov brand's heritage), who require superior durability and better video recording quality, will want one of the best body cameras instead. Or if it's a vehicle that you need to keep an eye on, then one of the best dash cams will offer a more targeted set of features.

Boblov W4: Specifications

Boblov W4: Price & Availability

The Boblov W4 features external TF card (MicroSD) storage, but it can be purchased with three different capacities of card. The smallest is 32GB, which costs $59.99; the second is 64GB, which costs $69.99 / £57.99; and finally, 128GB costs $79.99 / £79.99.

At these prices, this is an affordable solution for capturing memories either as you go about your day or while on vacation. The lack of a display is a little limiting, but its absence is required to keep the size of the device so small.

If you'd like a similar-sized POV action camera but with a display, the solution is a premium verison like the Insta360 Go 3S which comes with case that it connects to wirelessly and features a display. The downside is that it's around five times the price.

From a security perspective, a similar offering to the W4, is the Transcend DrivePro Body 30, which costs around $180 / £180 for the 64GB model.

Boblov W4: Build and handling

The BOBLOV W4 is a compact action camera with a simple design that focuses on getting the basics right. Constructed from sturdy plastic composite, the case is strong enough to withstand inevitable knocks and drops, which I can confirm firsthand, after accidentally dropping it several times onto a wooden floor.

The lens is, of course, located at the front, protruding from the case with a simple housing which causes it to sit proud by a few millimeters. Also on the front is the action power/record button and a status light. The button sits flush with the front face and cannot be pressed accidentally.

The TF card slot and USB port (for charging and data transfer) are located on the side, with a rubber cover providing the necessary protection from dust and water splashes. That said, the W4 doesn't boast a waterproof rating, so don't go subjecting it to too much water. Inserting and removing the TF card is a little fiddly, although not enough to make the process overly frustrating.

The W4 ships with two clothing attachments, namely a traditional 360-degree rotatable back clip and an adjustable-length magnetic lanyard. Both attachments are well made and solid enough to withstand regular use. I'm a big fan of the lanyard which attaches to the camera through clothing via a super-strong magnet, and I didn't experience any issues with it losing connection, even when exercising.

Boblov W4: Performance

After being so impressed with the design of the W4, I was excited to see if Boblov had managed to deliver equally impressive results in the area of video quality. The answer was yes and no, and considering the small sensor size, this was no surprise.

When filming outdoors or in a well-lit room, the W4 was able to deliver a reasonably exposed image. Mid-range levels were represented with vibrant color and a good amount of clarity. Unfortunately, it struggled with very bright white objects, which the camera overexposed and subjected to a hazing artefact.

Issues continued when filming in low light, with the sensor simply unable to capture sufficient detail in the dark areas of a shot. The result was a significant amount of noise and blotchiness which, at times, made the output almost unusable.

More positively, the 4K resolution ensured clarity across the entire image, even at the edges of the wide 120-degree field of view. As for the wide-angle, it's not as wide as the Boblov KJ23PRO, for example, but it's wide enough to deliver that classic action-cam picture.

Boblov's specs state that there is a JPG photo format, but I wasn't able to find out how to enter into this mode. The user manual only details how to use video mode, and so I wonder if this is, in fact, the only mode. If this is the case, that's a little disappointing.

Battery life is respectable for an action camera, but if you're looking to use it to capture body cam footage over an extended shift, then you'll run into problems. In reality, the 800mAh battery provides little more than 90 minutes when recording 4K or 180 minutes when you drop the resolution to 1080p.

Boblov W4: Overall Verdict

The Boblov W4 excels in the area of design. In fact, I was so impressed with the engineering and implementation that I had to double-check the price. The magnetic clip implementation in particular was a strength, providing a viable mounting option even through the thickest of shirts.

The compact form factor of the device means the sensor is very small. This didn't prove to be a problem in optimal lighting conditions, but as soon as I recorded in low-light settings, the technology just couldn't cope, resulting in an uncomfortable level of image noise.

The device features an 800 mAh battery which gives around 90 minutes of use when recording 4K or 180 minutes when the resolution is reduced to 1080p. This is reasonable for an action camera, but if you're needing to record footage throughout a work shift, then it's seriously lacking.

The W4 won't blow anyone away with its output, but for an affordable action camera, it exceeds expectations. If it's a first action camera that you're after or a device to capture memories without worrying too much about top-level quality, then the W4 won't let you down.

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It's well worth checking our guide to the best body cameras, though if your needs tend more toward video quality than long battery life, perhaps check the best action cameras. Don't forget you might even save on your car insurance with one of the best dash cams.

The KJ23PRO 2K is produced by BOBLOV, a well-known independent Chinese brand that has built a solid reputation when it comes to the best body cameras. This latest offering is a heavily upgraded model in their KJ product line, acting as a successor to the popular BOBLOV KJ21.

Previous models were focused on uniform wear, but the KJ23PRO 2K adopts a dual-purpose design by including a car bracket and suction mount, allowing it to seamlessly shift from a traditional wearable device to a fully functioning dashcam.

This new hybrid purpose addresses the need for continuous monitoring, making the product ideal for law enforcement, private security professionals, and outdoor workers who require a smooth transition between in-the-field recording and vehicular monitoring. That said, if you want a dedicated camera for your car or van, then one of the best dash cams will offer superior results.

The model I tested is the 2K version, although a 4K alternative is available. The huge 4000mAh internal battery is capable of 15 hours of continuous recording, which is more than enough to cover long work shifts. The KJ23PRO 2K is ultimately a solid offering in a crowded market.

BOBLOV KJ23PRO 2K: Specifications

BOBLOV KJ23PRO 2K: Price & Availability

The 128 GB model of the KJ23PRO costs a very reasonable $109 US / £99.99 / $170 AUS. Other storage options include the 256 GB model for $130 US / £129.99 / $210 AUS and the 64 GB alternative for $100 US / £79.99 / $140 AUS.

The KJ23PRO offers excellent value for money, sitting comfortably between budget-friendly and higher-end alternatives. The fact that you get 2K video with a massive 4000mAh battery that delivers up to 15 hours of continuous recording makes the device very good value for money.

That said, the lack of Electronic Image Stabilization (EIS) or built-in GPS is disappointing. Alternatives to consider include the MIUFLY S2 Pro 2K which adds GPS and password protection but sacrifices video sharpness, as well as the Transcend DrivePro Body 40, which offers advanced features like Wi-Fi and superior build quality.

The bottom line is that the KJ23PRO undercuts higher-end options while offering better battery life and resolution than cheaper entry-level models.

BOBLOV KJ23PRO 2K: Build and handling

The KJ23PRO is a utilitarian, industrial-looking blocky body camera featuring an ultra-compact and lightweight footprint, making it ideal for front-line deployment. In the hand it's pretty hefty, but when mounted to clothing, its weight is hardly noticeable. At just 90 grams there won't be any sign of physical fatigue during long shifts.

The unit is constructed primarily from composite plastic and will clearly survive heavy daily wear and tear. I hit the case against my solid wooden desk, and it didn't even leave a mark. The case also features a matte, textured finish which diffuses light to reduce tactical visibility and provides a non-slip surface for reliable gripping in wet environments.

Speaking of water, the KJ23PRO boasts an IP66 weatherproofing rating, making the body highly resistant to water and dust ingress. The charging and data transfer USB-C port is also sealed to protect the inner workings of the device.

The layout of the lens, lights, buttons, and display lends itself to a straightforward user experience. The front houses the camera and is flanked by high-intensity infrared (IR) LED emitters arranged symmetrically.

On the back is an integrated 2-inch LCD screen that lacks high-end quality but is sufficient enough for reviewing footage. The display is protected by thick bezels, although it still sits flush with the case and is therefore at risk of being damaged when knocked.

All operational buttons are generously separated and provide tactile feedback so you know when they've been pressed. The record button is also colored red so it can be found quickly.

The case includes a robust, heavy-duty shoe-style mounting point that enables the body camera to be mounted to shirts, jackets, uniform pockets, and vehicle windshields or dashboards. All of these mounts are shipped with the camera. All in, it's a well-built and well-designed unit.

BOBLOV KJ23PRO 2K: Performance

Let's get straight into what matters most, the video quality. The camera tops out at 2560x1440 px, although this can be reduced if you'd like to save disk space. All resolutions record at 30 fps, so there are no slow-mo capabilities. Cycling through resolutions as well as all other settings is super straightforward thanks to the simple color menu interface.

I can only describe the quality of the video as reasonable. It's fairly clear, although quite grainy, and blacks are heavily crunched. The lens and sensor had no problems during predictable lighting conditions, although it struggled to expose faces correctly when the sky was bright.

More positively, the wide-angle lens maximises the chances of evidence being captured, and the quality of footage, even at the edges of the picture, is clear enough. The lack of image stabilization and GPS tracking is disappointing, although at this price point, their absence is unsurprising.

Unfortunately, the photo quality is almost unusable even at the highest 38 MP resolution. Photos are grainy, lacking clarity, and struggle with motion blur. The image quality is marginally better towards the centre of the picture, but even this still suffers from heavy grain.

The display is large enough and clear enough to review footage. It also works well in bright sunlight. The speaker is a little tinny, although dialog is recorded and played back with sufficient clarity.

One of the selling points of the KJ23PRO is its 15 hours of battery life (1080p resolution), which is more than enough to last an extended shift. Recharging the battery from empty to full takes four hours, which makes it possible to recharge in between shifts.

The KJ23PRO can be mounted on clothing and as a dashcam. Switching between these is simple and effortless thanks to the robust and well-engineered mounts. Spring-loaded clips are solid and dependable.

BOBLOV KJ23PRO 2K: Overall Verdict

The KJ23PRO is a rugged, budget-friendly hybrid camera that excels when it comes to versatility. It confidently fulfils a dual-purpose role, equally able to mount to clothing as it is to a windshield.

The standout feature for me is the massive 4000mAh battery, which served up around 15 hours of continuous recording, more than enough to comfortably power through an extended work shift.

The build quality is high with a composite plastic casing that is tough enough to withstand knocks. I also appreciated the IP66 weatherproofing and the matte, textured finish for extra grip in the rain.

Video quality is reasonable enough and absolutely usable for providing clear evidence of events. Unfortunately the camera struggles to capture clear images, with photos subject to heavy grain.

Ultimately, if you only plan on capturing video and can live without high-end bells and whistles, its unmatched battery life and rugged durability make it a solid choice.

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It's well worth checking our guide to the best body cameras, though if your needs tend more toward video quality than long battery life, perhaps check the best action cameras. Don't forget you might even save on your car insurance with one of the best dash cams.

Security is vital for any business, but it doesn’t need to be a hassle. Dahua Technology’s WITHS brand stands at the forefront of surveillance solutions, thanks to its philosophy of simple, smart, and secure. It allows small and medium-sized businesses to easily install intelligent watchful eyes to help protect their property, employees and customers.

A lot of security cameras have complex installations requiring structural work to install cabling. Dahua Technology’s innovative Wi-Fi Solar Security System changes the game in this respect. Powered by the sun, it requires no external power source. Simply mount it anywhere for instant protection. Reliable Wi-Fi keeps you connected in real-time, while smart AI alerts you to potential security risks.

Dahua WITHS is now taking another leap forward with three innovative new products, the Apollo BP3EW-4G and the upcoming Hero Series H3JE & H5JE and the Hero Series H3JS & H5JS. Let’s dive in and take a look at what makes them different.

Apollo BP3EW-4G

At the heart of the lineup is the Apollo BP3EW-4G. With a robust 10,000mAh battery, 8W solar panel and Wi-Fi connectivity, it doesn’t need a power cord or an Ethernet cable. It’s easy to install and provides continuous operation with minimal maintenance.

You’re probably thinking, what if it’s cloudy? The solar panel can actually sustain all-day operation with just two hours of sunlight, so it won’t let you down on short winter days. The panel is waterproof and dustproof (IP66), ensuring reliable performance in even the most challenging weather conditions.

Finding the perfect vantage point for full coverage can be a challenge. The Apollo BP3EW-4G solves this with a wide field of view and 360° pan-and-tilt capability, effectively eliminating blind spots. There’s no need to check signs of activity manually – its intelligent AI detection distinguishes between humans and vehicles, sending you real-time alerts only when it matters.

In Always-On Video mode, the camera will detect movement up to 30 meters away. Upon detection, it will send you an alert via the DMSS app, and it will start recording at a higher frame rate to capture more detail of what’s happening. WizColor technology captures vivid colour, giving you a much clearer picture when it comes to playback.

During periods of inactivity, the camera shifts back to lower frame rates to save power while you get on with running your business.

Hero Series H3JE & H5JE

Complementing the Apollo BP3EW-4G are the Hero Series H3JE & H5JE and H3JS & H5JS models. These next-gen cameras use faster Wi-Fi 6 connectivity for smoother live video streaming and feature advanced AI capabilities, providing smarter, more proactive oversight for your business.

The H3JE and H5JE have a high-powered speaker combined with AI-driven noise reduction to allow clear two-way communication even if your business setting is a noisy environment like a gym or a factory. They also have Smart Dual-Light Night Vision to produce vivid full-color footage even in low-light.

The costs of SD cards to store security camera footage can often mount up, but WITHS's Ultra-Low Storage Mode uses All-day Optimized Recording (AOR) to dynamically adjust the recording frame rate based on activity. This can reduce storage requirements by up to 80% while still providing optimum video quality when it matters.

Hero Series H3JS & H5JS

The Hero Series H3JS and H5JS also boast the power and convenience of dual-band Wi-Fi 6, Ultra-Low Storage Mode, and Smart Dual-Light. Featuring an advanced AI-ISP chip – comparable to those in premium smartphones – the series enables real-time intelligent processing to restore lifelike colors in extreme low-light conditions, ensuring optimum visibility around the clock.

These cameras also have new AI capabilities. AI-Labs with Advanced On-Device Intelligence provide face and gesture recognition to allow instant feedback regarding who’s on camera. The camera can even detect a baby’s cry, providing users with greater peace of mind in specific scenarios such as hospitals and maternity centers. This data is all processed locally, which makes processing fast while also protecting privacy.

The Dahua WITHS system is simple, smart and secure, and it’s highly scalable, designed to suit a wide range of small and medium-sized businesses. Whether you’re in retail, hospitality, leisure or personal care, this innovative form of reliable, intelligent surveillance will give you the peace of mind to let you focus on growing your business.

Head to the Dahua WITHS website to learn more.

How much would you like it if you had an Amazon Echo, but with Chat GPT in it – and a camera looking out of it? According to several reports, it's time to start thinking about that because Jony Ive is helping OpenAI design and prototype just such a device...

"Cool" said my girlfriend – who, like me, has a purchase history which confirms a longtime enthusiasm for the design work of Jony Ive. How much she was listening to the other aspects of my description less certain – but not everyone is so scared of AI.

According to a paywalled report in The Information, the device being worked on will have a camera as well as the customary microphone to recognise things like “items on a nearby table or conversations people are having in the vicinity."

This will also grant it facial recognition so, it has been suggested, people will be able to purchase things simply by asking and being recognised.

This is an experience many phone owners will be a little used to already with FaceID and similar security systems, but may take it a step futher.

Open AI acquired Jony Ive's hardware company last year for the not inconsiderable $6.5 billion, and the smart speaker – with and anticpated price tag of $200 - $300 – is thought to be only one of several form factors for the AI that is being investigated.

Another is the clothing-worn pendant or badge-like device – perhaps in the vein of a Star Trek communicator – which we've recently also heard speculation about Apple considering as a potential new home for Siri.

The sense of this is uncertain, though, with Humane's AI Pin having not only failed to make a breakthrough, but having taken the company down with it. Humane was also started by former Apple employees Imran Chaudhri and Bethany Bongiorno so the heritage wasn't enough there!

Given the world's less-than-enthusiastic adoption of this concept before, it seems understandable that concepts closer to established technologies like smart speakers seem to be garnering more attention right now.

Photographers have already accepted that phoography is merely one of the uses of cameras, but this could be another step to making it a mere niche function of a key computing input device.

We'll have to ask ourselves, what will most camera component designers be concentrating on then?

EZVIZ has introduced the new CB8 4G Lite outdoor security camera which uses dual network tech and a solar panel to ensure reliable 24/7 monitoring even where the network is unreliable or interfered with.

The 2K+ camera is battery powered, has a pan-tilt design which enables it to be turned to see a full 360-degrees of the install location, and can detect humans or vehicles using its built-in AI. It is sold with an optional solar panel to keep the battery topped up.

Obviously, for cost savings, you'll want to use Wi-Fi 6 where it's available, and the camera defaults to this, but as soon as it is dropped, the camera switches to 4G LTE so there are no gaps in the surveillance signal. This makes it possible to install the camera more easily in any location – whether that is a garage a long way from the main building, or somewhere completely remote.

For example, it could just as easily be used on a construction site or set up on remote farm buildings.

EZVIZ say the battery is 'high capacity' and offers up to three months of use, though we have yet to test this, but the company is also offering a bundle with a solar panel to keep it topped up.

For data recording, the camera can use EZVIZ's cloud services, but also features a MicroSD card slot for storage.

The camera has a 4MP sensor captures 1440P video and color night vision. There is a built-in speaker for remote communication and to act as a siren. The two built-in spotlights can illuminate subjects up to around 45ft / 15 meters, and use a feature EZVIZ call 'intelligent adaptive lighting' so that they don't wash out subjects and cause over-exposure at night, all helping pick up details at any time of day.

The camera was launched without a great deal of fanfare, and is already on sale at Amazon (the wi-fi + solar panel kit is £99.99 discounted to £79.99 in the UK), while the same kit with 4G is £129.99 (see Amazon UK).

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If you're interested in security, check out the guide to the best outdoor security cameras and the best indoor security cameras. This device also has a bit in common with a cellular trail camera designed for wildlife.

Amazon’s popular smart doorbell brand, Ring, has rebutted claims that video footage from Ring doorbells and security cameras is being accessed by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, more commonly known as ICE.

Accusations stemmed from Ring’s relationship with the security hardware and software company, Flock Safety. It was announced in October that the companies would be partnering to deliver a new Ring feature called ‘Community Requests’. This enables neighbors (if they choose) to share video footage with local public safety agencies, securely and privately.

However, it’s been reported by Gadget Review that the controversial federal law enforcement agency can access said footage via federal data networks.

To be clear, this doesn’t mean that all your Ring footage ends up in a federal database; you actually have to volunteer the footage first. But the Gadget Review article doesn’t pull any punches, stating: “This isn’t speculation – it’s documented infrastructure.”

Stuff has reported that the Flock Safety and Ring partnership, although announced, is not yet live, while citing a quote via The Verge from Amazon PR Yassi Yarger, who said: “Ring has no partnership with ICE, does not give ICE videos, feeds, or back-end access, and does not share video with them”.

As the same article points out, though, it’s what happens to the footage once it’s out of Ring’s hands that has sparked the controversy. However, if you’re a Ring user with any concerns, you can simply turn off the ‘Community Requests’ feature within the app.

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If you want an alternative to the best Ring cameras, check out the best outdoor security cameras and our Eufy Video Doorbell E340 with Chime review.

As you're undoubtedly aware, the Amazon Ring is a doorbell that houses a camera, speaker, and microphone, and its primary purpose is to enable you to see who is at the door before you answer it. Not only does it give you a heads-up of who is calling by streaming video to your phone or Alexa device, but it allows you to have a conversation with the caller, which is invaluable if you happen to be on the toilet "I'll be there in a minute!", or you wish to avoid the door-to-door salesperson or Jehovah's Witness "Sorry, I'm not in right now!", or, as you don't even need to be in the house to answer, for directing couriers where to leave the parcel.

• Don't miss today's best Black Friday camera deals

That may be a good enough reason on its own to invest in a Ring Doorbell, particularly as during the Black Friday sales, it's almost half price, dropping from AU$149 to just AU$75, but I'm going to give you a better one (it's directly below my roundup of the best Ring doorbell deals, but you can skip to the yarn by scrolling to the bottom). It hinges on the fact that not only do you not need to be in the house to answer the caller, or even in the same country, but every member of the household can be alerted when someone rings the doorbell.

Anyway, earlier this year, my 19-year-old son went traveling. It's something of a rite of passage for the kids in my neighborhood as they make their way to adulthood. Taking a gap year after finishing college, he'd worked hard in local restaurants to get enough cash together for a trip through Southeast Asia, to take some time to figure out what he was going to do with the rest of his life. Off he set to Bangkok with a bunch of his mates, and I was keen to hear about his adventures. But being a typical teen, his updates were brief, to say the least.

"How are you finding Thailand? I can't wait to hear what you've been up to!" I'd message. "Yeah, good," would come the WhatsApp response half a day later.

And so it went in the weeks that followed. "What are you doing today?" I'd ask. "In Cambodia" would be the two-word reply. "Oh wow! Have you been to the Angkor Wat temples? I'd love to see them, they're a photographer's dream!" I'd persevere. "Yeah, it's good," was as good as I was going to get.

Then, one day, I went to visit a friend. I rang his doorbell. His Ring doorbell…

"Dad!" the doorbell exclaimed. I was confused. My son went on to explain that he was in Vietnam and had met up with my friend's daughter when the Ring alert was triggered on her phone. The two are around the same age and have known each other since they were in nappies, and she was also on a gap year and on her own Asian adventure.

It was a little disconcerting, talking to a doorbell; he could see me, but I couldn't see him. But we had a good chat for half an hour about his travels, and I learnt a lot more about the sights he'd seen and scrapes he'd got into than I had in the previous two months of messaging.

And that is why I'm buying a Ring Doorbell in the Black Friday sales!

Home security systems are all the rage. Well. Maybe not the rage, but they’re becoming increasingly popular as more and more people cast a constant digital and WiFi-enabled eye over their property. There are many options available at a range of price points, with a multitude of different features, so choosing the best option for you can be something of a minefield.

The eufyCam S3 Pro 2-Cam Kit is an impressive system that comes with two cameras and a HomeBase, which means you don’t need an expensive and annoying subscription to view your cameras and captured footage in the eufy app. The system is also compatible with Alexa, Apple Home and Hey Google, so you can incorporate it into your smart home device set up.

eufy is well-known in the world of home technology, and this is easily one of the best outdoor security cameras available right now. It basically offers everything you could need or want in an outdoor security camera system. The only caveat, there’s always one, is that it’s not the cheapest option available.

The cameras can capture video in 4K, and there are many different settings available for capturing both still and video, as well as for capturing nighttime videos. The cameras feature large-capacity batteries that are claimed to provide up to 365 days of operation, while one hour of daily sunlight is claimed to charge the battery back to full via the small solar panel on the top of each unit.

eufyCam S3: Specifications

Max Resolution: 4K(3840x2160)
Sensor: 1/1.8-inch Stacked CMOS
Lens: f/1.0 aperture, 135° field of view
Zoom: 8x digital zoom
Night Vision: Color & BW
AI detection: Stranger/Human/Vehicle/Car Alert
Weather resistance: IP67
Connectivity: 802.11b/g/n (2.4GHz) Wi-Fi

eufyCam S3: Price and availability

The eufyCam S3 Pro 2-Cam Kit is available from multiple retailers, and this two-camera kit includes the eufy HomeBase S380. The HomeBase can become the foundation of a wider security system that includes outdoor and indoor cameras alongside a video doorbell. This two-camera kit costs $549 / £499 / AU$1599.

This is quite expensive compared to some outdoor security camera systems, but these typically have fewer features and some have app subscriptions. You can buy several different kits with more cameras and even additional/external solar panels. For many people, this two-camera kit will provide enough coverage, and if you find you need another camera, they can also be bought individually.

eufyCam S3: Build and handling

The cameras, just like eufy doorbells, are chunkier than much of the competition at 69x82.4x143.5mm / 2.72x3.24x5.65in, with a weight of 534g / 18.84oz. This is of no real consequence once the cameras are installed, and this size and weight must be a result of some of the physical features of the cameras we’ll discuss in a moment.

The cameras come with mounting kits that include a couple of mounts with ball joints for angling. These work well if you have a wall or post you can screw them into, but as is often the case with most products, the supplied wall plugs and screws aren’t of great quality so you may want to replace these.

The ball joints allow you to angle the cameras well, and attach to the back of the camera so you can achieve a wide range of angles. This is whether the cameras are installed low or higher up. Installing higher up provides a wider view and also protects the cameras from possible interference. However, there is an Anti-Theft Detection feature where an alarm goes off in the camera and the HomeBase if the cameras are moved, which is undoubtedly a useful deterrent since it’s an ear-splitting 100dB siren.

The overall design of the cameras is fairly simple, with just the camera lens, two LED floodlights, an infrared light and motion detection sensors on the front. The top of the camera is home to the solar panel to help charge the internal battery. Other than this, there’s just a sync button and a USB-C port for charging the battery before the first use, and if and when necessary. Build quality is excellent with IP67 weather resistance and an operating temperature range of -10 to 45 degrees.

The large-capacity 13,000mAh rechargeable batteries are claimed to provide up to 365 days of operation, while one hour of daily sunlight is said to charge the battery back to full via the small solar panel on the top of each unit. This should, in theory, keep the cameras up and running continuously after the initial full charge before set-up. This obviously wasn’t possible to test over the several weeks of use during testing.

The HomeBase is reasonably compact and plugs into your router via the included Ethernet cable. This also acts as a doorbell chime if you have a eufy video doorbell, and is where camera footage and photos are stored since the cameras themselves have no storage. No subscription is needed since everything is stored locally, and the smartphone app is free to use.

The HomeBase has 16GB of onboard storage alongside the ability to quickly and easily install a 2.5-inch hard drive. This is a great feature because if you have several cameras and a eufy doorbell running through the HomeBase, you could pick up an inexpensive 2.5-inch SSD or HDD to increase storage.

eufyCam S3: Performance

Setting up the system is incredibly easy with the HomeBase added to the app first, and then the cameras. I did this by following the basic guide on the box and the in-app prompts. To get everything up and running, excluding camera installation, was only around five minutes. Installation was also quick and easy.

The system is accessed and controlled using the ‘eufy-original eufy Security’ app, which is intuitive to use and provides easy access to all the features and functions of the system. Since the system is built around security cameras, these are an important element, and they do not disappoint.

The cameras feature a 1/1.8-inch Stacked CMOS sensor with an f/1.0 lens with a wide 135-degree field of view. This does produce a small amount of barrel distortion, which is most noticeable at the edges of the frame, although it’s not an issue in the slightest. The f/1.0 fixed aperture is great for light gathering, and it does produce a lovely and sharp 4K image. There’s also an 8x digital zoom, so you can zoom into the image in the app.

Above: sample video captured with the eufyCam S3

During testing, when I was close to one of the cameras, about 50cm away, I was out of focus while the garden behind me was in focus, which suggests the cameras use a fixed focus lens set to hyperfocal distance to maximize depth-of-field. Sound is pretty good, not amazing, and there is a delay. There is two-way audio so you can speak to people in the vicinity of the cameras. It certainly wouldn’t be ideal for a conversation, but more than good enough to call the kids in or to challenge an intruder etc.

The system has the usual features you’d expect, but rather than detection zones, you can set up privacy zones. This is so that you can eliminate surrounding properties. You can also set the detection type, which includes Human, Vehicle, Pet and All Other Motions. You can even store faces in the system so it recognises family and friends. This simply requires the camera to capture faces when initiating the feature in the app.

eufyCam S3: Verdict

The eufyCam S3 Pro 2-Cam Kit impressed and delighted me in equal measure thanks to their ease of use, features and functionality. Ease of use extends from set-up to installation to use and control with the app. Once installed, the excellent battery life and built-in solar panels on the cameras should keep everything running, without the need for manual charging, for a long period of time.

The detection modes and image quality are also impressive, as are the night vision modes. It’s not the cheapest security system available, but it’s good value considering the features and image quality on offer. Not to mention, it doesn’t require a subscription. Saving security footage locally means your data is more secure than being held on a corporate server.

Alternatives

Legendary singer Sir Rod Stewart set up a spy camera to keep an eye on his sprawling model railroad layout, as it was dismantled in preparation for a transatlantic journey from the United States to the UK.

The amusing anecdote, as reported on by the Express, was revealed by the Maggie May hitmaker’s wife and model, Penny Lancaster, while talking on the LNER Routes Podcast.

Rod, who would famously take railroad modelling supplies and kits out on the road to keep him occupied when touring, was keen to transport the layout to the famous couple’s residence in Essex during lockdown. But it was Penny who came up with the ingenious idea to hire a crew that dismantles film sets.

"I think he had a camera set up so he could watch it all," she told podcast host, Jenni Falconer. "They moved it into these containers and then on ships over to the UK." Well, the good news is that Rod’s model railroad arrived safely. I wonder if a film dismantling crew would be up to packaging and shipping my Nikon Z lens collection?

I used to write for UK-based model railroad magazine, Model Rail, in the distant past, and I can tell you that I’m entirely on Rod’s side. I worry enough about shipping camera gear, but model trains and painstakingly put together model railroad scenery are extremely delicate.

Handcrafted models are irreplaceable, too. Rod’s spent roughly 24 years putting together his layout, which is based on a wartime American city, complete with towering high-rise buildings. The Guardian listed his labor of love as being a sprawling 1,674 square feet, so readying it for shipping must have been no mean feat!

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Interested in photographing miniatures? I used a smoke machine to photograph Lego, and the results are cinematic. Perhaps you'd like to photograph lifesize locomotives? Here's how to shoot the age of steam. And finally, take a glance at the best macro lenses.

I'll be honest: when I saw the announcement about Ring's new 4K cameras with "Retinal Vision", my tech reporter brain went straight to the specs. Ten times zoom. Low-light performance. Adaptive night vision. Impressive kit, no question.

But here's what bothered me: nowhere in all that marketing speak about "neighborhood safety" did anyone ask whether we actually need to see our neighbors' faces in 4K as they walk past our house.

I remember when video doorbells first arrived. The pitch was simple: see who's at your door when you're not home. Check if that parcel's been delivered. That's protecting your doorstep, which is what they promised. Yet somewhere along the way, we've shifted from "doorstep" to "entire street".

Beyond the boundary

It reminds me of how, back in the 2010s, parents bought cellphones for their kids 'in case of emergencies'. Fast-forward to 2025 and we're wringing our hands about screen addiction, social media anxiety and whether we've accidentally raised a generation that can't look up from their devices. The road to hell, as they say, is paved with sensible-sounding safety precautions.

Consider this: Ring's new cameras can zoom in ten times and capture clear color footage in near-darkness. Their AI identifies whether someone's carrying a package, walking a dog or "peering into" a car. The Floodlight Cam Pro covers "larger outdoor areas like the driveway, back garden or property boundary".

Property boundary. Interesting phrase. Because boundaries work both ways. They mark where your property ends and someone else's begins.

These boundaries are now being sidestepped by, for example, Ring's Search Party feature, which uses AI to scan neighbourhood cameras for lost pets. It's wrapped in heartwarming language about reuniting families with their animals. But think about what this actually means.

Ring is openly advertising a system where cameras throughout your neighborhood continuously analyze everything that moves past them, building a searchable database of life happening outside people's homes. Today it's looking for your spaniel. Tomorrow it could be looking for anything. Anyone.

Everything, everywhere

Of course, as a writer for Digital Camera World, I'm fully aware that cameras in public spaces aren't inherently sinister. But there's a profound difference between a photographer making a conscious decision to document a scene and an automated network of AI-powered cameras watching everything, all the time.

Ring insists that it doesn't share footage with police without a subpoena, but it provides law enforcement with a dashboard to request footage by location and time. It has built the infrastructure for distributed surveillance.

George Orwell imagined Big Brother as the state watching you. Ring's version is more insidious: it's your neighbors doing the watching, voluntarily, encouraged by slick marketing and the occasional package theft video.

When your doorbell can identify and track people in 4K from the other side of the street, when AI catalogs everyone who passes your house, when the same footage is available to police on request, that's not a doorbell. That's a surveillance apparatus that happens to have a doorbell button.

At what point did "seeing who's at the door" become "seeing everything, everywhere, all the time"? And is that really the neighborhood we want to live in?

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If Tom hasn't scared you off, take a look at the best doorbell cameras and the best Ring cameras.

As you're undoubtedly aware, the Amazon Ring is a doorbell that houses a camera, speaker, and microphone, and its primary purpose is to enable you to see who is at the door before you answer it. Not only does it give you a heads-up of who is calling by streaming video to your phone, but it allows you to have a conversation with the caller, which is invaluable if you happen to be on the toilet "I'll be there in a minute!", or you wish to avoid the door-to-door salesperson or Jehovah's Witness "Sorry, I'm not in right now!", or, as you don't even need to be in the house to answer, directing couriers where to leave the parcel.

• Don't miss today's best Amazon Prime camera deals

That may be a good enough reason on its own to invest in a Ring Doorbell, particularly as during the Prime Day sales, it's half price, dropping from AU$149 to just AU$75, but I'm going to give you a better one (it's directly below my roundup of the best Ring doorbell deals, but you can skip to the yarn by scrolling to the bottom). It hinges on the fact that not only do you not need to be in the house to answer the caller, or even in the same country, but every member of the household can be alerted when someone rings the doorbell.

So, earlier this year, my 19-year-old son went traveling. It's something of a rite of passage for the kids in my neighborhood as they make their way to adulthood. Taking a gap year after finishing college, he'd worked hard in local restaurants to get enough cash together for a trip through Southeast Asia, to take some time to figure out what he was going to do with the rest of his life. Off he set to Bangkok with a bunch of his mates, and I was keen to hear about his adventures. But being a typical teen, his updates were brief, to say the least.

"How are you finding Thailand? I can't wait to hear what you've been up to!" I'd message. "Yeah, good." would come the WhatsApp response half a day later.

And so it went in the weeks that followed. "What are you doing today?" I'd ask. "In Cambodia" would be the two-word reply. "Oh wow! Have you been to the Angkor Wat temples? I'd love to see them, they're a photographer's dream!" I'd persevere. "Yeah, it's good," was as good as I was going to get.

Then, one day, I went to visit a friend. I rang his doorbell. His Ring doorbell…

"G'day, Dad!" the doorbell exclaimed. I was confused. My son went on to explain that he was in Vietnam and had met up with my friend's daughter when the Ring alert was triggered on her phone. The two are around the same age and have known each other since they were in nappies, and she was also on a gap year and on her own Asian adventure.

It was a little disconcerting, talking to a doorbell; he could see me, but I couldn't see him. But we had a good chat for half an hour about his travels, and I learnt a lot more about the sights he'd seen and scrapes he'd got into than I had in the previous two months of messaging.

And that is why I'm buying a Ring Doorbell in the Prime Day sales!

Blink, the Amazon-owned security camera company, has announced three new devices – higher-resolution 2K versions of the Blink Outdoor and Blink Mini cameras and a 'Blink Arc' which makes it possible to connect two Blink Mini cameras together to get a single panoramic image. But there is a catch.

Blink, one of the two security camera brands that Amazon owns, has often seemed the more appealing to those not wishing to pay a monthly subscription compared to the Ring cameras, but the innovative Blink Arc is dependent on a Blink Subscription Plan to deliver the all-in-one 180-degree video feed.

The device is designed to reduce clutter, so despite having two Blink Mini cameras, there is only one weather-resistant cable to power them. As before, the video is returned using local Wi-Fi.

• Blink Arc (Black) on Amazon USA 🇺🇸 $99 with cameras
• Blink Arc (White) on Amazon USA 🇺🇸 $99 with cameras
• Blink Arc on Amazon UK 🇬🇧 £89

According to Blink, the camera is ideal for monitoring entire driveways or backyards from a single mounting position. Two screws are included and it is bundled with two 2K+ Mini cameras (or sold separately).

The Blink Mini 2K+ cameras feature 138˚ diagonal fields of view, with a video resolution of 2560 x 1440 – curiously higher than the stated stills resolution of 1280 x 720, though this is not a significantly used feature. The Blink Mini 2K+ is $49.99 on its own.

• Blink Mini 2K+ on Amazon USA $49

The Blink Mini 2K+ also boasts 'Smart Detection' and color night vision, though the smart functionality also requires the subscription service.

The boosted resolution to 2K from the cheaper Blink Mini cameras, which are still available – some at reduced prices now too. The older Blink Mini is 1080P.

• Blink Mini 2K+ on Amazon USA 🇺🇸 $49
• Blink Mini 2K+ on Amazon UK 🇬🇧 £39

The new devices are available for purchase through Amazon now, and will ship on October 22 or before.

Check out our full guide to the best outdoor security cameras

I remember years ago when a simple Facebook post led to the return of my beloved but mischievous dog – but technology could soon again impact the way owners find wayward pets. Amid the deluge of new announcements at Amazon’s launch event on September 30, Ring unveiled its latest lineup of doorbells and security cameras, introducing 4K to the lineup for the first time, optimizing video using an AI feature dubbed Retinal Vision, using AI to write detailed descriptions of video events, and using neighborhood Ring cameras to find lost pets.

The list of new Ring devices is a long one, starting with a list of high-end models that bring 4K capabilities to the Ring family for the first time:

• Wired Doorbell Pro - $259.99
• Spotlight Cam Pro - $249.99
• Floodlight Cam Pro - $279.99
• Outdoor Cam Pro - $199.99
• Plus Power over Ethernet (POE) options in the Spotlight Cam Pro POE, Outdoor Cam Pro POE, and Wired Doorbell Elite

A new AI processing that Ring is dubbing Retinal Vision helps optimize footage with processing that the company describes as “crisper and closer to reality.” That lineup of Retinal 4K devices will also offer 10x zoom, although Ring didn’t yet specify digital or optical, and enhanced low-light performance.

The list of announcements also includes more affordable 2K models, including Indoor Cam Plus and Wired Doorbell Plus. Both those Plus models also use AI, but with Retinal 2K vision to help enhance the footage quality.

But while the hardware is likely a welcome upgrade to the Ring lineup, there are a few new software-powered features worth getting excited over. Search Party is a new tool that allows pet owners to report a lost dog in the Ring app. The AI will then look to see if it can spot the animal on the community’s Ring cameras. To protect privacy, Ring says the owner of the camera can choose whether ot not to share the potential sighting with the pet owner.

That joins Video Descriptions, a tool that uses generative AI to deliver smarter notifications. Using generative AI, Video Descriptions analyzes the footage and describes what’s happening in the notification, giving owners more information as they decide whether or not the motion detected by the cameras needs immediate attention or can be ignored.

Ring shared examples of a description of men looking into a car in the driveway on an outdoor cam and a dog chewing up paper towels on the carpet on an indoor cam. Video Descriptions, however, is part of a Ring Home Premium subscription, where it’s rolling out first in the US as a beta test.

Alexa+ Greetings will also allow the doorbells to talk to solicitors, manage deliveries, and ask visitors for the purpose of their visit. Ring describes the feature like a smart doorbell attendant. Familiar Faces will also help users reduce unnecessary notifications.

The updated Ring cameras are now available for pre-order, with shipping expected to begin in November. Search Party is rolling out in November and will start with recognizing lost dogs before adding the ability to search for cats and other pets. Alexa+ Greetings and Familiar Faces is expected to follow in December.

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Browse the best outdoor security cameras, the best indoor security cameras, or the best camera doorbells.

Blink – an Amazon-owned company – is known for its range of security cameras which are powered by disposable Lithium batteries that given them extra long lifetimes, but did you know it also produces a doorbell with the same tech? As of today that has been refreshed as the Blink Video Doorbell (2nd Generation).

The new Blink Video Doorbell (2nd generation) has a upgraded 150° head-to-toe field of view, presented in a 1:1 (square) aspect ratio. This means you can see visitors feet and heads – and any packages on the mat – in a single feed. There is integrated HD infra red for night view.

This compares to a more traditional 135-degree horizontal / 80-degree vertical view on the original Blink Video Doorbell.

The new version also features person detection, but only for users with the subscription. This opens the option of smart notifications, so users can only get alerts when a person is detected, as opposed to an animal or object.

Like other Blink devices, it needs to be paired with a Blink Sync Module in your home connected to your wi-fi. It can connect to up to ten Blink devices and, as you might imagine, as well as providing a bridging device to the app on your phone, will also help the system befriend any Amazon Alexa smart home devices you have too.

A Blink subscription plan opens up access to the cloud, where clips and recordings from blink devices – like the Outdoor Cam 4 – can be saved.

The new Video Doorbell 2nd generation is now available (shipping in mid-August in the UK) in a choice of black and white in the UK at £59.99, and is already available in the USA for $59.99. (Euro pricing is €64.99).

• Blink Video Doorbell 2 at Amazon USA 🇺🇸
• Blink Video Doorbell 2 at Amazon UK 🇬🇧

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Check our guides to the best doorbell cameras and the best outdoor security cameras.

While many modern cameras have timelapse functionality, dedicated timelapse cameras are generally a much better bet for creating videos that compress periods of weeks or months into a few short minutes. Unlike mirrorless cameras, they’re designed to be set up and left for long periods, with kits generally including waterproof housings to keep the rain off, and customisable schedules that let you program in exactly when you want the camera to record.

The Brinno BCC300-C Timelapse Camera Kit is an entry-level kit from one of the market’s major players, which comes with a clamp and a waterproof housing, as well as the camera. It offers a fairly straightforward interface, programmable scheduling and a range of recording options for different conditions. It produces Full HD video and has an IPS LCD screen for preview and programming, but otherwise is pretty pared back. There’s no connectivity to speak of, and it’s a one-trick pony – it’ll do you an MP4 timelapse, and that’s it.

Could this be the perfect entry-level timelapse camera, or is it too simplified for its own good? I took it to the boatyard and put it to the test to find out.

Brinno BCC300 review: Specifications

Brinno BCC300 review: Price

I tested the full Brinno BCC300-C Timelapse Camera Kit, which gives you everything you need to start creating timelapses – as well as a BCC300 camera, you get a clamp mount, bungee cords, waterproof housing, set of AA batteries and SD memory card. It currently costs $399 / £432.

Alternatively, there is an alternate BCC300-M kit that comes with a wall-mount, rather than a clamp, that retails for around $300/£330 - which is a good option if you want to use the camera from a fixed position for a prolonged period of time.

If you want the TLC300 camera standalone, you’re looking at around $249 / £269, though I wouldn’t really advise this – at the very least, you'll need the waterproof housing if you are using it outdoors.

This is one of the most affordable options in the Brinno stable, and one of the more affordable time-lapse cameras generally. When you compare it to something like the Brinno BCC5000, which costs a cool $1,899 / £1,899 for the full kit, it won’t be long before you’re asking yourself if you really need 4K anyway.

Brinno BCC300 review: Design

The camera itself is straightforwardly designed – a dome-like shape with an LCD screen, three buttons and lens that can be angled up or down. There’s a micro USB port (not USB-C, boo), but it’s honestly a bit pointless – you can’t use it to transfer files, just power the camera, and how often are you going to set up a camera like this near a power source?

Using the menus, you can program and activate the recording schedule, set capture intervals, and tweak image values like saturation and EV to your satisfaction. As there’s no app or wireless connectivity, this all has to be done via the buttons, which can be fiddly, but works well enough – though as I was soon to discover, the camera’s minimalist menus mean that mistakes are easy to make. I’m not the sort of person who thinks that all devices need connectivity, but all the same, there were multiple moments throughout setup where I had the thought that all this would be so much easier with an app.

The full accessory kit is excellent. The clamp makes for a sturdy mount, with grippy arms that can attach securely to protruding objects.

The waterproof housing was lashed with a rainstorm during my testing and came up trumps – the camera stayed perfectly dry. However, using the housing locks the lens in a fixed position, so care will need to be taken when setting up the camera to ensure it’s pointing in the direction you want.

Brinno BCC300 review: Performance

I will admit to some false starts when I tested out the Brinno BCC300-C. The first time I set it up for a multi-day timelapse, I diligently set the schedule and locked the camera in place. The result? An empty SD card. Hmm.

Closer inspection revealed two problems. One, the device’s internal clock was set to the wrong day and time, making my preset schedule meaningless. My fault, should have checked – though I grumpily note that a time readout on the menu screen might have swerved this issue.

The second, more severe problem was that I had not completed the final step of activating recording. Once you set the schedule, the main screen readout will display a picture of a clock, next to the word ‘ON’. Means the schedule’s on, right? No. You see, the word and symbol are highlighted in white, not orange, which means they are not currently activated. You need to hold down the ‘OK’ button for several seconds to actually commit to recording once you’ve set the schedule.

Okay, yes, my fault again – should have read the manual more carefully. Though, again, I grumpily note that a word like ‘OFF’ might have been a tad clearer. Call me a traditionalist.

Enough grousing – I can report that once you get it working, the Brinno BCC300-C produces some pretty lovely timelapse. The Full HD footage is perfectly clear, with decent detail throughout the frame. I’d set the schedule for a day-to-night transition, so I picked the ‘Twilight’ video option, rather than ‘Daytime’ or ‘Night’.

The camera handled it pretty adroitly – the night-time footage is quite a bit grainier, but still perfectly legible. It cuts everything together into an MP4, instantly ready for sharing (as long as you’ve got the latest firmware; I’m glad I did, as the process for updating it looks like a headache).

Battery life is also truly excellent. Brinno claims that the camera can last up to 100 days, and frankly I believe it – I’ve created several multi-day timelapse videos with this thing, and when I look at it now, the battery meter still reads 100%.

There are some features you may find yourself wishing for. There’s no stabilisation to speak of, and as my camera was fixed to a boat, there’s a bit of natural wobble to the footage. It's ultimately not a huge deal though – iMovie's digital stabilisation did a decent job of correcting it.

Brinno BCC300: Sample footage

Above: raw unstablized footage from the Brinno BCC300 timelapse camera

Brinno BCC300 review: Verdict

With hindsight, I can admit that my initial failed timelapses were more on me than they were on the Brinno (hey, we’re not perfect here), and I've come to think that it’s an excellent entry-level timelapse camera. It captures great-looking footage in the day and good-looking footage at night, and once you’ve got the hang of how it works, it’s easy to set up and program.

The full mounting kit offers excellent value for money and lets you get started straight away, and the generous battery life means you can get truly ambitious with the length of your projects if desired.

Alternatives

Following global buzz about a Ring Camera data breach, repeated by many influencers on TikTok, many are now asking themselves if they have been hacked. I know I am, because my fiancée and I use Ring cameras!

The cameras can be placed inside the home and out, and are (usually wirelessly) connected to the internet so that you can view them remotely using an app on your phone, or a web browser. The advantages of seeing your home from anywhere, and having remote storage of security video, make them among the best indoor security cameras.

The worry, of course, is that any kind of breach, like the one suggested, could have horrendous privacy implications, letting people see and hear into any room in your home (depending on where you put the cameras).

The influencer video everyone is talking about...

Houston, Texas-based "Your Lifestyle South Asian Mom" Bisma Parvez alleges that "If you have a Ring camera, you have likely been hacked." in a TikTok, referring to an incident on May 28 in which she says Ring was hacked.

Logins to the account are listed in the app, and Bisma Parvez found some she didn't recognise, concluding others would have had the same experience.

It is possible, of course, that she had logged into her Ring cameras properly with a password and forgotten the device she had used entirely, but these logins are recorded, so users can check and ensure that others aren't attempting to hack their account.

Ring has not explicitly admitted any hacks have taken place, but has told computing site ZD.net that one of the updates of Ring's own software before the event Parvez mentions caused an error with the login records that showed the wrong date (always May 28, 2025) and often said "Device name not found."

While there were a lot of other panicked users on TikTok and other platforms like Reddit, it was also on that platform that I spotted this reasoned quote from OppChopShop: "It would be quite odd to have some sort of simultaneous, mass scale attack like that."

Several others seemed satisfied that: "All the devices showing were my old devices from years past."

What is happening with Ring software updates?

Ring releases numerous firmware updates and you can check the details of the latest ones on the Ring software release notes and history page.

It's worth noting, however, that all that is listed are the dates, and the fact that updates have things like "security enhancements, bug fixes, performance improvements and new features" rather than specific details.

It is also worth noting that, because of the nature of the software download system, not all updates happen immediately – it might take a few weeks for them to filter to your cameras (or, of course, longer if the battery has run dead).

It's also apparent that changes that affect use – like the one being discussed – don't always make it to this list. It was a back-end change (to Ring's internal systems), yet because of the nature of the cloud, the effects were felt further afield (whether they were or were not as dramatic as all that).

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Check our guides to the best indoor security cameras and the best outdoor security cameras.

Check our review of the Ring Indoor Cam 2nd Gen.

Most of the best full-frame, the best action cameras and even the best 360 cameras are all capable of shooting timelapse videos. Some of these make it easier than others, but what they all share in common is that they’re much more suited to shorter timelapse projects.

If you’re planning a timelapse project that will take place over days, weeks or even months, with precise control over shooting schedules, you’re going to need something specialist. The Brinno BCC5000 Time Lapse Bundle is one of the best timelapse cameras that money can buy. If you can afford it.

Brinno is a major player in the construction timelapse camera market and offers a range of cameras at different price points. None are inexpensive because they are specialist devices, but with Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity, 4K capture and impressively long battery life, the Brinno BCC5000 Time Lapse Bundle is a flagship model.

With the ability to change batteries during long projects, the Brinno BCC5000 Time Lapse Bundle opens up exciting possibilities. Plus, the versatile camera clamp that comes in the kit allows the camera and/or housing to be attached to a variety of surfaces you’d commonly come across on construction sites and in other locations.

Brinno BCC5000: Specifications

Brinno BCC5000: Price

The Brinno BCC5000 Time Lapse Bundle was released in June 2025 and is one of the more expensive construction time-lapse camera kits available at $1,899 / £1,899.

This is an extremely expensive construction timelapse camera, but the functionality on offer, alongside the 4K video resolution, does set the kit apart from many of the other timelapse cameras that are available.

The kit includes a TLC5000 camera, the ATH5000 housing, two batteries, the ACC5000 Camera Clamp Pro, a lens hood, a 64GB microSD card, a USB-C cable, and silica gel packs for the housing to eliminate moisture.

Brinno BCC5000: Design & Handling

The Brinno BCC5000 Time Lapse Bundle is made up of several parts, with the TLC5000 camera being a separate unit from the weatherproof ATH5000 and the ACC5000 Camera Clamp Pro. The camera can be used in isolation since it can accommodate one of the batteries and can be attached to a tripod.

This is only suitable for shorter timelapse projects over several hours or less because the camera itself isn’t weather-resistant. When used in this way, an included rubber lens hood can be attached to the lens. I found this set-up to be great for shorter timelapses, while the case is essential when capturing over days, weeks, months and in inclement weather.

When used with the housing, you do enjoy weatherproofing, and there are even a few silica gel packs that come in the kit to place inside the housing to combat the potential for moisture. The housing can also take up to three batteries. These can be charged in the case, or one or two can be removed to be charged elsewhere while a single remaining battery powers the camera.

The Li-ion batteries have a capacity of 45.4Wh, and take around six hours to charge, but with two in the kit and the ability to buy more, that’s a huge amount of power. Brinno claims that the bundle can provide up to 200 days of shooting with a five-minute capture interval.

If each battery can provide up to 100 days of shooting at that interval, that’s impressive. Battery levels can be checked locally via Bluetooth or remotely if the camera is connected to a Wi-Fi network.

Moving back to the camera design, the camera itself is extremely simple with just two buttons for operation, an on/off switch, a microSD card slot, a USB-C port and a bubble level for horizontal levelling. There is a battery compartment that powers the camera when it’s not used in the housing, where a different system for power via the batteries can be used.

There’s no screen on the camera, so you have to connect it to a laptop or smart device using Bluetooth or WiFi to see the camera view to compose your timelapses. Bluetooth allows you to take a photo to view and then recompose, while WiFi provides a live feed to compose the camera. The latter, of course, requires an on-site Wi-Fi network.

The camera is a square, not quite a cube, but not far off at 3.8x3.8x2.6in / 96.0x97.5x66.2mm. It’s larger than other Brinno timelapse cameras, but it’s the housing that jumps everything up a gear in terms of size. The housing is surprisingly large at 6.7x4.1x9.3in / 170x104x236mm, but this is because it’s split into two weather-sealed sections, providing access to the batteries without having to disturb the camera.

The top section is where the camera goes, and the camera attaches to a plate so it can be removed and replaced in exactly the same position. This is held securely in place by a magnet. The bottom section is where there are three battery slots, and a USB-C cable in the camera compartment delivers power. It’s incredibly simple, but also extremely well thought out. The housing doors clip securely to make it watertight, and there are loops where locks or cable ties can be used to secure the doors.

Brinno BCC5000: Performance

Image quality is impressive for a dedicated time-lapse camera; it’s certainly not on par with mirrorless cameras, but they’re unsuitable for the long-term projects the BCC5000 kit is designed for. The ability to capture in 4K is useful since this is the standard video resolution these days, with daylight shooting taking advantage of HDR to capture clean and detail-filled timelapse videos.

Night captures are particularly impressive, with surprisingly clean footage where you can only see a small amount of color noise when you pause night timelapse videos. In general, videos can look too sharp and oversaturated, but you can adjust these two settings when the camera is connected to a WiFi network.

The most significant issues in terms of image quality are that white balance in daylight can be too warm, but not all of the time, and chromatic aberration is visible along high contrast subject edges. White balance can be corrected in video editing software easily, and the small amount of barrel distortion can be removed using software such as Davinci Resolve Studio.

The camera isn’t capable of capturing photos, but you can extract 8MP stills from video using video editing software, the free VLC Player software or Brinno Video Player (Windows only). The Brinno Video Player is, however, is extremely slow and glitchy, so I would recommend using VLC player to extract stills quickly and easily on Mac and Windows.

The camera is incredibly easy to use, whether using the on-camera controls for basic operation or connecting via Bluetooth or remotely when the camera is connected to a WiFi network. The main controls available are exposure mode with Daytime, Twilight and Night options, timestamp on/off, sharpness, Saturation, playback rate up to 30fps, time interval and schedule. The camera is basically a 4K point-and-shoot, which is great for people who have little to no photo and video experience.

The shortest time intervals available depend shooting mode that’s being used, where Daytime is three seconds, Twilight five seconds and Night 10 seconds, while the maximum interval is 24 hours. The direct access controls only offer intervals between 10 seconds and 10 minutes with a custom option which has to be set when the camera is connected to a laptop or amrt device using browser-based (Chrome) control via Bluetooth or WiFi network.

As well as providing remote access to the camera, where you can download captures remotely, which was painfully slow during testing, you can check battery levels and change all settings. WiFi is by far the best way to connect. Remote access is provided by the Brinno Cloud, but the downside is that you have to have a WiFi network available at the shooting site.

Bluetooth connectivity is also through the Chrome browser, but you can only adjust basic interval, scheduling and start/stop controls. This is frustrating because Bluetooth is often going to be the most convenient, if not the only connection type available.

The take a photo function, for composing the camera with a Bluetooth connection, isn’t reliable and if it does take a photo, it’s often overexposed and of no use. It seems that a firmware update is required to fix this issue and hopefully increase Bluetooth functionality. Browser-based connection isn’t the best, but Brinno has confirmed that Android and iOS apps are in development.

Brinno BCC5000: Verdict

Despite the slightly frustrating browser-based connection to the Brinno BCC5000 Time Lapse Bundle, it’s still an innovative and unique timelapse camera kit for long-term projects over days, weeks, months or possibly even years. Not to mention, the Android and iOS apps that are in development will hopefully make connections to the camera quicker and easier.

Image quality is impressive for a dedicated timelapse camera; it’s not perfect, but the main problems can be corrected easily enough. The thing about these types of cameras is that they’re used to create a record and to capture progress in an interesting way.

They’re not the same as capturing a timelapse of a sunrise or the rotation of the Earth at night using a mirrorless camera for one to three hour’s where you stay with the camera – their strength is in long-term capture.

Alternatives

Also see our full guide to the best timelapse cameras

Internet-connected security cameras – including everything from generic home security cameras to government-run traffic monitoring cameras – are becoming a serious weapon in live conflicts like that between Israel and Iran.

The issue is that hackers working for one side can use the cameras in the opposing country to gather military intelligence, either to plan an attack or to assess the effectiveness of one.

This has been highlighted by Refael Franco, who used to be the director general of the Israel National Cyber Directorate, but now runs the cybersecurity crisis firm Code Blue. He specifically said that:

"We know that in the past two or three days, the Iranians have been trying to connect to cameras to understand what happened and where their missiles hit to improve their precision."

Apparently, 66,000 personal cameras in Israel were using a default password and could easily be overtaken by hackers. A separate study by BitSight found that 40,000 cameras were openly accessible to hacking in this way. The most, 14,000, are in the USA.

The main method for hacking these cameras is through the default security credentials, which can be easily found online.

So if, for example, the camera has a default password of "password", you might worry that it's an easy guess – but it'll probably be just as easy for a hacker to sift through a list of camera models and find default passwords even if they sound quite random.

How can I keep my internet-connected security camera secure?

• You might experience the password as a QR code when setting the device up in an app, but that's not to say there isn't a code, and a code that can be changed if you hunt down the instructions.
• Check that the firmware up up to date; annoying, I know, but this is how security issues get patched.
• Do you need connectivity? Consider using your cameras only on a local network with cables.
• It might be a bit excessive at home, but firewalls and VPNs can always help security, and you might want to check your router's list of login attempts from time to time to see if all the logins are expected.

Markets and Markets notes that the private surveillance industry as a whole is expected to get to nearly $88.7 billion / £65.1 billion / AU$136.7 billion worldwide by 2030, a lot more than the $54.4 billion / £39.9 billion / AU$83.8 billion in 2024 (as reported in the Video Surveillance Market study).

Israel and Iran is far from the only conflict where these cameras are being cited as an issue – but as Al Jazeera explains, using all means in intelligence operations has been a two-way street in the Middle East for some time, with both sides seemingly openly hacking electronic devices.

By providing cameras with poor security on their properties, citizens may be inadvertently helping their attackers.

More than 200 people have been killed in Iran by Israel’s strikes, while 24 have been killed in Israel by Iranian strikes.

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If you're thinking of getting a security camera, check our guide to the best outdoor security cameras.

In the past few years, as the technology has advanced, smart home security cameras have spread like wildfire – which must make everyone's home much more secure, right? As an expert, people ask me what to get for the best security… but I have to tell them that the real answer is, at best, a bit more complicated than that.

I'm not going to argue that having no footage is better than having it. Clearly it is helpful to have footage. Similarly, I'm not going to argue that it's better to have lower quality footage. It's obviously better to have better quality surveillance footage if you've got any.

But if you're putting cameras up, what you are really hoping is that you'll never need them. That they'll have a successful deterrent effect and lower the crime around your home to zero – and in your neighborhood, too.

Is that the truth? Evidence is spotty, but it suggests that there is a reduction – not elimination – in crime. The British College of Policing has seen a statistically (if not actually) significant 14% drop in drug-related crime within view of a camera, and 20% in car or property crimes. That's less, but it's not as much less crime as you'd hope!

Why might that be the case? There are a lot of reasons, but I suspect on a very simple level that the cameras might sometimes be a bit too small to be noticed.

Wyze prides itself on the two-inch cube that is its standard camera, which fits a spotlight, microphone, speaker and more besides in a box. Other companies, like Ring, offer black, white and colored versions of its cams. Do people use these to blend them into their aesthetics and make the cameras even less visible?

Modern smart home cameras – the cheapest to install – are also very susceptible to interference from more sophisticated criminals. Some cameras record to memory cards inside them so, if you can reach the camera to extract the card, you might be able to remove the evidence, even if it is recorded.

Many criminals are well aware that not every user wants to pay the monthly subscription fee, or change the batteries, so security is compromised.

I have been asked by police for evidence from my security camera, and it had not gathered anything useful for them because of its settings.

The threshold required to trigger the recording and the short period for which clips are stored means that – other than simply getting a face, which can be fed into databases – there are limitations to the evidence that can be gathered using IoT / Smart Home cameras versus the traditional approach to getting a complete recording.

This is especially true where there is even a slight lag in starting to record, as people walk in and out of shot surprisingly quickly.

Cameras might deter a casual thief or vandal if they actually spot them, but something else to remember is tampering. Many so-called smart cameras communicate using WiFi or another wireless method, and a clever or determined criminal should have no problem blocking the signal.

On plenty of homes, they might just be able to reach the camera and pull the battery or cable out. There is a reason they cut the wires in heist movies!

That's not to say you can't derive a lot of personal security from the cameras by gaining a full-time view of your home – let alone one bolstered by AI monitoring that can identify people, animals and other specific interlopers.

The solution is to understand security in that broader sense. Do you feel more secure if, while you're on holiday in another country, you can take a quick peek into your bedroom and check nothing has been disturbed?

My girlfriend does, and this can make a holiday that much more relaxed. It's hard to put a value on that kind of feeling, but it feels high. And it can certainly be called security.

We live in a very immediate world. People can't help but wonder. Cameras can answer worries instantly. If you have pets or kids roaming your home, that's all the more reason.

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Check our guide to the best outdoor security cameras and read some of our reviews of the different types of security camera. We keep a specific guide to the best Ring cameras, too.

Personally, while I live in a Ring-protected home now, I also spent several years preferring the best Apple HomeKit cameras, and I think Apple fans might want to check my guide to that system.

This is the fourth generation of one of the most popular security cameras on the market. Blink's reputation is, we should acknowledge, partly garnered by being an Amazon-owned company, so it gets brilliant positioning and discounts at certain times of the year.

To say that Amazon's ownership is the only reason Blink is well-known is to do it a disservice. The cameras, especially the outdoor versions, are well known because they solve an issue: battery depletion. Blink came up with the idea of using long-life (Lithium AA) batteries in an outdoor camera, and the compromise made is that it cannot record indefinitely, but distinct video clips, limited to 60 seconds or less.

Blink says this camera can last two years (or even four years with a battery extender). I haven't had time to test that, but I've had other Blink cameras in the past where that has proven to be more or less accurate, so I have no reason to doubt it. What, then, does this new version bring to the equation?

There is a Sync Module 2 – the 'bridge' between the camera and the home Wi-Fi network. This uses a lower-energy radio system than Wi-Fi, which is what helps keep that battery life up, and it also has a USB port for a thumb drive so you can record video without paying a subscription fee (but more securely than just in the camera housing).

Price

Launched in November 2023, the list price is $99 / UK £89 / AU $149, though you'll need to make sure you have at least one Blink Sync Module 2 and a USB stick to store video on if you're not going to use the subscription cloud service.

Specifications

Build and handling

Setting up the Blink Outdoor 4 was very straightforward. I followed the on-screen instructions in the app, plugged the Sync Module 2 in and pointed my phone's camera at the QR code on the back of it.

The app also included some very clear instructions about the positioning of the camera, and they do matter here more than most security cameras because the one-life batteries will be depleted earlier if you ignore the advice. If you have a lot of trees with leaves on, you might see these as somewhat limiting (and it is interesting that the Ring camera I tested recently had no issues with fluttering leaves).

I actually chose to test the camera in the loft, because at the time I was hoping I might catch a suspected mouse/rat. As it happens, no such animal ever showed up on the video (though one did eventually make its way into the trap).

The camera will default to even shorter clips than necessary (the limit is 60 seconds) and 720P in the interest of saving the most battery possible, but I'd suggest it is worth pushing these settings up.

One limitation you can't tweak is the 143-degree field of view, which sounds like a lot, but you need to remember this figure is given on the diagonal. Some cameras now offer up to 160, like the competition from Ring, but given this camera maxes out at 1080P it is understandable that the image is more confined.

Performance

The camera spotted me on every occasion that I went near it, whether there were any lights or not, though using it in a dark location – the loft – was interesting as the image seemed to revert to the black-and-white infrared more easily than I might have expected, especially as there was light being provided by a single electric bulb.

Overall verdict

Image sharpness is not as impressive as with other security cameras, and the time limit can seem a little arbitrary – this camera feels very dominated by the battery-led design. That said, it's great that this is an option because with so many battery-powered security cameras, charging or changing the battery every few months can become a very tiresome chore, and the result is that you stop bothering, resulting in no footage at all.

Inevitably, as an Amazon-owned company, Alexa support is included - but support for Google Assistant (let alone Apple HomeKit) is ignored.

The Blink app is a good user experience, within the obvious limitations. If you opt for the subscription, and so Person detection, you can also – for a small monthly outlay – eliminate a lot of unnecessary alerts depending on your positioning. I also liked the activity zones (just tap on the squares, no weird shape drawing, feels very natural).

Alternatives

How I tested it

I tested the camera by setting it up and fitting it in our loft for several weeks, then visiting it several times and approaching from behind boxes. I also placed the camera outdoors. This gave me a good chance to see how it performed in different light and different weather, and see how far it could get from the base station.

Bish bash bosh! My boyfriend put this cam up with just four screws, though he did need to trim my bush in order for us to get the best view of the garden. After that, setting up the Ring Outdoor Cam Plus was as easy as Donald Trump finds IQ tests (or so he'd have us believe). It'll be even easier for you if, like me, you're already fully initiated into the Ring ecosystem. This was my fifth Ring cam, so the set-up was even more intuitive and I didn't have to type in my WiFi password. The app just added it to the long list of cam views I could see at a glance.

As Ring cams go, the Outdoor Cam Plus boasts everything you'd expect, plus in some cases more: clear 2K resolution (higher than its predecessor, the Ring Stick Up Cam, which only offered 1080p); person, vehicle and package alerts (though sadly not animals; I enjoy watching random cats and foxes enter my garden); and, of course, an expansive field of view. It's definitely one of the best outdoor security cameras on offer.

Amazon's Ring range is reputable and has proved ultra-reliable over the past five years I've been using the cams - and I've also found that they accept free returns if for some reason you decide a cam isn't for you (though I should state that I've only returned unopened cams after buying too many one Black Friday). There's also their budget Blink range to consider if money is an issue, while dedicated Apple lovers might prefer to look at the best HomeKit cameras.

This cam is for anyone who wants a clear and reliable view of their home's exterior without having to run a cable out of their house. You pop the battery in the bottom, so stick the cam up somewhere you can reach (either with or without a stepladder) and it'll be easy to replace every few months.

Specs

Price and Availability

The RRP is USD$100 (or GBP£99.99 or AUS$119.00), which is definitely a fair price for the features the cam offers. 2K resolution doesn't come cheap. The Blink Outdoor 4 cam costs two-thirds the price and only offers 1080p to the Ring's 2K resolution. Of course, both require a subscription plan, so do factor this in when making decisions on price.

Build and handling

The Ring Outdoor Cam Plus is made of the same high-quality plastics as most of the Ring cameras, and looks of a piece with them – stylish and functional and sleek, it would definitely have a deterrent effect on potential burglars but won't make your home's exterior look ugly. The box includes a USB-A (you know, the normal old-style big USB) to micro-USB cable to charge the battery, and the battery has a built-in micro-USB socket, in common with other Ring battery cameras. This is great for cross-brand compatibility, but feels a bit old-fashioned.

The cam feels fine and sturdy in the hand, but bear in mind that you won't be holding it much if at all except during the installation, where it's easy (yet not too easy) to angle and point in your direction of choice and have it stay fixed. The design is such that you can have it sitting on its circular base and have it lying around the home on a table or other flat surface - or you can use the base as the wall mount. Because it's an upright cylinder, it's big enough to see and deter potential intruders without occupying as much space as a traditional CCTV camera.

Performance

The Ring Outdoor Cam Plus impresses on many fronts. It gets a signal through the wall via a battery, which is no mean feat. After three weeks of use, it was still at 41%, so with people and animals wandering in and out of the back door I reckon it'd last six weeks between changes, whatever the packaging claims. If anything, the cam's Person detection is a bit too good, noticing neighbours in the adjoining garden, though that's a function of where it's placed rather than a design flaw.

It also allows you to set up Privacy Zones, but this wasn't especially helpful as we got a lot of alerts for the neighbours using their garden despite this.

Something to bear in mind is that, as the primary owner of the Ring system, you can share access - however, I gave my boyfriend access and he couldn't access half the same settings I could.

I would personally love it to have a dedicated Animal detection capability, because I enjoy watching cats and foxes prowl around the garden, so maybe Ring could read this review and install it in its next iteration?

Overall verdict

The Ring Outdoor Camera Plus is a capable addition to the company's line. The app makes things easy most of the time (especially once you work out that only the primary user gets access to all the features).

Being battery-operated makes the camera easy to install, though I do wonder why Ring persists in using its built-in Micro-USB charging sockets. It feels like USB-C would be a bit more up-to-date? At least it has the virtue of being interchangeable with the rest of the Ring system.

One positive is that it wasn't set off by the branches of my bush moving in the wind – you might even need to turn motion sensitivity up a notch. That said, this will risk your battery. On the other hand the AI person detection was even triggered by people in my neighbor's garden, a little of which was right on the edge of shot.

Alternative

How I tested it

I tested the camera by setting it up and fitting it to my home (or, if I'm honest, persuading my boyfriend to do the bit with the drilling and the ladder), then using it in situ for several weeks. This gave me a good chance to see how it performed in different kinds of weather, as well as whether the battery really was up to the job.

The Enabot Ebo Air 2 is billed as a 'companion robot', although it isn’t autonomous and for the most part is controlled via a phone app. It’s more akin to a remote-controlled car, albeit one with a camera to give you a first-person point of view as you drive it around, and that can be controlled from anywhere that there’s a internet connection.

But that camera enables it to act as a home security camera, sending an alert when movement is detected, and looking a lot like an innocent toy, it can even be considered a spy camera. Other features enable it to interact with people and pets, so it also joins the ranks as one of the best pet cameras.

It's an update to the original Enabot Ebo Air. which was released a couple of years previously, and upgraded features include a higher resolution 2K camera (versus the 1080p resolution of the first-gen model), cutomizable 'eyes' to add facial expressions, and a wider variety of pre-programmed sounds and movements.

Enabot Ebo Air 2: Specifications

Enabot Ebo Air 2: Price

The Enabot Ebo AIr 2 costs $199 / £199 / AU$349, which is around the same price as the original Ebo Air that it replaces, so you're getting more features for a similar outlay, and is a darn sight cheaper than the same company's top-of-the-range AI-enabled Enabot EBO X, which will set you back a whopping $999 / £940 / AU$1,699.

Enabot Ebo Air 2: Design & Handling

Available in white, pink, and blue, and with a pair of ‘eyes’ that can show various expressions, the Ebo Air 2 had ‘cute’ written all over it. In addition to a selection of preset eye shapes, hearts, and the like, they can be programmed with your own designs or display the time when the Ebo Air 2 is in standby mode.

It runs on a pair of caterpillar tracks that enables it to traverse carpets and rugs, as well as hard flooring, and even clear small obstacles. It comes with a charging station, which it sits patiently on until activated by the app.

It’s easy to control, once you get the hang of it. Holding your phone vertically puts a small video feed at the top of the display to show the Ebo Air 2’s view, with a circular dial that controls the direction, along with a selection of other control options. Switching to landscape orientation shows a full-screen view, with all the necessary information and soft controls overlaid on top. I found that separating the controls to turn left/right with one thumb and move forward/back with the other gave the best control.

The Ebo Air 2 is dubbed as a ‘pet companion’ and there’s a red LED ‘laser’ for tormenting cats. I found that my own furry friend, Choo-choo, went from initially running away whenever it moved, to staring at it from a safe distance, to giving it a swipe when it got too close. Luckily, the device is robust enough to cope with the most boisterous of pets, and it is designed not to be toppled easily. There's also an option to set crash avoidance; when activated, it will automatically stop if it gets too close to an object.

Enabot Ebo Air 2: Performance

Pretty much everything is controlled via the companion app, though it's not that intuitive, and working out what does what takes a fair bit of trial and error. In addition to driving the thing around yourself with the aid of a first-person view from the video feed, snapshots can be taken and video recorded by tapping a button on the app. It has a night vision mode for use in dark environments, where the display switches to monochrome. A microphone can be toggled on and off to enable two-way audio communication with anyone in the same room as the Ebo Air 2 (or it can simply be used to eavesdrop on the room).

You can also engage a set of 'skills'. There are a few preprogrammed actions that can be activated, such as figure 8s and a ‘hop’ created from a sudden change of direction from forward to back, plus a selection of noises including a ‘meow’, ‘woof’ and ‘chirp’, as well as the ability to select different ‘eye’ patterns, both pre-designed ones or up to six that you can design yourself. However, these are a bit of a faff to activate, as you have to tap an icon that delves into a set of menus, select whatever combination of skills you want to perform, then hit a button to 'play' the sequence. Once you’ve tried them out for a bit, you'll soon revert to controlling the Ebo Air 2 yourself for the best fun. It seems a shame that there's no option to activate the sounds or change the expressions as you're driving around.

Once you’re done playing, then tapping a ‘home’ icon sends your plastic pal back to its charging station, announcing “I’m going home to charge!” in an adorable childlike voice, before approaching the station, turning around and reversing onto it to top up, ready for its next session. The Ebo Air 2 can run for a few hours before it needs recharging, and when it’s running low on juice, it will attempt to find its station automatically. On a side note, I discovered that if someone ‘accidentally’ switches the charging station off, then the Ebo Air 2 will attempt to find it, even if it’s already sitting on top of it, running around aimlessly.

You can also set up scheduled recordings for motion detection and 3-minute patrols, and specify the times and days these activate. Motion detection sends you a phone alert whenever the Ebo Air 2 detects motion, and records video of what it sees, which can be downloaded and viewed later. When on a 3-minute patrol, it sets off from its charging station and roams around for a while (three minutes, to be precise), recording whatever it sees, again for later viewing, before returning to its station. But its movements seem random and rather aimless, rather than a sensible patrol. It doesn't appear to map its environment or know where it's going, aside from being able to detect its charging station.

Enabot Ebo Air 2: Verdict

The Ebo 2 is a fun toy that can amuse your pets to a certain degree, but will probably amuse yourself more. It's great fun driving it around remotely and interacting with people when they least suspect it. It can also double as a security or spy camera, secretly recording what it sees by setting up scheduled recordings, thus keeping an eye on your home.

Alternatives

Tariffs have created supply chain uncertainty, and that means one of the most interesting Apple product rumors in a long while – a camera, no less – might now have been shelved. It's certainly gone quiet.

Admittedly, we're looking at a remote discussion about Chinese supply chains preparing to manufacture the device back in 2024, for a 2026 release, so there is no reason to hear about it. And it's also important to note that – since it's WWDC 2025 – Apple may not need to say anything on June 9. It is typical to keep major hardware announcements for separate events.

Still, in 2024 Medium reported that Apple was preparing for its own, branded foray into the IP camera market. This would mark a big change in direction since, unlike Google, the company didn't have its own brand. 

There is wide compatibility built into Apple's operating systems iOS / MacOS / TvOS / iPadOS, but Apple depends on other brands to supply the best HomeKit cameras that appear now as 'Apple Home'.

Why not introduce Apple's own products branded 'Apple Home'? It'd likely upset the manufacturers of compatible devices, but Apple has struggled to lure manufacturers to its ecosystem. 

Alexa and Google compatibility are wider, though the former may have a lot to do with the fact that Amazon owns both Ring and Blink, two of the biggest secutiy camera firms, as well as Alexa.

All of this means Apple really ought to be producing its own products in this category – the company doesn't have that much to lose.

The problem? The manufacturing company named in the original rumor, GoerTek, is Chinese (like the majority of Apple suppliers). China has been targeted with even higher tariffs by Donald Trump's new government than most countries and Trump has said on his own social media platform, "I have long ago informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhones that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else. If that is not the case, a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S. Thank you for your attention to this matter!"

Similarly, punitive rates have also been applied to cameras, causing price hikes in America, so it seems plausible that effort will need to be spent finding new manufacturing possibilities. In other words, now might not be the time for Apple to begin manufacturing devices as planned, and the easiest lines to drop would be ones that haven't even begun.

Incidentally, on the subject of the impact of tariffs, an alternative comedy suggestion has caught my eye… Apple might have to go back to its 1976 kit computing era and leave the manufacturing to the consumer...

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If you're looking to add security cameras to your Apple ecosystem and don't mind another company's branding on the camera, I personally like the Eve outdoor cam.

Alternatively, do check our guide to the best indoor security cameras.

Could Wyze be about to make lightbulb security camera truly mainstream? If anything can do it it is this new release – and it's clever pairable accessory.

Wyze is known for its accessibly priced linked security cameras, which use wi-fi and an app, and for helping consumers side-step expensive subscriptions to cloud storage by offering on-device storage as an option with MicroSD cards.

This new camera will be no exception to that, with a slot capable of accepting a memory card (which Wyze will gladly sell you if you're buying the camera directly).

The other key features of the Wyze Bulb Cam is IP65 weatherproofing – meaning it can easily be installed in most outdoor light fittings and a 2K camera with a 160-degree field of view.

Wyze also describe the camera as boasting 'Color night vision' (though presumably this comes from the fact the 800 lumen (max) dimmable bulb is providing enough light that the camera can 'see' color.

The bulb fits E26 sockets, the screw-in kind used by around 90% of lights in the USA.

Using the Wyze ecosystem it'll be possible to pair it with the Wyze Accessory Bulb (without the word 'Cam' appended), so that the smart sensing from the camera can easily trigger up to five bulbs. In both cases the bulb has a fixed color temperature of 3000K.

The device also boasts a built-in speaker and microphone which, like other ecosystem devices, can be used for two-way-talking remotely via the app. The speaker can also serve as a 95 dB siren to make a point / deter intruders.

Wyze's enduring popularity comes in part because that ecosystem supports Alexa, Google Assistant, IFTTT and the company's own 'Rules'.

The Bulb Cam is available now in the US and retails for $49.98 device alone, and as a bundle with a single Accessory Bulb on top for $64.98. The Accessory Bulb bought alone is $16.98.

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Check our guide to the best outdoor security cameras or, if you've got more interest in building an Apple-led system, why not check the best Apple HomeKit cameras guide?

Security cameras enable homeowners and renters to keep an eye on things without actually being there – but the Hong Kong-based Imilab has launched a new camera that can see in two directions at once.

The Imilab C30 Dual can deliver two different views to the smart home app, thanks to using two separate lenses within a single indoor security camera.

One camera sits in the base and remains fixed in position. A second camera sits at the top and can rotate 360° to remotely adjust the camera’s view. Or, the second camera can automatically follow movement with human tracking. The combination makes it possible for users to see two different views from the same room at once.

The two cameras both offer 3K live view footage, the company says. The top lens also has full color night vision and a 6x zoom capability. The camera’s base can be placed on a table, or the camera can be hardware-mounted to a ceiling.

The C30 Dual uses on-device AI to power alerts, including recognizing human movement, pets, infant cries, and loud noises. The company is also beta testing alerts for fire and smoke. Imilab says that using the AI detection doesn’t require a subscription, and neither does using a microSD card for footage. A cloud-based video storage option is also available with a subscription, while using a microSD will also facilitate 24/7 recording.

The security camera connects using either 2.4GHz or 5 GHz Wi-Fi networks. It’s also compatible with both Amazon Alexa and Google Assistant for voice control.

The Imilab C30 Dual is now shipping from Amazon, where it retails for $89 / £80 (Australian pricing to be confirmed). Currently, Amazon is offering a $20 off coupon on the camera.

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Browse the best security cameras.

The footage from home camera systems might be more accessible than you think. Sometimes, it doesn’t even have to be your system; it could be a neighbor’s camera that streams window insights about your home to a website called Insecam.

While everything from indoor security cameras and webcams to baby camera monitors and doorbell cameras are useful devices for your home, this convenience comes at the cost of potential privacy loss. Recent reports have revealed that private recorded footage could be available to anyone on the internet.

This alarming news highlights a 'grey area' that makes private video material accessible via Insecam. The site boasts the world's largest directory of online surveillance cameras, enabling users to watch live feeds from around the world, including streets, traffic, beaches and even private living spaces.

The problem is twofold: first, you may not even realize that your living space is being streamed live to this website or any other site; second, it appears astonishingly easy to access this footage.

And apparently, it doesn’t matter what brand your home camera is. Insecam features more than 2,000 camera feeds worldwide, including popular brands such as Panasonic, Sony, Canon and Linksys.

Here lies the crux of the matter: the website claims that it only streams videos from devices that have no password protection, which means Insecam does not hack into their systems. The owner defended the site’s purpose, claiming that it highlights the problem of neglectful users.

The owner of Insecam is based in Russia, but their identity remains unknown. In a statement reported by the Daily Mail, they remarked, "Do you think their privacy is not invaded without my site? There are tons of video records and images on anonymous image boards."

While I understand the importance of private camera systems, this example underscores how easily your privacy can be compromised often without our knowledge.

Since the website streams content from well-known brands, it is key to invest in a device that features multiple security features to safeguard your privacy. And always create a password!

You might like...

If you are still interested in this topic, check our guides to the best PoE cameras, the best 360-degree outdoor security cameras and the best CCTV cameras – but don't forget to create a password and always activate further privacy security features available, to not just secure your home but your privacy.

My favorite replaceable-battery powered security camera, the Blink Outdoor, is getting an update! Why is it my favorite? Well, there aren't many. Most outdoor security cameras use some variant of power cables, rechargeable batteries, and perhaps solar to top the power up. Not Amazon-owned company Blink, though, which offers a useful alternative in the form of disposable batteries which have a much longer life but still don't need any cable runs.

Of course it's useful for Amazon too – where do most people go to buy the AA lithium batteries? Nevertheless there are scenarios where they make sense, and the previous generations have proven that.

What does the new Blink Outdoor 4th generation, just announced, bring to the party?

More onboard processing power which enables more features. An on-device AI enables advanced motion detection with customisable dual zones and Person Detection (subscription required). This allows users to receive more specific motion alerts, filtering out unwanted notifications.

There is also the option of even longer life from the same I personally used a Blink Outdoor and found the battery life really did live up to expectations, though I was careful not to over-activate it.

The camera maintains the signature battery life of up to two years on two (lithium) AA batteries. The system includes the new Blink Sync Module Core, which facilitates cloud storage for recorded footage.

You can boost that (perhaps if you're putting the camera in a busier location where it'll be activated more and use the batteries faster) with the new Battery Extension Pack. This doubles the battery life – either to a remarkable four years or, as I said, more likely, more activations in the same time!

Blink Outdoor 4 is currently priced at $49.99 / £69.99 for a single-camera system (which includes the Sync Module Core). A bundle including the camera and the Battery Extension Pack is available for $64.99 / £89.99, and the Battery Extension Pack can be purchased separately for $29.99 / £24.99.

• 🇺🇸 Blink Outdoor 4 - Amazon USA
• 🇬🇧 Blink Outdoor 4 - Amazon UK

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Check our guide to the best indoor security camera and the best outdoor security camera. We even have a guide to the best 360-degree outdoor security cameras.

Robot tech company Enabot has announced its latest home companion the EBO Air 2 – a wheeled robot that patrols your home, interacts with pets and entertains the family. Following on from the success of its predecessors the EBO Air and EBO SE, the new device introduces a raft of new features and upgrades, including 2K camera resolution, a wider field of view, increased pet interaction options and a customizable expression display.

The new robot is equipped with a 2K Ultra HD camera, compared with the the 1080p resolution of the previous model, and also has a wider angle of view that measures 137° diagonally, 115° horizontally and 60° vertically. IR-CUT enhanced vision delivers clearer detail, even after dark.

The EBO Air 2 is both a pet playmate and kids companion. A two-way talk function boasts Clear Voice AI Noise Cancellation to eliminate echo, static and background noise so the voice will always stay sharp, even in loud environments. It is equipped with a laser to captivate cats and hold their attention, and has multiple pet-play movements and sound effects built in, so users can set it up and play with their pet through the companion app.

Its tread-based wheels enable it to clear raised obstacles and navigate gentle slopes, and its anti-topple impact-resistant design enables it to withstand the attention of even the most boisterous pets. Advanced obstacle technology enables smooth navigation around household objects. And at just 9cm tall, it can easily navigate tight spaces, such as under furniture, to locate pets or lost items.

Light-up emoji interactions give the robot personality, with a range of eye expression lights from emoticons to letters, and users can create their own dot-matrix designs for the robot to wink, laugh, or show some love.

It automatically recharges itself when running low on battery power, backtracking its exact path to avoid getting lost while infrared guidance alignment enables it to locate its charging dock.

The EBO Air 2 can also provide peace of mind when away from the home. It has 24/7 video recording with smart playback so it can capture moment that users can view online. Motion detection triggers automatic recording and sends real-time push notifications for instant alerts. Unlike fixed security cameras, it can move around the whole home, leaving no blind spots, and turn on the spot for full 360° coverage.

With Device Sharing, multiple accounts are able to log in and view the clips. But when privacy is required, its One-Tap Privacy Mode enables users to tap it to disable the camera and microphone.

The EBO Air 2 will be available soon three glossy-finish color options – Robin Pink, Dove White and Jay Blue – and retails for $199/£199/AU$349. In the meantime, check out Enabot's other home robots.

As technology evolves, our control over it diminishes, and opportunities to manipulate it for iniquitous purposes become available. Espionage and sabotage no longer require James Bond to cable drop into a room, as individuals can now remotely hack WiFi systems, and access cameras and sensitive information from the comfort of their own homes.

This threat is a serious concern within the military. So much so that three computer science researchers in the Penn State School of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science (EECS) are creating their own special ops team to build a “honey pot” tech trap.

In other words, a decoy suite of fake networks, devices and domains to entrap and deceive the hackers.

The team was granted a 24-month grant of $557,000 (around £450,000, AU$885,000) from the US Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM), with the possibility of renewal, to fund the project of deception.

Once the honeypot scheme reveals what the adversary's intentions are, the appropriate agencies can take further action, and the team plan on working with DEVCOM to hone the process as needed.

“We are seeing that hackers are getting very sophisticated, and they’re trying to compromise assets from multiple domains, such as air and land, to learn intelligence from both systems,” said co-principal investigator Tom La Porta, Evan Pugh Professor and director of EECS.

“They can compromise a Wi-Fi network, for example, and see there’s a ship on the network. From there, they can hack into the ship’s GPS. So, that would be multidomain deception: going from cyber to sea.”

The other two members of the dream team trio are Guohong Cao, a distinguished professor of computer science and engineering, and David Miller, professor of electrical engineering. They plan to work on building sophisticated, multidomain fake networks that dangle a carrot in front of attackers, who then unknowingly upload their malware – so researchers can gather information about their adversaries and their tactics.

La Porta is in charge of developing the fake networks, Cao will build them, and Miller will develop and enhance the fake video feeds deployed on the honeypot through real-time video editing.

La Porta emphasized the importance of consistency across their honeypot domains, meaning that all the ‘hackable’ systems – WiFi routers, fake cameras, and smart system devices like light switches and thermostats – must be cohesive to fool the tech-savvy hackers. This is because hackers will typically verify that a system is legitimate by testing a light switch or thermostat and seeing if the camera of the same network registers the change.

“If the hackers think they have a camera and a light switch in the same room, from a network perspective, the addresses of these devices have to look like they’d be on the same network,” La Porta said. “To keep track of all the fake devices and networks, we are building a database that has the attributes of every fake device and what its impact on its environment is.”

Cao added: “We will build honeypots using software to emulate various devices that appear real but are actually just software. These honeypots will be deployed on a cloud-based system like Amazon cloud computing, where anyone, including hackers, can see and interact with our fake cameras, router, Google voice, network devices and more.”

Going into the way video is used, Miller explained: “Using generative deep neural network learning, I will create realistic fake videos, in order to deceive an attacker into believing that they have co-opted a camera system.

“This may involve generating fake video from scratch, consistent with the supposed physical location of the network that has been infiltrated, or editing an existing video to make it consistent with underlying weather conditions, such as displaying rain or snow, or the time of day, such as moving shadows throughout the day.”

If attackers believe the systems are legitimate, they will spend time observing the fake systems, wasting time they could be spending on real systems, La Porta added. And once hackers upload their malware, researchers can get an idea of their intentions.

“By interacting with our honeypot, they tell us what they want and how they will do their attack,” Cao said. “Do they want to hack the GPS of a submarine, observe troop movements, understand the layout of a military base, upload ransomware to ask for ransom, mine bitcoin or something else?”

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Feel like conducting your own secret operation? Why not take a look at our guides to the best fake security cameras, the best camera drones, and the best spy cameras.

EZVIZ has announced a new PTZ security camera with 2K+ resolution and 'ColorFULL' technology designed to side-step the need for flashing bright spotlights all night.

The company is heralding the camera tech as their next generation, pointing not only to the higher 2K+ resolution but camera improvements. With a 1/1.8-inch CMOS sensor, the camera offers less noise and less motion blur than many security cameras, both of which lead to a more useful image. The camera is capable of detecting more color than a human eye att night, at least according to EZVIZ.

EVZIV are also claiming that by side-stepping a spotlight the camera will be able to reduce energy costs, which in the LED era seems a little less significant than the potential gains in not irritating your neighbours (and yourself) with constant flashes of bright light when something is detected, but has the potential to add up too.

Despite the typical EZVIZ styling there is an F/1 aperture in there. The camera can also be set up in' patrol mode' moving from preset points (up to 12). It also has smart detection.

There is a 4x zoom, though that camera's 4MP sensor means that there will be a degree of detail loss at the long end of that. The zoom can be set to track and follow detected subjects.

There is also still the option of using a built-in spotlight, but it is far more directional than that on typical home security floodlights. The system can also be set to flash it as a deterrent.

PTZ allows 340-degrees of pan and 70-degrees of vertical movement.

Those on a budget, or not keen to sign up to subscriptions will appreciate the fact that EZVIZ include the option of MicroSD storage – up to 512GB cards are accepted – so the Cloud, while available, is not essential.

The camera is on sale now from Amazon UK for £99.99, and we're aiming to clarify the US price and will update this story shortly.

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For more on security camera, check our guide for the best indoor cameras and the best 360-degree security cameras.

Smart baby monitors can now track anything from breathing to temperature, but the latest option from CuboAi can now track an infant’s growth using just the footage and built-in software. Announced on January 15, the CuboAi Smart Baby Monitor 3 is the company’s first to offer automatic growth tracking. The bird-shaped camera uses AI and the video footage to track an infant’s growth over time, the company says.

The growth tracking doesn’t require any extra sensors, the company notes, but uses video footage to note changes in the infant’s height. The company says the feature helps parents track growth “effortlessly.”

Like previous models the third generation camera also uses AI to alert parents if an infant’s face becomes covered or the baby rolls over. But the Smart Baby monitor 3 is now six times faster at delivering those alerts, the company says. With optional accessories like the sensor sleeping pad and temperature sensor, the monitor can also track breathing and body temperature during an illness.

The camera itself captures 2.5K footage, using a wide angle lens to keep the entire crib in the frame. CuboAi also stores the footage for up to three days without additional subscription costs, which the company says is the longest free storage in the market.

I’ve used the first generation Cubo smart monitor in the past and loved the design as well as the monitor’s ability to tell me if my toddler exited his bed. I’ve been pretty terrible at remembering to track height on the wall chart though, so the idea of having an app to track growth milestones is intriguing. And, let’s face it, babies grow entirely too fast.

The Cubo Ai Smart Baby Monitor 3 starts at $239 / £229 / AU$399 for the wall mounted version, with the price increasing from there for the floor stand and bundles with the sleeping pad and temperature sensor. Pre-orders begin on January 15.

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The global body camera market is projected to reach $1.2 billion (approximately £981 million / AU$1.9 billion) by 2030, according to estimates, up from an estimated $363.6 million (£297.3 million / AU$560.7 million) in 2024 – at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 20.7%.

A major growth factor is the increasing demand for police to be held to increased accountability for their actions, and transparency in law enforcement and security operations.

Demand for the best body cameras are also expanding beyond this sector, as hospitals have begun trials using AI body cameras to reduce deaths from medication errors. Private security and transportation industries, where documentation is essential, have also adopted body-worn cameras.

AI and smart features including real-time streaming, facial recognition, and automated data analysis are also driving the market.

In the US, the police killed at least 1,232 people in 2023, making it the deadliest year for homicides committed by law enforcement in more than a decade.

“The presence of body-worn cameras encourages better behavior among officers, knowing that their actions are being recorded and subject to review,” says Valuates, which compiled the report. “This focus on accountability not only enhances the credibility of police forces but also drives the demand for advanced body-worn camera solutions in the market.”

A study by a team of public safety experts and world economists released by the University of Chicago Crime Lab and the Council on Criminal Justice’s Task Force on Policing argued that body cameras in law enforcement are both cost-effective and beneficial.

Professor Jens Ludwig, head of the Crime Lab, says the findings show that the key benefit of body-worn cameras is the reduced use of police force. For example, among the police departments studied, complaints against police dropped by 17%, and the use of force by police during fatal and non-fatal encounters fell by nearly 10%. "That's hopeful but not a panacea," Ludwig says.

"Body-worn cameras are a useful part of the response but not a solution by themselves. Body-worn cameras are not going to solve the problem of the enormous gap we see in police use of force in the U.S. against Black versus white Americans."

Even so, New York University Professor Morgan Williams Jr says "integrating the technology into policing practices can be an important step towards making policing fairer and more accountable."

The integration of advanced features such as real-time streaming, facial recognition, and automated data analysis enhances the functionality and appeal of body cameras, which in turn is driving the market growth.

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Take a look at our guides to the best body cameras, the best 360 degree outdoor security cameras, and the best indoor security cameras.

Two of Amazon-owned Ring’s most popular outdoor security cameras will get a huge update tomorrow, January 08.

Ring once dominated the home security market, but has been eclipsed in recent years by various competitors as well as facing concerns about privacy breaches.

In an attempt to stay relevant, Ring announced at CES 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada, that the Ring Floodlight Cam Pro and the Ring Spotlight Cam Pro, will be boosted up to 2K video resolution at no extra cost to the owner, available on the Ring app.

This is a long-awaited and important step for Ring as other companies, such as Arlo and Eufy, have been shooting at 2K or even 4K for a few years now.

A spokesperson for Ring said:

"While Ring's existing HD Video delivers crisp resolution, we are always working to enhance the Ring experience for both new and existing customers, and 2K will deliver even greater sharpness and texture quality for enhanced detail and clarity. Ring Vision combines software, hardware, and Ring's internal expertise to ensure balanced color, contrast, and motion smoothing."

Alongside the camera update comes the Vehicle Detection feature, which will notify customers of moving vehicles in the camera's field of view. However, this new feature will be included as part of Ring’s Smart Alerts platform – which is only available to those with a Ring Home subscription plan.

The Vehicle Detection feature is available on several Ring products, including the Floodlight Cam Wired Pro, Spotlight Cam Pro, Spotlight Cam Plus, Floodlight Cam Wired Plus, Pan-Tilt Indoor Camera, Indoor Camera 2nd Gen, Battery Video Doorbell, Battery Video Doorbell Plus, Battery Video Doorbell Pro, Video Doorbell Wired, and Wired Doorbell Pro.

Smart Home Camera Statistics states that the home security market is rapidly growing, reporting that around 98.86 million homes worldwide installed security cameras in 2023, and estimating that by 2026 that number will have increased to 163.73 million.

Despite this, issues of security remain an ongoing concern, as a recent study suggested that outdoor security cameras are “among the top collectors of user data,” harvesting 50% more than other smart home device apps.

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Interested in securing your home? Why not take a look at our guides to the best indoor security cameras, the best 360-degree outdoor security cameras, or why not look at our guides to the best fake security cameras.

Smart home cameras have arguably become one of the most popular pieces of technology in recent years, with companies like Amazon owned Ring and Google leading the charge.

However, various brands have been under recent scrutiny for privacy breaches recently, and it’s becoming increasingly apparent that while these devices can prove useful, they can also turn on their owners.

Earlier this year, Amazon owned Ring were forced to pay out $5.6 million over security breaches, and Wyze suffered a big privacy mishap as 13,000 had their homes exposed to the public.

A new study by SurfShark entitled ‘Is Privacy and Illusion Under a Security Camera’s Watch' has highlighted smart security camera apps as some of the biggest collectors of user data.

This includes sensitive personal identifiable information like email addresses, phone numbers, payment details, precise location and more. Surfshark claims that after collecting data, some apps track their users to display targeted ads, or share their information with third parties and data broker companies.

Surfshark’s Research Hub chose a range of selected security hubs, and analyzed the data from the apps’ listings on the Apple App Store, examining 32 potential data points across 12 categories, emphasizing user uniqueness, tacking, and linkage.

“The most invasive apps were then ranked by considering the number of unique data points collected, the scope of tracking-related data points, and the amount of data linked to users,” says Surfshark.

The worst offenders were Deep Sentinel Home Security and Lorex in joint first followed by Nest, Arlo and Ring, with mydlink, TP-Link Tapo, Eufy Security, Wyze, and Reolink afterwards.

The study claims that outdoor security cameras are “among the top collectors of user data,” harvesting 50% more information than other smart home device apps. They typically collect email addresses, precise location, phone numbers, bank account and payment details, among other things.

Indoor security cameras were slightly less insecure, collecting email addresses, phone numbers, user ID’s, device ID’s, purchase history and audio data.

Smart Home Camera Statistics states that around 98.86 million homes worldwide installed security cameras in 2023, and estimate that by 2026 that number will have increased to 163.73 million.

The relative absence of regulations and standards for smart home devices, and the lack of understanding about AI present several risks including data breaches, and cyberattacks. However, it appears they devices are only getting more popular, and with Apple to about to launch its own rival system, complete with facial recognition, it seems like many more homes will soon be at risk of privacy leaks.

Still interested in securing your home? Why not take a look at our guides to the best indoor security cameras, the best 360-degree outdoor security cameras, or why not look at our guides to the best fake security cameras.

After years of allowing brands like Amazon and Google to dominate the top spots in home security, it would seem Apple is throwing its hat in the ring with its very own doorbell camera.

According to Mark Gurman of Bloomberg News, the camera will use Face ID to unlock, and could be released by the end of next year “at the soonest,” he wrote in his Power On newsletter.

It will reportedly work just like facial recognition on an iPhone, automatically unlocking the door when it registers the homeowners face. Like the biometric login information on other Apple devices, the camera would be fitted with the company’s Secure Enclave chip that stores and processes Face ID information separately from the rest of the system’s hardware.

It’s “likely” that this device will work with existing third-party HomeKit smart locks, according to Gurman, and Apple may also partner with a smart lock company “to offer a complete system from day one.”

HomeKit is Apple’s current answer to Alexa or Google, allowing users to control different household elements via the Home app.

He also predicts that the camera will make use of Apple’s in-house ‘Proxima’ combination Wi-Fi / Bluetooth chip that’s been doing the rounds in the rumor mill for HomePod Mini and Apple TV devices in 2025.

Apple is thought to be about to nestle its way into the smart home industry with a focus on its Apple Intelligence – including a new smart home camera, a possible Apple-branded TV, and new smart home displays – one simple iPad-like device that magnetically attaches to wall mounts or speaker bases, while another sits on the end of a robotic arm attached to a larger base.

This new avenue for Apple isn’t without its risks, and it will need to be careful. As Gurman says, any potential vulnerabilities could lead to a significant backlash if the system were linked to break ins. Earlier this year, Amazon-owned Ring were forced to pay out over $5.6 million over security breaches.

Take a look at our guides to the best HomeKit camera, the best 360 degree outdoor security cameras, and the best doorbell camera.

I thought that the Miko Mini was going to be a fun little toy with a camera in it that might do a few cool things, so I got it out with my son to test it. Before we could get anywhere near completing a full review I watched something which really changed my understanding of technology and – more importantly – how my own child is going to experience it.

Miko Mini is a 'STEM Learning Educational Robot' and, of course, my interest was primarily what it does with its camera. As it turns out, though, there are a lot more features which might excite a child – and at least one which should give us all some existential pause!

Setting up the bot is not unlike setting up any of the best indoor security cameras or dedicated child monitors, except it is a little chattier – talking about feeling the power charging through it as you provide USB-C before a process setting up the parent connection app which will also connect the WiFi.

This app gives you a good idea of the 'apps' that are available inside the bot – but it works a bit like any a smart assistant – the child (ages 5-10 is recommended) is encouraged to use their "trustable little robot" by saying "Hi Miko".

It can then do all kinds of simple things, like ask your kid math questions. It was strange to see how much happier my son was (at least at first) answering this talking robot and getting positive answers than he is with his actual homework.

Next I found the feature that pertains to the camera – I can remotely look in on my son (if the privacy guard isn't closed) and talk to him. Great, but not an amazing feature – a Ring Indoor cam can do that (and it's not a true video call because he can't see me on the bot's screen, only hear me).

What really did entrance my son, though, was the ability to create a story simply by chatting with the bot and have generative AI turn it into a book we could then view on my phone.

Watching this process was extraordinary. After looking at the limited number of features available without opring for the 'Max' option, I found one called 'Story Maker' – my son said to the device: "Hi Miko let's make a story" and the machine prompted him with some questions about where he was and who he was with.

Interestingly it frustrated him a little by being reluctant to allow him and his chosen companion Luke Skywalker to kill the bad guys – but once Leo accepted my suggestion that the robot was looking for a nicer ending (escape etc.) – things worked better.

He did the same thing a couple more times, and, seemingly, his patience – and that of the device – was close to limitless (which is far from the case usually with either 8 year old boys or – if we're absolutely honest – parents at times). I realised I was watching my son's first real experience of a profound shift. Not bad or good, per se, but massive and permanent for society.

I actually think there is a lot I could earn from it, to be honest!

This robot camera can be a way to check in on your kids, but it also – thanks to that generative AI – seems to be taking on an element of parental responsibility, while also encouraging creativity and imagination. Perhaps by modern standards this is helping with creative play; it was impressive. If you sit there, as I did, and watch it you learn a bit about different ways to interact, and that's interesting. I immediately wondered about other ways I can talk with my son.

Admittedly the fact that the AI is trained on the real world, so reaches for famous IP, may be an issue, but then so did my son's brain! It turned out both were familiar enough with Star Wars and Lego Ninjago (though I won't say much for Miko's pronunciation of the latter!)

Still – what if I left them alone? There are clearly safeguards in the software, but what about on me, as a parent? There is much to worry about... but that's just one of the apps. I didn't even talk about dance party mode – yes, it can dance, on a flat surface, too! That'll take the worries away!

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A new video from Fujifilm shows off the "world’s longest 1600mm telephoto and 40x optical zoom" camera – although don't get too excited, it's not meant for you.

Originally announced last year, but now teased in a new video on Fujifilm's YouTube channel (see below), one thing is abundantly clear – this is certainly not a consumer camera. The camera is aimed at security or surveillance applications, with Fujifilm suggesting the camera might be widely used in border security on bridges, ports, or airports, as well as in remote inspection of infrastructure.

While Fujifilm is perhaps best known for its range of retro-looking compact cameras like the uber-popular Fujifilm X100VI – there is a lot more to Fujifilm than that. Fujifilm's lens division – Fujinon – is not just limited to designing and making some of the best Fujifilm XF lenses or the best GF lenses. The company produces lenses for broadcast events, cinema, security, machine vision, binoculars, and more.

The Fujinon SX1600 – which the company claims is the "world’s longest 1600mm telephoto and 40x optical zoom" (disclaimer: this was in 2023 and might no longer be true) covers a native focal range of 40mm to 1600mm, but the camera is also capable of a 2x digital zoom up to an effective 3200mm, or sensor control to extend the wide angle to 20mm.

With this effective 20-3200mm length, the SX1600 is capable of recording a vehicle registration plate up to ~1.6 miles (2.5km) away or a person standing around 2.2 miles (3.5km) away.

The camera comes with an effective 1/1.8in sensor which is supported by both optical image stabilization (OIS) in the lens as well as electronic image stabilization (EIS) in the body, which at 3200mm I am sure is very necessary!

The 16lb camera also has autofocus, which Fuji says can be as fast as 0.1 seconds, and from the video looks to be able to track subjects across the frame including cars and planes. There is also a lot of very cool-looking technology like heat or fog reduction.

How much do you have to pay for the SX1600. The adage that if you need to know the price, you can't applies here. But if you must know Adorama lists it for $37,500. But at least we can enjoy some new footage of Fuji flexing its superzoom muscles.

If you are looking for a Fujifilm camera you can actually buy – check out my guide to the best Fujifilm cameras available right now.

Transport for London (TFL) is reportedly installing CCTV cameras at 20 bus shelters in London to help combat violence against women and girls.

The technology was tested at five bus stops in March, and will now be installed at 15 more locations in Brent, Croydon, Hackney, Hammersmith, Fulham, Hillingdon, Lambeth, Newham, Redbridge, Tower Hamlets, Waltham Forest and Westminster.

TFL has explained that the locations in these boroughs were chosen to help understand the effectiveness of CCTV cameras across a wide range of areas in London, including areas with a high footfall, as well as quieter areas with infrequent buses, high crime areas, or places with significant reports of incidents involving female victims.

The Metropolitan Police will have live access, and the footage will be held for 31 days to aid in any potential investigations.

The results of the trial will be used to evaluate the costs and the feasibility of a wider rollout of CCTV cameras to other locations in London.

There are currently 19,000 bus stops in London, so these cameras will currently only monitor 3.8% of the city's locations.

Independent London thinktank Center for London reported that 45% of women in London feel unsafe at night at their local bus stop, while 47% feel unsafe on the tube. They also reported that while 44% of women said they would like to see more police resources focused on improving safety for women and girls, 51% would like to see an introduction of respect and consent training in schools.

Met Commander Ben Russell said: “This pilot will help protect women and girls, meaning they can enjoy safer spaces across the capital. It also aims to help us bring more dangerous predators to justice, with CCTV being used as a key tool as part of our investigations.”

Nicola Kalms, associate professor and founder of XYX Lab, a design research company exploring gender-sensitive design practices and theory, believes that CCTV can actually deter women.

“Her immediate response is to think that she’s in an unsafe place … The symbolic impact of the CCTV camera is really shaping women’s behaviour in cities.”

She believes that while CCTV cameras provide a short term solution, they do not capture certain types of sexual harassment such as verbal or stalking. She also alluded to maintenance, and the ease with which CCTV cameras can be vandalized, as well as issues with quality of footage and glitches with the technology.

Why not take a look at our guides to the best 360 degree outdoor security cameras, the best fake security cameras, and the best floodlight security cameras.

While you're here, why not take a look at the best best Black Friday camera deals, and the best Black Friday drone deals.

Professional photographer, videographer and YouTuber, Steven Broome (AKA @vintagecameradigest), has released a video that – by his own admission – he didn't want to make: how the new high-tech CT scanners at airports affect camera film. Yep, you guessed it, poor Steven ended up finding out the hard way…

As he tells his viewers in the video (below) he was on a trip through the Northwestern United States. So, he packed his Nikon F2, some of the best 35mm film rolls – Kodak Pro Image 100, Kodak Portra 400, Ilford HP5 Plus, Kentmere 100 and even some Wolfen PF2 (with a crazy ISO3) – and headed to the airport.

Steven explains that some confusion at Atlanta airport distracted him from asking airport security to check his film manually. Unfortunately, it went through one of the new CT scanners...

He says in the video: "Really, I wasn't terribly concerned about that (...) I had flown to Rome last year and (...) the film went through the security checkpoint (...) and I didn't have any issues with the film when I got back."

It turns out that the woman checking the scan initially thought the film canisters were batteries, but when Steven explained what they were: "her face (...) went from happy, cheerful (...) to one of grief". Sadly, Steven's 18 or so rolls of film were ruined.

ABOVE: What happens when camera film meets CT scanners?

It's a darn good job the photographer had elected to bring his Nikon F2 instead of a medium format film camera, because – as we all know – 35mm film is much easier to find when out and about than 120 film.

Major kudos to Steven for sharing his story, because he's getting the word out that these high-tech CT scanners can ruin film. He also makes it clear that airport staff are aware of the problem and should be happy to 'hand-check' film instead of putting it through the scanner.

But he goes one further than simply warning fellow photographers. He actually decided to shoot on three different rolls of the affected film, to see if they were indeed ruined.

Unsurprisingly, they was affected, so you'll absolutely want to ensure that your film avoids the new CT scanners the next time you head to the airport. But by analyzing the film Steven came up with some very interesting findings.

You'll have to watch the video to find out, and you can also find out more about Steven's vintage camera journey by visiting his website.

Interested in all things film? Check out the best film scanners and the best light meters.

I thought I’d have fun and give the Arlo Essential 2K Outdoor Security Cameras the names ‘Fred’ and ‘Doris’. This is mainly because the alerts ‘Person detected on Fred’ and ‘Animal detected on Doris’ made me laugh. You may be less ridiculous than me and want to give your cams more boring names (perhaps their locations). Hey, I’m not judging.

Of course, I had to download the Arlo Secure app to use and name them - and it wasn’t easy to pair the app with the devices. Holding down the cam’s button until the light blinked didn’t ensure it would pair. Weirdly, when I took each cam upstairs individually and tried this, the pairing was much more straightforward, so perhaps the app was getting confused by the fact that there were two cams in front of it?

It’s very easy to mount and angle the cams wherever you want. You can check the live view and then reposition the cam if it’s not showing what you’re after.

As static view cams go, these are among the best outdoor security cameras in 2024. Made by the reputable Arlo Technologies from California, up there with Nest and Ring in the home security camera category, they’re full of stand-out features.

Arlo Essential 2nd Gen: Specifications

Arlo Essential 2nd Gen: Price and Availability

These cams are currently available for $99 each or $189.99 for a pair - fairly steep at either price. You get a 30-day free trial of the Arlo Secure plan - after this, you still get the live view, notifications and two-way audio but have to pay for the footage. Prices start from $8.33 per month or $12.50 for multiple cameras. (£10.99 per month). Ouch! Though yearly payment gets a discount and this is broady in line with other cloud cameras, it seems a lot.

Arlo Essential 2nd Gen: Build and handling

The Arlo Essential 2K Outdoor Security Camera is a chonky boi. Doris and Fred are weighty and solid with lovely curves, but I’m not saying they should go on a diet and lose weight: it’s reassuring to feel a hefty chunk of camera in your hand. Not that it’ll be in your hand much, I imagine; it’ll be mounted to your fence or wall with the mount provided.

Also, Fred and Doris are very unlikely names for such aesthetically pleasing cams. They’re sleek, monochrome and wonderfully glossy.

In fact Arlo offers even chunkier versions in the form of their 'XL' variants (they have been binging on charge and house bigger batteries). Perhaps I'd have been better off with them, but I'll get to that.

Arlo Essential 2nd Gen: Performance

I mounted Doris to the side of the garden and Fred at the back, and together they alerted me to all the wildlife. Doris filmed a lovely clip of a fox cleaning itself at night, though the first part of the clip is in black and white, and it only switches to colour halfway through.

When the app notified me of an event, which was often, the notifications would contain a little thumbnail of what the cam had detected, which added to the fun.

The battery life is quite poor – I had to charge the cams every week, not every 4 months as promised, though they didn’t take long to charge. (More fox visits means more activations, which partly explains it.)

The actual footage captured was brilliantly clear. I would just worry that the cams would conk out moments before an intruder breaks in, so it’s worth keeping an eye on the battery percentage in the app.

The spotlight is blinding and would definitely stop a burglar in their tracks.

The two-way audio is tinny, which is standard for these cams, but it was definitely audible.

You can easily designate privacy and activity zones in the app, but my garden is the size of a very small hamster so it wasn’t really practical.

Arlo Essential 2nd Gen: Sample Video

The video shows how quick the camera is to engage the spotlight for color video.

Arlo Essential 2nd Gen: Verdict

Overall, the Arlo Essential 2K Outdoor Security Camera is a great cam (well, pair of cams).

The clarity of the 2K footage is outstanding, the notifications come with a little helpful thumbnail, the spotlight is glaringly bright and the two-way audio works well. Doris and Fred have outdone themselves. If only their battery life were better, the price wasn’t so high and the subscription not so expensive (especially for people buying a multi-pack of cameras) then this would be a 5/5 review.

It is fair to add that if budget is a serious concern, then the 1080P (lower resolution) version of the camera is half the price – I was testing the 2K version. It's definitely worth asking if you need the extra resolution, though of course faces and license plates do gain detail and the monthly sub is still the same per camera rate.

Alternatives

We all want to keep our homes safe and secure, and there is no shortage of outdoor security cameras to help do just that – many featuring built-in spotlights that come on when motion is detected. Still, we also want our homes to feel like, well, homes – rather than looking like some sort of Soviet-era gulag.

The Ezviz EL3 could be the answer. Housed within an attractive outdoor light is an advanced camera with AI-powered detection. The light can be programmed to come on to provide pleasant but bright 780-lumen ambient lighting when the sun goes down, with adjustable color temperature to suit the mood. It links to a mobile app, so the color and brightness of the light can be controlled remotely, and schedules set.

The in-built camera, tucked into the base of the light, can send automatic alerts when it detects people or vehicles moving within its detection zone. The camera records in 2K, for crisp and clear video, and rotates by 200°, automatically following subjects of interest and giving a much wider view than is possible with a fixed camera.

It's mounted on a folding bracket, so the angle of view can be further adjusted for the optimum degree of coverage. Spotlights provide far-reaching color night vision to capture vivid details of the surroundings in low light – or when it is pitch black outside.

A built-in microphone and speaker enables two-way communication, so guests can be welcomed, couriers directed where to leave their parcels, and uninvited visitors politely told to go away, all with a tap on a smartphone. For more persistent unwelcome visitors, should the camera detect signs of unauthorized entry, it triggers a piercing 92-decibel siren while flashing dazzling spotlights to deter the intruder.

It can read and recognize license plates – sending the user an instant alert of the plate number of unknown vehicles. Vehicles from the household and trusted visitors can be registered by the device, thereby limiting the number of false alarms by not notifying the user when a known car turns up.

The latest WiFi 6 protocols ensure a smooth connection to the home WiFi network, with dual-band 2.4 GHz / 5 GHz Wi-Fi options for optimum connectivity, ensuring it stays stable over long transmission distances or through walls, which some outdoor WiFi cameras can struggle with.

A weatherproof enclosure offers resistance against dust and water, protecting your home even under the most inclement weather conditions. Videos can be saved to a microSD card of up to 512GB capacity, or uploaded to fully encrypted cloud storage via an optional Ezviz CloudPlay subscription. H.265 video compression reduces the size of recorded files by 50% compared to the prevailing H.264 format, thereby reducing the amount of storage space required.

The recommended price is £129.99 in the UK. US and Australasia pricing to be confirmed.

You might be interested in the best 360-degree outdoor security cameras, along with the best doorbell cameras.

Hong Kong repeatedly ranks among the world’s safest big cities. So why are police authorities planning on installing thousands of new security cameras, equipped with powerful AI facial recognition? 

The Hong Kong Police Force claims the cameras are to help prevent crime and improve public safety, as well as identify criminals. But residents and critics of the Chinese government argue that the cameras, and the AI facial recognition technology, will be used to keep tabs on people it perceives as a threat.

Security Chief, Chris Tang, announced back in July its intention to employ facial recognition technology, as well as artificial intelligence. 

"We are studying how police in other countries use surveillance cameras, including how they use AI," said Tang. 

It has previously been reported that the city aimed to install 2,000 sets of CCTV cameras by the end of 2024, followed by 2,000 to 2,500 every year after that. Recorded footage will typically be kept for 30 days, noted Tang.

The announcement has been negatively met by some experts who fear that this is another step closer to bringing Hong Kong under the intense surveillance of mainland China. 

A study from 2022 entitled The ethics of facial recognition technologies, surveillance, and accountability in an age of artificial intelligence asserts: 

"FRT (facial recognition technology) is no longer a topic of science fiction or a concern for the future. It is here now, impacting people’s lives on a daily basis, from wrongful arrests to privacy invasions and human rights infringements."

Hong Kong was handed back to China by the British government in 1997, and China agreed to allow the city and surrounding region political autonomy for 50 years under the "one country, two systems," framework. 

Despite this agreement, in recent years Beijing has been cracking down on Hong Kong’s freedoms, resulting in mass protests in the city and sparking international criticism. 

In 2020, Beijing imposed a national security law that granted wide-ranging new powers to silence and punish critics of the government, fundamentally changing life for residents of Hong Kong. 

Hong Kong currently has more than 54,000 public CCTV cameras used by government bodies, for a population of approximately 7.3 million people. That’s about seven cameras per thousand people, according to an estimate by Comparitech, a UK-based technology research company. 

According to CNN, this puts Hong Kong on par with New York but behind London (13 cameras per 1,000 people) and very far off closely-monitored mainland Chinese cities – which average about 440 cameras per 1,000 people. 

Comparitech also found that eight of the ten most surveilled cities in the world are in mainland China, where facial recognition is a normal part of resident’s daily life – from facial recognition gates in subway stations, to facial scans when registering a new phone number. 

Take a look at our guides to the best fake security cameras, the best floodlight cameras, and the best 360-degree outdoor security camera.  

Swans: graceful, serene and unobtrusive, and the static view Swann Core Cam is no exception. There is the option to turn on the siren and have it honk like a goose whenever it sees a person, but sadly no option for it to wrench a burglar’s arm off with swan-like viciousness.

I tested it out in my urban garden, which is full of cats and foxes, though rarely at the same time. It was very easy to set up. But was it one of [the best outdoor cameras]? We’ll come to that in a minute.

Made by Swann, an Aussie security cam company which was taken over by the Chinese-American Infinova Group in 2014, its website boasts that it has ‘a presence in over 40 countries on 6 continents’. Are there no Swanns on Antarctica?

Specification

Pricing

The Swann CoreCam costs $155.99, which is £118.99 – not a great price considering you can currently get the Ring Outdoor Camera Battery (Stick Up Cam) for a full price of £89.99 (and likely less during the sales).

The potential for saving is whether you're happy with on-device storage or you like the convinience (but ongoing cost) of the cloud. It costs £3.99 a month or £39.99 a year after the 90-day free trial. For multiple Swanns camera, you have to fork out £8.99 a month or £89.99 a year for the Unlimited plan (Ring, by contrast, is $4.99 / £4.99 a month on the basic tier, or $7.99 / £7.99 for multiple.

Build and handling

The Swann is all the Ss: solid, sturdy, sleek and shiny. It feels good in your hands – though, as it’s a smart home security cam, you’re probably not going to be fondling and stroking it that much. And if you do, the neighbours will think you’re a bit weird.

Performance

I’ll level with you: it might be my Wi-Fi, which the Swann app says has a strength of between 67% and 71%, but there’s an average delay of about ten seconds when I open the app before it’ll show me the live view. It’s frustrating, especially if you hear a loud noise outside and want to know if somebody’s there.

On the flip side, the CoreCam retains battery very well. Three weeks after installation, it still has 50% battery left, and it arrived with 83% – possibly because I’ve had the ‘Battery Saver’ function ticked. When I untick it and turn all the settings to Max, it only drops another 20% in battery in ten days. That kind of stamina is impressive.

You can switch modes when you’re away from the house or asleep for the night, and even set schedules, but I’m a homebody so didn’t use this feature much.

The audio was quite tinny, but that’s fairly standard and I wasn’t expecting Dolby Surround Sound.

I initially thought, ‘Wow, the image is fuzzy!’ but then I realised that Live View quality was set to Low. When I set it to High, the clarity was amazing – literally all you could ask for from an outdoor cam. I blinked when I read that it was only 1080p. The night vision was good too.

However, it only fills half the phone screen in portrait mode. If you rotate your phone sideways, the app won’t fill the frame in landscape mode – it just means you’ll view the original image but sideways, which isn’t ideal. There is also the option of viewing the image at half the standard size, which confused me. Perhaps it’s for people who have several Swann devices, so you can view them all on one screen? I only have the one Swann cam, so don’t know.

I could hear its siren from inside with the bifolds shut, but it wasn’t quite loud enough when outside to alarm a trespasser. It sounds quite indirect and isn’t piercing – any intruder might not have thought it was aimed at them. ‘You twawkin’ ter me?’

My other gripe was that, when the neighbour’s cat ‘swanned’ into shot, the cam often thought he was a person and sent me a ‘Person Detected’ notification. I’d watch the footage and nope, it was the cat. He’s a bit of a chonky boi – a fat cat, if you will – but I’m not sure anyone could mistake him for a human. He won’t be starring in Cats: The Musical anytime soon.

Sample video

The image clarity is impressive, though the frame rate is 15fps like other Swann cameras tested by DCW.

Overall verdict

There seemed to be a few areas in which this cam fell short. The siren was more passive-aggressive than active-aggressive, there was a delay to the live view, and the cam mistook domestic pets for homo sapiens. However, the image clarity is great, the night vision is decent, and the battery lasts longer than most of the competition. If you can get this cam at a reasonable price, by all means go for it, but I personally wouldn’t buy it at this price.

Adam, who reviewed the Swann Tracker indoor cam, points out that the appeal of the Swann system is more in the built-in storage (so you can side-step subscription fees), but even he said that was "slightly let down by the software" and things don't seem to have improved

Alternatives

One night last May, I went to dump a bin bag in the outside bin and got a nasty surprise: the bin was full of cat poo and stunk to high heaven! I don’t own a cat, but there are plenty living in my street. They slink through my back garden so often, I’ve given them names: ‘James Bond Cat’ is fluffy, white and malevolent-looking; ‘Michael Jackson Cat’ has white socks.

However, I may not own a cat, but I do own a trusty Ring Doorbell camera, and I pay an £80 ($100) subscription fee each year for the footage. (Ring's subscription plans have just been updated, but Ring cameras are also extra cheap this time of year!)

So I opened the Ring app and went through hundreds of video clips, hoping to catch the culprit.

Lo and behold: at 23:31 on Friday 10th May, an hour at which I’m always asleep, a slim youth in a tracksuit, socks and sliders (a fashion crime!) came and emptied an entire tray of cat litter, complete with droppings, into my black bin. Like me, he was Asian; unlike me (alas), he appeared to be around 18 years old.

So, fired up with indignation and outrage at my newly-smelly bin, I turned amateur detective. Clutching my phone, I stalked up and down the street, ringing doorbells and showing the neighbours the footage. I asked them if they knew of a household with an Asian youth and a cat.

Eventually, I got to the right house, where a middle-aged Asian man opened the door. ‘Do you have a cat?’ I asked. Yes, they did. ‘Do you have a son in his teens?’ He nodded, perplexed.I showed him the footage, at which point he angrily bellowed his son’s name and ordered him to clean out my bin.

Being 16, he didn’t exactly clean it (do 16-year-old boys know how to clean?) but he did empty it of cat poo. It still reeked, but at least the bin men wouldn’t refuse to empty it anymore.

He also left behind a full roll of bin bags, which always come in handy.

His excuse for dumping his cat litter in my bin? ‘I didn’t think anyone was living there.’I’d lived there for 19 months at the time, so was confused: was it just that the lights had been off?

He apologised: ‘I’m very sorry.’

I nodded magnanimously: ‘It’s okay. Just don’t do it again.’

It hasn’t happened since, but if I hadn’t had my Ring camera, he could have dumped the cat poo weekly and I’d never have been able to catch the offender. So I'm grateful to Ring and Amazon: these days, my bin is wonderfully fragrant and there are no remnants of its traumatic faecal past.

In any case, this really is the week to have a look at some of Ring's cameras and try it out for yourself as Amazon's big deals have already started and you can spend surprisingly little to try the tech for yourself.

Ring cameras are now offering a 24-7 recording feature for top-tier subscribers, enabling you to swipe back through up to six months of live video from your doorbell or security camera.

Ring put subscription rates up earlier this year by rates significantly above inflation, so the fact they're staying the same this time but gaining a few features isn't something to rejoice about, but it is nice that some features are filtering down the scale.

If you thought all security cameras were continuous, think again. In fact given a lot of Ring's devices are battery-powered this isn't practical, but many are now wired. To get a good idea (and to see which have great deals on) check the best Ring cameras guide I just updated.

Confusingly the top tier seems to be called 'Pro' in the USA and 'Home' in the UK; but the principle is broadly the same. All the tiers get at least one new feature, but it is this higher tier which benefits most from arguably the most exciting; 24-7 recording and continuous live view, which makes it possible to use the cameras more like a traditional CCTV setup.

The 24-7 mode will work on Ring Stick Up Cam, Stick Up Cam Pro, Indoor Camera (2nd Gen) and Pan-Tilt Indoor Camera. (We can only assume the tech will come to others when the internals are updated).

It is also only in this top tier that it's possible to use the live view – that is simply look remotely through the camera – for an unlimited period, which opens up the possibility of using the camera like a baby monitor. Otherwise, live view sessions peter out at 10 minutes, or 30 in the 'Extended Live View' of the middle tier.

Again this is sensible battery protection; only someone who understood their system should put as much strain on the cameras, but it is interesting how much has been limited by software.

Video Preview Alerts is a new feature in all the levels which will create a small animation / video clip in the alerts pushed to your device when there is an event.

Doorbell calls will ring your phone when your Ring doorbell is pressed, reducing the chance you miss a notification – given the level of 'notification noice' most phone users experience, this should help cut through, though we've not tested it yet to know how fast it is.

The features will roll out over the next month "and will be available worldwide through Ring Home plans on November 5, 2024." 

Ring, of course, are but one company in this space, albeit a significant one. Check our guide to the best doorbell cameras to explore more.

You can test the experience for a month with any Ring camera – as they have a month-free subscription – during the Amazon Big Deal sale.

What happens if you attach tiny action cameras to a pair of adventurous cats? YouTuber Half Asleep Chris was prepared to find out – and to set them a tunnel-based challenge to explore.

Half Aleep Chris is a cat-loving Lego fan who produces some of the best YouTube content there is (assuming, that is, you love cats or Lego), and that hasn't gone unnoticed by the Insta360 team who have provided him with the cameras to record this video of his cats Ralph and Bella.

The camera is called the "World's smallest 4K vlogging camera" by Chris in the video, and it's hard to argue with that. There was a minor controversy about Insta360 encouraging reviewers to create videos without mentioning the downsides or sponsorship, but this is clearly declared and not a review, so there isn't an issue here. If you want an unsponsored assessment, you can check my Insta360 Go 3S review, not to mention our guide to the best body cameras and best action cameras.

Chris took the opportunity provided by his sponsor to extend his 'catio' (cat patio) and record the cats' adventures using one of the Insta360 Go 3S action cameras in "Interval Video" mode. This is a feature which deliberately captures short clips a few minutes apart, providing a lot of moments from a longer day than you'd get if you just recorded until the battery died.

That makes a lot of sense, as the battery life is effectively extended without needing to pop the cam into the Action Pod to charge it, and Insta360's software allows to auto-edit clips (as is becoming quite a social trend).

I've got to admit that when I reviewed the Insta360 Go 3S I didn't think to attach it to a cat but – in my defence – we don't have one of our own and I'm not sure it'd be a good idea to send a camera into a neighbouring house, even to assess the quality of the 4K video!

If you're interested in cameras like this, and where it fits into the action camera universe, check our guide to the best GoPro alternatives. If you've got pets, you might also be interested in discounted cameras like the best Ring cameras.

A group of curious lions have proven that they are indeed the smartest of the big cats after finding a camera hidden in their enclosure by keepers at Oregon Zoo, Portland. 

“With the help of care staff, we hid a special camera in the lion habitat last week. It didn't stay hidden for long!,” reads the YouTube video caption. (Perhaps it was one of the best action cameras?)

The keepers intended for the footage to give YouTube viewers a closer look at how the lions are cared for, their behavior, and habitat. 

Instead, the lions take viewers on a specially guided tour of their lives, with a very detailed view of the inside of their mouths. 

Giving the full first-lion perspective, with the animals staring right down the lens, taking the camera with them as they explore their habitat, at one point one lion puts its mouth over the camera and yawns.  

Scientists and researchers believe that all the evidence points to the fact that lions are the brainiest of all the big cats. The general belief is that, unlike most cats, lions live in prides, they need to figure out how to work together in complex social groups. 

The lions at Oregon Zoo are African lions that in the wild live in the open plains, thick brush, and dry forests of sub-Saharan Africa. 

Lion numbers in the wild have dropped significantly over the last few years, as they lose their habitats due to deforestation and urban expansion, loss of prey forcing them closer to humans, and trophy hunting.

Each lion at the zoo participates in their new lion breeding program, which is part of the Association of Zoo’s and Aquariums’ Species Survival Plan for African lions. This program aims to increase the number of African lions while supporting socially stable groups and maintaining a diverse and sustainable lion population.

According to Oregon Zoo:

“The zoo's lions live in the Predators of the Serengeti exhibit. They all participate in the Oregon Zoo's new lion breeding program, a part of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' Species Survival Plan for African lions.”

"These behaviors are things that our caregivers see every day, but never from quite this perspective," Kelly Gomez, curator of the Oregon Zoo’s Africa area, said in a statement.

"As recently as 25 years ago, lions were common throughout much of East Africa," Gomez said. "But populations have been dwindling, and fewer than 25,000 wild lions are now thought to remain."

Take a look at our guides to the best trail cameras, the best cameras for wildlife photography, and the best waterproof cameras.

It was 17th February 2021, right in the middle of the second national Covid lockdown, and I was on the phone to my friend Kia when my Ring doorbell sounded. I would ordinarily have checked who was pressing the bell on the app, but because I was on the phone, I just ran downstairs and opened the front door.

I was quite shocked to find a policeman in uniform standing there. 'There's no need to worry,' he said. 'I just saw that you have a Ring doorbell, (consistently one of the best doorbell cameras), and wondered if you pay for the subscription for the footage?'

I told him that I did. He was relieved – apparently some people just use the live view on their Ring doorbells and don't pay to access the footage. Others don't even have the doorbell hooked up - they simply use it as a burglar deterrent.

The policeman explained that there had been 'an incident' in my road the night before (which later turned out to have been a stabbing), and he wanted to try and catch the number plate of the getaway vehicle as it drove past my house. He asked if he could download the footage from the Ring app on my iPhone and Airdrop it to his phone.

I agreed. My friend Kia was still on the phone, so I said, "Sorry Kia, I've got to go and help a policeman."

I was mortified, but the policeman was very professional and simply swiped the message up off the screen! He Airdropped himself the video clips, then thanked me and left, and I never saw or heard from him again.

In answer to Kia's question though: yes, he was sexy – but perhaps not as sexy as my sleek crime-solving Ring video doorbell.

A Ring doorbell can be paired with other Ring devices, you might find them in the best indoor cameras and the best outdoor cameras and – if you're looking for a little light – the best floodlight cameras.

In a market which doesn't always surprise any more, the new Reolink Altas PT Ultra's battery life really stands out.

This 4K pan-and-tilt camera boasts a whopping 20,000 mAh battery capacity which, if Reolink is to be believed, can deliver up to a weeks continuous recording, or around 365 days of normal use, despite being a wireless device which won't require wires through your walls.

That, frankly, is pretty special. I use cameras which have solar panels to top up their batteries and they don't manage anything close, and certainly cant also rotate to view 360-degrees.

The new camera also boasts ColorX night vision, smart tracking which can recognise people, cars and pets, and up to 512GB of local storage (or, more accurately, it is compatible with memory cards up to that capacity).

Alongside the launch of the PT Ultra comes the Reolink Battery Doorbell. It is a 2K (4 megapixel) camera, which Reolink calls 'Super HD'. The company describes the camera as having a "head-to-toe view" from a 180-degree diagonal field of view.

We have certainly seen similar concepts before, and a boost over traditional 1080P will definitely be appreciated with such a wide angle.

Here, for some reason, the local storage – although available – is restricted to a maximum of 256GB on the memory card, but smart detection offers alerts for "people, vehicles, and packages."

The cameras will go on sale on September 25, and while it remains to be seen if the doorbell is unique, the promised battery life of the PT Ultra could significantly change the experience of using battery cameras. It is especially interesting for a brand with a strong heritage in wired security systems, lending more support to the battery concept than consumer novelty.

I was delighted to be given three cameras to review for Digital Camera World. My lodger? Well, 'delighted' would be a stretch. 'When are they coming down?' she asked suspiciously.

I had really been hoping not to have to take them down at all, and allow the three new devices to monitor my house along with my Ring cameras. I suffer from extreme anxiety, and being able to view the house remotely and check that it was still standing would have done a lot to calm my nerves.

But I didn't reckon on a paranoid lodger: 'I feel like I'm in Big Brother,' she complained. 'I'm not even on social media. I'm a very private person.'

She's also a lovely person and I was desperate to make her happy and keep her living here, so I tried to assuage her fears. 'The garden one [the IMOU Knight] can't actually film you through the bi-fold doors,' I told her, bringing up the app on my phone and showing her the screen. She waved at the garden camera and frowned when she could see movement.

As for the Eufy Indoor Cam S350, it apparently looked like a 'scary robot'. The Blink Mini 2, on the other hand, was thankfully too small for my lodger to have noticed it.

'Maybe I've been watching too many horror movies,' she admitted, 'but I don't like the thought of being watched.'

She seemed so disturbed that I showed her my commission briefs from DCW so I could prove that I had installed the cameras for work reasons.

We settled on a compromise - I could have Ring cameras watching the front door and the back door and keep the Knight in the garden, but I needed to take the Eufy (and I guess the Blink Mini 2) up to my room, where they could presumably both guard my iMac vigilantly.

The other problem with my lodgers was them obscuring the lens of the cameras by putting objects directly in front of it. It was no doubt accidental, but at various points, the Eufy's view of the kitchen was obscured by a stack of towels, a vase and a large glass.

However, my lodgers weren't the only thing getting in the way of me using the security cameras successfully. The neighbour's fluffy ginger cat decided that the dangling cord of the IMOU Knight was his new favourite play toy. We started a fun game: he would jump up and rip the cable out of its holder; I would sigh, return to the garden when he had gone and replace the cable. Later, he would slink back and rip the cable out again.

It could have been worse: he could have gnawed through the cable altogether. As it was, he just gave me a bit of exercise (before he had a rest on the table!)

So in summary: these cameras must be anxiety-quelling if you live on your own with no paranoid humans or curious furry creatures nearby. But if you have lodgers, prepare for them to object. And as for the cat, maybe a battery-powered outdoor camera would make more sense.

Check our guide to the best homekit cameras for some Apple-specific choices.