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.

I recently installed a new Ring home security camera, which was a surprisingly fun experience – even hilarious at times. This is because it gave me a free 30-day trial of the Ring Pro plan with my purchase, and Ring Pro now features AI video descriptions for each camera you have installed.

These descriptions are usually just a sentence. It is invariably an American-sounding sentence, even for me, based in the UK. I was told "A person is walking on the sidewalk with a tumbler'. We call the sidewalk the 'pavement' here in Britain. How very quaint!

However, the AI description feature is useful, especially as it connects to phone and watch alerts, so I've been trying it.

It also, on occasion, gets the descriptions wrong. I noticed it happened especially on the camera by my front door, which has to identify action outside the house – perhaps because it tends to happen faster and be more varied?

All the Ring cameras are half-price on Amazon Prime Day

When I watched the clip of the person on the sidewalk, allegedly with the tumbler, they were in fact pushing a stroller. I zoomed in to see if they were holding a glass tumbler, but they were not.

Confused, I asked Google, 'can a stroller be called a tumbler in American English?' to be informed that, as I thought, a tumbler 'primarily refers to a drinking glass with a flat bottom and no handle or stem' - and that the only alternative noun referred to either a lock or a type of domestic pigeon. The person did not have a pigeon on their head, domestic or not. Indeed, I would imagine this could be an impediment to safely pushing a baby carriage.

Weirdly, further down it did say 'a person is walking on the sidewalk with a baby stroller' but the clip was of a bored-looking man trudging past looking at his phone! So perhaps the captions were out of sync?

They were also a bit stilted-sounding. Instead of saying 'a person is walking up the stairs', the description said 'a person is ascending the steps in the house'. Not technically incorrect, but unnecessarily formal. I don't have enough friends, so want to feel that the robot is my friend!

The pièce de résistance when it came to hilarity took place when my gorgeous husband and I were in bed, erm, doing what newlyweds do. The AI was incredibly coy about this! The bluntest it got was 'Two people are kissing on the bed.' Needless to say, we were doing a LOT more than that! It also amused me that, during the action, it described us as 'A person moving near another person on the bed'. Near?! Pretty much as near as you can get...

I do wonder if, at some stage, the AI will move from saying 'a person' to identifying the person's gender, but I guess this could be a minefield. 'A person' is probably safest. It would also be interesting to know if it could estimate the age of a person, but I guess this is all much further down the line.

Ring Pro costs £15.99 a month or £159.99 a year. I currently have Ring Multi, the lower-priced tier for more than one device, which only costs half as much.

The descriptions were entertaining though, so I wouldn't rule out upgrading for good. Maybe when the AI can correctly identify expressions of love?

I recently installed a new Ring home security camera, which was a surprisingly fun experience – even hilarious at times. This is because it gave me a free 30-day trial of the Ring Pro plan with my purchase, and Ring Pro now features AI video descriptions for each camera you have installed.

These descriptions are usually just a sentence. It is invariably an American-sounding sentence, even for me, based in the UK. I was told "A person is walking on the sidewalk with a tumbler'. We call the sidewalk the 'pavement' here in Britain. How very quaint!

However, the AI description feature – is useful, especially as it connects to phone and watch alerts, so I've been trying it.

It also, on occasion, gets the descriptions wrong. I noticed it happened especially on the camera by my front door, which has to identify action outside the house – perhaps because it tends to happen faster and be more varied?

All the Ring cameras are half-price on Amazon Prime Day

When I watched the clip of the person on the sidewalk, allegedly with the tumbler, they were in fact pushing a stroller. I zoomed in to see if they were holding a glass tumbler, but they were not.

Confused, I asked Google, 'can a stroller be called a tumbler in American English?' to be informed that, as I thought, a tumbler 'primarily refers to a drinking glass with a flat bottom and no handle or stem' - and that the only alternative noun referred to either a lock or a type of domestic pigeon. The person did not have a pigeon on their head, domestic or not. Indeed, I would imagine this could be an impediment to safely pushing a baby carriage.

Weirdly, further down it did say 'a person is walking on the sidewalk with a baby stroller' but the clip was of a bored-looking man trudging past looking at his phone! So perhaps the captions were out of sync?

They were also a bit stilted-sounding. Instead of saying 'a person is walking up the stairs', the description said 'a person is ascending the steps in the house'. Not technically incorrect, but unnecessarily formal. I don't have enough friends, so want to feel that the robot is my friend!

The pièce de résistance when it came to hilarity took place when my gorgeous husband and I were in bed, erm, doing what newlyweds do. The AI was incredibly coy about this! The bluntest it got was 'Two people are kissing on the bed.' Needless to say, we were doing a LOT more than that! It also amused me that, during the action, it described us as 'A person moving near another person on the bed'. Near?! Pretty much as near as you can get...

I do wonder if, at some stage, the AI will move from saying 'a person' to identifying the person's gender, but I guess this could be a minefield. 'A person' is probably safest. It would also be interesting to know if it could estimate the age of a person, but I guess this is all much further down the line.

Ring Pro costs $15.99 a month or $159.99 a year. I currently have Ring Multi, the lower-priced tier for more than one device, which only costs half as much.

The descriptions were entertaining though, so I wouldn't rule out upgrading for good. Maybe when the AI can correctly identify expressions of love?

Amazon’s gone all in this year, especially on security gear from Blink and Ring - brands it owns and has discounted heavily for Prime Day.

From smart doorbells to weatherproof outdoor cams and complete home setups, the offers are the best I’ve seen in a long time. Whether you need to keep an eye on deliveries, monitor your property remotely, or just want a little extra peace of mind, this is the moment to make it happen without breaking the bank.

• See all of today's best Amazon camera deal
• See all of today's best security camera deals

I’ve gone through all the noise to flag only the deals that are genuinely worth it - no filler, no fluff. But stock is already thinning out fast, and come midnight, it all ends. You won’t get another shot at prices like this for a while.

So if security is on your mind, don’t hang about. These are the best Prime Day security camera deals, but they won't be there for long! Check your basket, hit checkout, and lock in the savings while you still can.

🇺🇸 Best security camera deals in US

🇬🇧 Best security camera deals in UK

Check out our guides to the best outdoor security cameras and the best lightbulb security cameras

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.

You might also like...

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.

The Amazon Big Spring Sale has delivered one of its most eye-catching smart home deals yet, with the Blink Mini 2K+ dropping to its lowest-ever price of just $25.

Down from $39.99, this is a clean $14 saving and firmly positions it as one of the most accessible ways to step into home security without overthinking the spend.

What makes this deal particularly compelling is how simple it is to integrate the Blink Mini 2K+ into everyday life. It’s a compact, plug-in indoor camera that delivers sharp 2K video, motion detection alerts, and two-way audio, all controlled through the Blink app. Whether you’re checking in on your home, pets, or deliveries, it’s a straightforward, no-fuss solution that just works.

This is exactly the kind of product that benefits from seasonal sales like this. For many, home security feels like a bigger investment, but at $25, the barrier to entry almost disappears. It becomes an easy add-on rather than a considered purchase, and that’s where Blink really finds its audience.

There’s also the flexibility factor. The Blink Mini 2K+ works well as a standalone camera, but it also slots neatly into a wider Blink ecosystem if you decide to expand. Start with one, add another later, and before long, you’ve built a cohesive, app-controlled system without ever committing to a high upfront cost.

At this price, it’s hard to ignore. For $25, you’re getting a reliable, easy-to-use security camera that covers the essentials and does so with minimal setup. As entry-level smart home security goes, this is about as sharp a deal as it gets right now.

Amazon has cut prices across its Blink security camera range for the Big Spring Sale, making it an ideal time to upgrade your home security for less. With easy wireless setup, app control, and features like HD or 2K video and motion alerts, Blink offers a simple way to monitor your home. Prices now start from just $25, while around $164 gets you a complete, ready-to-go system.

The Amazon Spring Sale may have officially wrapped up, but the savings haven’t disappeared just yet.

I’ve handpicked 10 standout products that are still enjoying impressive discounts, proving that savvy shoppers can still bag a bargain - no matter the budget.

Smart bird feeder cameras have become remarkably advanced in recent years, with modern models now using AI technology capable of identifying more than 6,000 bird species automatically, right to your phone!

Once simple novelty gadgets, these smart feeders can now record video, send instant alerts to your phone, and even catalog visiting wildlife through dedicated apps - heck, you can even livestream your garden visitors to YouTube or Facebook on some models!

Better still, during the Amazon Spring Deal Days sale, some of the best bird feeder cameras start from just £81, making it easier than ever to turn your garden into a front-row seat for birdwatching.

Compact cameras are enjoying something of a comeback. In a world of smartphones and increasingly large mirrorless systems, these pocket-sized cameras offer something refreshingly simple: excellent image quality, a fixed lens, and a camera that genuinely fits in your pocket.

Many modern compacts even feature large sensors and 4K video, making them powerful tools despite their small size.

With the Amazon Spring Deal Days now underway, it’s also one of the best times to buy, as cameras and photography gear are seeing some impressive discounts.

So I’ve rounded up eight of the best compact cameras for every budget that are currently on offer in the Amazon Spring Deal Days sale.

If you’re a Nikon Z shooter looking to expand your lens lineup without spending a fortune, Viltrox has quickly become one of the most exciting third-party brands to watch.

With lenses covering everything from ultra-wide 14mm all the way to portrait-ready 135mm, the company now offers an impressive range of Z-mount primes.

Even better, with prices starting from just £77, these are some of the best value lens deals available right now in the Amazon Spring Deal Days sale for boosting your photography on a budget.

If you’re a Canon shooter looking to upgrade your glass, the Amazon Spring Sale has delivered some seriously tempting prime lens deals. With standout options for both RF and EF mount cameras starting from just £99, it’s a great opportunity to add fast, sharp primes to your kit without spending a fortune.

Whether you shoot portraits, street photography, or everyday scenes, these lenses offer fantastic value and impressive image quality for Canon users.

Are you a Sony shooter? Then you’ll want to take a look at these standout lens deals starting from just £340.

With a mix of full-frame and APS-C options to suit every budget, Amazon Spring Deal Days has delivered some genuinely impressive savings on glass that could seriously upgrade your kit.

Keeping an eye on your home doesn’t have to cost a fortune, especially with Amazon regularly slashing prices on Blink’s smart security cameras.

From compact indoor models to weather-ready outdoor systems, these deals make it easier than ever to upgrade your home security without stretching your budget – with prices starting for just £13.99 for the highly-popular Blink Mini 2.

I've personally picked out the six best Blink security camera deals on Amazon right now to save you time, and most importantly money!

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?

If you’ve been thinking about upgrading your home security without draining your wallet, this one is well worth your attention. The Ring Battery Video Doorbell (2024 release) has just dropped to £59 at Wowcher, down from its usual £99 asking price. That’s a straight 40% saving — and in today’s world of rising costs, that feels like a proper win.

The latest 2024 version of the Ring Battery Video Doorbell refines what made the original such a runaway success. You’re getting crisp HD video, improved motion detection, and two-way talk, meaning you can see, hear, and speak to whoever’s at your door whether you’re upstairs, at work, or halfway across the country. For £59, that’s serious peace of mind at a seriously sensible price.

What I like about this model is the flexibility. Being battery-powered means no complicated wiring jobs or electrician call-outs. You can install it yourself in minutes and have it connected to your Wi-Fi and smartphone almost instantly. For renters or anyone who doesn’t want to start drilling into brickwork for mains power, that’s a huge plus.

It’s also more than just a doorbell. With real-time alerts sent straight to your phone, you’ll know the moment a package lands on your doorstep or someone approaches your front door. Pair it with Alexa-enabled devices, and you can even get announcements inside your home. It’s smart home security made simple — and affordable.

At £99, it’s a solid buy. At £59, it’s hard to ignore. A £40 saving on a device that actively protects your home, keeps an eye on deliveries, and lets you answer the door from anywhere? That’s the kind of practical tech deal that actually makes sense.

If you’ve been on the fence about adding a video doorbell to your setup, this might be the nudge you needed. Forty percent off a 2024 model from a trusted brand doesn’t come around every day — and at £59, it feels like one of those “buy now, thank yourself later” purchases.

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.

The day I started testing smart home security cameras was the day my phone exploded with hundreds of notifications. But I don’t really need to let the dog out 500 times a day and also clear 500 notifications from my phone, which is why, after trying out a handful of different options, the smart home security camera system that I keep coming back to is the Google Nest.

There are two big reasons that I love the Google Nest system, and the first is that you still get some video history without a subscription. The three hours of video history included with most new Google Nest Cams isn’t much, but it’s enough to check on my home while I’m away without paying for a subscription.

But the second reason that I love the Google Nest is possibly the largest: geofencing. Turning on this feature means that I don’t get any notifications when I’m home. But, when I leave (or rather my smartphone leaves) notifications automatically power on so I can monitor my home, without notifications getting annoying.

Right now, the Google Nest Cam Indoor – the best option for watching inside your house – is at its lowest price that it’s been in months at $75.

The battery-powered Nest Cam Outdoor or Indoor is also heavily discounted to $119.

I have an assortment of different smart home cameras now, thanks to my job testing cameras, but the Google Nest Cam is the one I gravitate towards for having the least annoying notifications. It’s not as cheap as options like Ring, which start at $25 for Black Friday right now, but I love the geofencing and free three hours of video storage.

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Browse the best security cameras or the best Black Friday camera deals.

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!

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 half price, dropping from $99.99 to just $49.99, 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 pals, 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 diapers, 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!

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 less than half price, dropping from £99.99 to just £39.99, 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!

With Black Friday approaching fast, Ring doorbells and security cameras are always available for massively tempting bargain prices – half price or even better. That's pretty exciting, and can take the price of the tech down to the point anyone is prepared to experiment with it. My word of warning – and I say this from a house with Ring cameras – is that you do need to be prepared to commit, heart, soul, and wallet, to that experiment. Because, honestly, their best features only really work with the subscription...

The necessity of a subscription might not come as news to everyone. This is also a point in time to upgrade your Ring devices.

Many will be perfectly happy paying their subs for the security, but now feel that a higher resolution camera is a good idea and, frankly, that's fair enough. The cameras have advanced a good way since day and – although I'm sure very few people are used to upgrading their doorbell as regularly as phones or even cameras – this is a developing tech and there is something to be said for staying ahead of things, especially at points where the costs are lower.

But if you're not interested in paying a monthly subscription, the relative resolution of your camera – or any of the other benefits of the newer models especially, many of which are dependent on the cloud services that come with the subscription – will be a serious waste of money.

Remember the idea of checking what happened in your home when you're out of the house? That's a cloud service. You won't be able to do that unless you watch it live. That'll drive you mad. Nor can you download or share the footage, or capture snapshots that build up a stop-motion view of the day.

Motion alerts? Yes – you'll get told when the cameras see some motion, but you won't get any distinction between people and animals, so you'll just have to turn the alerts off if you have pets because the alerts will come so thick and fast they'll be useless.

Anyway, the answer is this – if you have one Ring doorbell camera, you'll need to spend £4.99 a month in the UK. You get one month free, so 13 months before the money you've saved in this deal is spent. It's $4.99/month in the USA.

You can also get a discount ($49.99 / £49.99) for buying a year at once, so that's potentially 15 months.

I'll leave you to decide whether it's worth it, but personally I've got two pieces of information – I find the features useful, but I'd also say that, ordinarily, I probably would not change my doorbell as frequently as every 15 months.

Never easy, is it?

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Check our guide to indoor security cameras.

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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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.

Amazon's Prime Deal is a great time to sign up to the Prime TV service, and, it seems, a great time for the company to slash the prices of cameras from the companies it already owns – in some cases, making the individual prices of the devices less than $15. One such bundle is the 'Lowest Price Ever' on the Blink Doorbell...

This deal is less than half the price of the camera alone, and include the doorbell as well – a massive saving that I very much doubt will last beyond today.

Some of the best deals are on Blink and Ring products on Prime day – I strongly suspect this is because Amazon owns both companies and can afford to cut the margins to the bones!

It's not even the only deal with a more than 60% saving...

If you've never used a Blink camera before, it helps to get the very cheap Blink System Module which forms a connection with your home Wi-Fi and created a working system that doesn't actually need a monthly subscription.

Some of the best features still take advantage of subscription, of course, because every company would prefer your cash, but you can at least record video to a device in your home without having to pay extra every month (unlike, say, Ring).

One of the cheapest ways to get the camera with the Sync Module during prime day is – you've guessed it – as part of a bundle. This one seems a good deal to me:

• 🇺🇸Blink Outdoor 4 with Sync Module on Amazon UK $79.99 $34.99

I have personally used Blink's earlier models and the new Outdoor 4 – you can read my review of the Blink Outdoor 4 here – and I found that it lived well up to expectations.

I'm also a fan or Amazon's Ring system, as it happens, but I do appreciate the benefits of side-stepping the subscription fee, and at these prices, I wish I'd snapped up my cameras during a Prime event!

Amazon's Prime Deal is a great time to sign up to the Prime TV service, and, it seems, a great time for the company to slash the prices of cameras from the companies it already owns – in some cases making the individual prices of the devices less than £10. One such bundle is the 'Lowest Price Ever' on the Blink Doorbell...

This deal is less than half the price of the camera alone, and include the doorbell as well – a massive saving that I very much doubt will last beyond today.

Some of the best deals are on Blink and Ring products on Prime day – I strongly suspect this is because Amazon owns both companies and can afford to cut the margins to the bones!

It's not even the only deal with a more than 60% saving...

If you've never used a Blink camera before, it helps to get the very cheap Blink System Module which forms a connection with your home Wi-Fi and created a working system that doesn't actually need a monthly subscription.

Some of the best features still take advantage of subscription, of course, because every company would prefer your cash, but you can at least record video to a device in your home without having to pay extra every month (unlike, say, Ring).

One of the cheapest ways to get the camera with the Sync Module during prime day is – you've guessed it – as part of a bundle. This one seems a good deal to me:

• 🇬🇧 Blink Outdoor 4 with Sync Module on Amazon UK £69.99 £31.49

I have personally used Blink's earlier models and the new Outdoor 4 – you can read my review of the Blink Outdoor 4 here – and I found that it lived well up to expectations.

I'm also a fan or Amazon's Ring system, as it happens, but I do appreciate the benefits of side-stepping the subscription fee, and at these prices, I wish I'd snapped up my cameras during a Prime event!

There are two good types of deal to be had on the security cameras. There are discounts which bring the overall lifetime cost down, and there are deals which bring the initial cost down and reduce the spend on subscriptions.

This is 🎉 party time for people like me because there is no ongoing subscription, just 4K cameras and a base station you connect to your home network so you can get all the benefits of remote access using your existing wi-fi setup. Brilliant and, despite costing a bit more at first, cheaper in the long run despite the high-spec cameras.

Even better, because of Prime Day, the price is dramatically lower than usual. If you are comparing costs against a subscription alternative, you'll be in profit about a year and a half sooner!

Another issue with installing cameras can be running cables, but if you're able to make sure that they get at least one hour of sunlight a day then that should be enough to top up the internal batteries thanks to the built-in solar panels on the top. That saves a lot of drilling through walls and running cables.

Apple users will be especially pleased that eufy has considered them too, and the home base is not only compatible with up to 16TB of on-board storage (it comes with 16GB to get you started), but technologies including Apple's HomeKit.

• Get the 3-cam version from Amazon 🇺🇸 and $699.99 save $200 down to $499.99

I have tested the eufyCam system for many many months and been impressed with both the length of the battery life (though, trust me, it is worth positioning it somewhere it gets direct sun – I put mine under a gutter in London, UK).

The system can be extended with other cameras and a doorbell camera if you choose, too, and the doorbell camera is also discounted on Amazon for Prime:

• eufy Security Video Doorbell Camera E340 $149.99 $94.99

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!

Amazon's deal days – like Prime Day and Big Deal Day – are a brilliant opportunity to snap up cheap, high quality security cameras from Ring and Blink – both companies owned by Amazon. I used to be very skeptical about them because of their ongoing costs, but now I live with my fiancée – who has used Ring for some time – and I've found the system reliable and easy-to-use. Add in the bargain prices for an Amazon event and why spend more?

If you're getting started with cameras for the first time, you need to know that there is a distinction between the best indoor security cameras and the best outdoor security cameras – indoor ones tend to be cheaper but not as waterproof!

Ring cameras (and other indoor brands) also often include physical features for indoor cameras like privacy guards to cover the lens and disable the microphone and speaker, and

Ring, a brand Amazon owns, has also started producing higher resolution cameras which record in 2K as opposed to 1080P – this is not the massive improvement that 4K is, but enough to improve clarity at times when you might be looking to check a license plate.

• 🇺🇸 Pre-Order 2K Ring Indoor Camera for $59.99 from Amazon
• 🇺🇸 Order 1080P Ring Indoor camera for $49.99 $24.99 from Amazon

My advice, though, if you are not certain about the technology, is that you can try it out for little more than the cost of a really good milkshake, including a 30-day trial of the online features which really set Ring apart.

If you just want an idea how it all works, why not try it out for $25? The main reason why not is that now is actually a really good time to invest in the whole system because a lot of Ring's devices are heavily discounted for Amazon's big sale event and the prices have always gone back up after these events in the past.

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 less than half price, dropping from £99.99 to just £39.99, 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…

"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!

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, they're around half the regular price, depending on the model, 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 buddies, 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 diapers, 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!

The robots are coming, but there's no need to be alarmed, for the Enabot range is populated with friendly robots, designed to play with pets and people while keeping a watchful eye on your home. And with these brilliant Amazon Prime Day deals, it would simply be illogical not to secure your very own plastic pal.

From the base-model Enabot Ebo SE now costing just £79 (34% off its regular £119 price tag) to the pet-oriented Rola Mini saving 27% at £109 from its £149 list price and the more advanced Enabot Ebo Air 2 dropping £30 to £169 from its regular price of £199, there's something for everyone. Here are the best Amazon Prime Day deals for Enabot robots.

There are a few models to choose from in the Enabot robot range, but, with these great savings, you really can't go too far wrong. They are essentially drivable cameras that you control remotely, offering a robot's-eye view of your home and its inhabitants, while a built-in speaker and mic enable two-way communication. I certainly had a lot of fun when I tested the Enabot Ebo Air 2 for my review, with its customizable 'eyes' and LED 'laser' to torment pets. My cat, arguably, had less fun.

The robots are coming, but there's no need to be alarmed, for the Enabot range is populated with friendly robots, designed to play with pets and people while keeping a watchful eye on your home. And with these brilliant Amazon Prime Day deals, it would simply be illogical not to secure your very own plastic pal.

From the base-model Enabot Ebo SE now costing just $109 (saving $12.99 off its regular $121.99 price tag) to the pet-oriented Rola Mini saving 20% at $119 from its $149 list price and the more advanced Enabot Ebo Air 2 dropping $23 to £175.99 from its regular price of $199, there's something for everyone. Here are the best Amazon Prime Day deals for Enabot robots.

There are a few models to choose from in the Enabot robot range, but, with these great savings, you really can't go too far wrong. They are essentially drivable cameras that you control remotely, offering a robot's-eye view of your home and its inhabitants, while a built-in speaker and mic enable two-way communication. I certainly had a lot of fun when I tested the Enabot Ebo Air 2 for my review, with its customizable 'eyes' and LED 'laser' to torment pets. My cat, arguably, had less fun.

Security cameras may keep an eye on your home, but they tend to need a lot of maintenance between recharging and paying recurring subscription costs. Blink’s XR Sync, however, allows for local storage without a subscription – and early Prime Day deals mean you can get two-camera bundles that will monitor your home inside and out for $60.

• See all of today's Amazon camera deals

The Blink Outdoor 4 is a weather-resistant security camera that is rather low-maintenance. The camera can go up to two years without needing a recharge.

Paired with the wired Mini 2 for indoor monitoring, the kit can monitor your home inside and out with minimal maintenance – and thanks to both early Prime Day deals and Blink’s launch of newer versions, the price has dropped to a record low. And no, you don't even need a Prime subscription for this deal.

The Blink Outdoor 4 XR + Mini 2 bundle includes the battery-powered outdoor weather-resistant camera, a wired indoor camera, and the Sync Module XR. That Sync Module XR allows users to store footage without the cloud – which means you don’t have to pay for the $3 monthly subscription cost. You will need to add a microSD card to the XR for that storage, which isn’t included in the bundle. Skipping out on the subscription also means you won't get features like person detection.

The Blink Outdoor 4 may not have the highest resolution among the range of outdoor security cameras, but what it lacks in specs it makes up for in convenience and price. That’s why the Outdoor 4 sits on DCW’s best outdoor security cameras list.

The Blink Outdoor 4 batteries last up to two years, and the version with the battery expansion pack lasts up to four years. The batteries need to be swapped and aren’t rechargeable, but that’s a long time to be able to just set the camera up and not have to do monthly maintenance.

There’s a reason why the Blink Outdoor 4 is more than half off – besides just the upcoming Prime Day. The Amazon-owned Blink just announced the new Blink Outdoor 2K, which, as the name suggests, upgrades to 2K video quality, as well as the new Mini 2K+. Those newer versions don’t come out until October 29, however, and cost $100 for just the outdoor camera and $50 for the Blink Mini 2K alone.

If you don’t mind not having the highest resolution, the slightly older Blink lineup is a fantastic deal ahead of Prime Day. If you prefer the cloud subscription instead, you can also pick up the Blink Mini 2 for $20 or the Blink Outdoor 4 for $35. Or, pair the Outdoor 4 with a doorbell and the XR sync module for $75.

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Browse more Prime Day camera deals. Or, browse the best outdoor security cameras.

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

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, they're around half the regular price, depending on the model, 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…

"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!

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, they're around half the regular price, depending on the model, 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 buddies, 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 diapers, 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!

I know a lot about smart home security cameras. I've literally written the book on the smart home. No, really. It was published by Hachette, one of the biggest publishing companies in the world. But, curiously, I think my extensive research might have made me a little narrow-minded about most people's needs. Sometimes I've ended up offering the wrong advice, albeit for the best of reasons. Allow me to explain.

The thing is, many home security cameras are now sold by brands into 'ecosystems', so if you buy a security camera you're more or less stuck buying additional cameras from the same brand. And many of those don't deliver all their features unless you use the associated cloud service.

• The best Prime Day Ring Camera Deals on Amazon USA 🇺🇸
• The best Prime Day Ring Camera Deals on Amazon UK 🇬🇧

A cloud service means your security cameras will connect to the internet and to a remote computer using your home internet connection, possibly wirelessly, possibly using wires. Wireless is the easiest to install but carries the downside that there will be batteries, so recharging/replacement is needed.

Maintaining that remote computer – and doing so securely – is also a cost for the company that supplies your camera, and it will definitely seek to not only cover that cost but make a profit from a subscription fee. Guiding people against this kind of subscription was my stock in trade because those costs can really mount up, especially when you have multiple cameras.

Most companies, like Ring, charge a certain amount for the first camera, and then more if you have multiple cameras and different levels of recording of data – ($4.99 to $19.99 a month in the USA, or £4.99 to £19.99 per month in the UK, depending on the features – but at least 9.99 needed for more than one camera).

Now that isn't free. But it does make the cameras a lot cheaper. Especially the ones from Ring during Amazon Prime (assuming, that is, you're an Amazon Prime member). Why? Well, if you didn't know already, Ring is an Amazon-owned company.

Now I don't know for sure, but I suspect that Amazon has some incentive to promote sales, and when you see the discounts available during events like Prime there does seem to be some evidence to that effect. Compare and contrast the price of the Ring Pan Tilt cam to some other retailers...

So the hardware – never that expensive – is suddenly very inexpensive. But the software

it also comes with a month of the app with all the features so you can decide whether you want them and this, ultimately, is the thing I have changed my mind on.

Don't get me wrong, I still strongly see the merits of building your own system with your own. recording device, but – for just $10 / £10 a month – it'll actually take quite a long time to pay for the equivalent of a NVR (Network Video Recorder), the kind of recording device you'd need for a proper CCTV system.

Moreover, in reality, video stored remotely and securely is, well, probably more secure than something physically on your property that can be accessed and damaged.

I came to this conclusion from personal experience. I had tested the Ring system on numerous occasions as a journalist, using the 30 days (which is open to anyone who buys a Ring device from Amazon).

A few months back, though, I moved in with my girlfriend and installed the Ring app and made more use of the system. I was impressed that she was able to connect me to the cameras to give me some access (but not the same as hers as the owner of the system). I was also impressed with the convenience and usability that she and I found with the cameras – remotely or at home.

Everything seemed a lot easier, the features more extensive, and, in practice, the cost premium was not as high (for a long time it's actually lower) than I sometimes estimated. I can now understand the advantages of living with Ring.

Check out our full guide to the best outdoor security cameras

The robots are coming, but there's no need to be alarmed, for the Enabot range is populated with friendly robots, designed to play with pets and people while keeping a watchful eye on your home. And with these brilliant Amazon Prime Day deals, it would simply be illogical not to secure your very own plastic pal.

From the base-model Enabot Ebo SE now costing just £79 (34% off its regular $119 price tag) and Enabot Ebo Air dropping to an all-time low of £139 from its £199 list price (a huge £60 off), to the pet-orientated Rola Mini saving 27% at £109 from its £149 list price and the more advanced Enabot Ebo Air 2 dropping £30 to £169 from its regular price of £199, there's something for everyone. Here are the best Amazon Prime Day deals for Enabot Ebo robots.

There are a few models to choose from in the Enabot robot range, but, with these great savings, you really can't go too far wrong. They are essentially drivable cameras that you control remotely, offering a robot's-eye view of your home and its inhabitants, while a built-in speaker and mic enable two-way communication. I certainly had a lot of fun when I tested the Enabot Ebo Air 2 for my review, with its customizable 'eyes' and LED 'laser' to torment pets. My cat, arguably, had less fun.

If you're looking to secure your home without spending a fortune, the Blink Outdoor 5 3-Camera System is now just $99.99 - down from $259.99, saving you an awesome $160.

• See all of today's Amazon Prime camera deals

That’s a massive discount on Amazon’s latest generation of wireless security cameras, giving you three weather-resistant, battery-powered units for less than the usual price of one.

This 4th-gen Blink Outdoor system offers sharper 1080p video, enhanced low-light performance, and improved motion detection - perfect for keeping an eye on your home, garden, or driveway day and night. Each camera runs on AA batteries with a two-year life and connects to your Wi-Fi, making installation incredibly simple.

Whether you're home or away, you can check in live or get motion alerts via the Blink app, and even communicate through the two-way audio. With Alexa support built in, it slots easily into a smart home setup and gives you more peace of mind without a monthly fee (unless you want cloud storage options). And being totally wire-free, you can mount them wherever you like in minutes.

At just under $100 for three cameras, this is one of the best-value smart security bundles on the market right now.

Whether you're upgrading or starting from scratch, it’s a reliable, no-fuss way to boost your home security - and at this price, it's a deal that’s hard to ignore.

The robots are coming, but there's no need to be alarmed, for the Enabot range is populated with friendly robots, designed to play with pets and people while keeping a watchful eye on your home. And with these brilliant Amazon Prime Day deals, it would simply be illogical not to secure your very own plastic pal.

From the base-model Enabot Ebo SE now costing just $109.99 (21% off its regular $139.99 price tag) and Enabot Ebo Air dropping to an all-time low of $159 from its $199 list price ($40 off), to the pet-orientated Rola Mini saving 25% at $127.99 from its $169.99 list price and the more advanced Enabot Ebo Air 2 dropping $44 to $175.99 from its regular price of £219.99 (that's a 20% reduction), there's something for everyone. Here are the best Amazon Prime Day deals for Enabot Ebo robots.

There are a few models to choose from in the Enabot robot range, but, with these great savings, you really can't go too far wrong. They are essentially drivable cameras that you control remotely, offering a robot's-eye view of your home and its inhabitants, while a built-in speaker and mic enable two-way communication. I certainly had a lot of fun when I tested the Enabot Ebo Air 2 for my review, with its customizable 'eyes' and LED 'laser' to torment pets. My cat, arguably, had less fun.

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.