One of the events we look forward to are press- and analyst-only events such as the Digital Experience event held in New York this spring. It offers a chance to see products, meet with product managers and marketing folks for some serious one-on-one discussion and demonstration. At the end of the night I took the opportunity to chat with the folks from Dropcam, manufacturers of a small (fits in the palm of your hand) wireless webcam that promised a quick no-fuss, no-muss setup and installation. A few short minutes they promised and I’d be streaming video. Could it really be possible to have a 24/7 live feed of your cat sleeping, or your children cleaning their room, or any other big brother dreams you might secretly harbor in only a few minutes? Could it be?
We were curious, too. Ken Kramar, one of Mac Edition Radio’s esteemed contributors, had recently set up a similar system from another manufacturer to figure out which of their cats was purposefully ignoring their litter box, but it was a more complicated setup. All of us, including editor and reporter Nancy Burlan, were curious about this new unit. So, review sample of the Dropcam HD in hand, we brought it back and put it in the stack of new products to consider. I was holding off, thinking that there was no way it would work as easily as they said. But finally when I had a bit of open time, I unpacked it, and followed the instructions, which boiled down to: Unpack, and plug into the USB port on the camera and the computer. Open the software from the disc image that mounted on the desktop, and give it the password to your Wi-Fi network, and create an account, and then unplug. Find a place to plug in the power supply (a small brick) and that’s it.
The verdict is simple: I’m here to tell you that the fine folks at Dropcam lied to us. Five minutes? No way - it only took us THREE minutes, and it would have been under two minutes but I perseverated on the password and kept looking at the pictures on the box! And it worked perfectly from that moment on. Consider how often, or more accurately, how rarely a product works this way. In all our years of studying, reviewing, and considering technology, I can count on one hand the number of instances where things worked exactly as they were supposed to. Once the unit is configured, you don’t need a computer anymore, just set it up and turn it on. You can have multiple units, and once you have it running you can suddenly imagine all other places you would like it to be. It is in indoor unit, so it isn’t designed for outdoor installation but it works great pointed out a window if you keep reflections minimized. Can a weatherproof model be far behind? Not very far if you go by their blog, where fans have voted for one as a priority.
The image quality is quite good, and the unit has 107 degrees of view with acceptable distortion, so the view will cover most rooms. There is, of course, an app for the unit, and our installation of the iOS version went without a hitch, with reminders if the unit detects motion. The default is for unlimited live streaming, but for $9.95 a month you can add recording capability for 7 days a time. As long as you check out the footage before the week is up you are fine; otherwise the data is overwritten. If you think you can’t get back to check it out longer by then, no problem - just ante up more money and the data stays put for 30 days at a time.
The unit boasts both a microphone and speaker, so you can listen in, as well as talk through the camera to folks or pets in the room. (When I saw my cats jump on the dining room table, I could whistle and get their attention – awwww!) Because the data is encrypted, and streamed continuously, the DVR function isn’t necessary to just check out the view or happenings in front of the camera, but if you want to use the camera for security purposes then it’s invaluable. It also has built-in night vision capability, which worked well.
We also find the company’s stance toward its employees refreshing and wish more companies, especially in the tech sector would follow. Simply put, they feel that the workday should be managed with respect to family and personal needs, and working folks till they burnout is counterproductive. Not only is it rare in today’s clinically and cold-blooded bottom-line mindset, it deserves commendation.
The Dropcam is a product that we wish other companies would take lessons from. Physically, it is small, unobtrusive, tough, and incredibly easy to use, and that promise of up and running in a minute is not just an empty promise. It really is that fast to setup and use. Imagine a product that you can unpack from the box, plug into a computer, without even needing an instruction manual or quick start guide, and could get working properly right away, and well… you have the Dropcam HD. Our recommendation is to get it working, figure out your goals for it, and then upgrade to the DVR function.
So, when our cat does something adorable worth archiving for future generations (or for uploading to youtube), we are ready!
The Dropcam HD comes highly recommended and we enthusiastically recommend it for your own personal or business webcam needs.
Harris Fogel, with additional reporting by Nancy Burlan, posted 5/20/2013
For more information on the Dropcam HD visit: www.dropcam.com
