Apple has hired software engineer Greg Duffy for an unknown role at the company, according to The Information. Duffy is the co-founder of Wi-Fi camera firm Dropcam which was bought by Google in 2014 after being independent for five years.
Last USB charger you’ll need: Sabrent 10-Port USB Desktop Charger: $20 (orig. $45)
Best Buy Black Friday Mac deals: MacBooks/iMacs up to $200 off, more
Made in America Black Friday Deals: This is Ground, Spool Dock, DODOcase, more
Anki Drive Starter Kit, iOS-controlled killer robot car racing game $99 shipped (Reg. $150)
Continue on for the rest of our favorite Black Friday tech deals:
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Home security cameras that send you alerts when they detect movement have been around for a while now. We reviewed Dropcam, one of the better-known names in the business, last October.
The problem, though, is that most movement isn’t likely to be of interest – especially if you have pets or are susceptible to changes in nature from sunlight/wind. What we really want to know is when a person arrives, and that’s what Simplicam aims to deliver through face-detection software. You can thus choose to be notified about any one or more of three types of event: movement, sound and face-detection …
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While you’ve probably heard of Dropcam (which we like), you may not have heard of Manything – the cloud video service that allows you to use iOS devices as the smart cameras. You might want to check it out now, though, as the app has just added IFTTT support – giving access to a whole new world of automation.
Previously, Manything could use motion-detection to alert you to something moving inside or outside your home and send you an alert plus live video stream, enabling you to check it out remotely. Adding IF This Then That support makes it much more powerful – examples below …
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Dropcam, whose Wi-Fi video security system impressed us when we previously tried it, is now adding separate motion sensors to its product range. Costing just $29 each, Dropcam Tabs are small, weather-resistant devices that can be attached to doors, windows, and valuables. They use Bluetooth LE to connect to your existing Dropcam Pro camera which then sends push alerts when motion is detected, turning it into a much more comprehensive security system.
Dropcam says battery-life is rated for around two years, making Tabs close to fit-and-forget. Tabs can be pre-ordered today, and will be shipped in the summer.
The company has also made the Dropcam Pro suitable for more households by allowing it to recognize and ignore cats. Previously, the system would send push alerts any time it detected any movement, creating lots of false alarms as Tiddles engaged in her hectic schedule of moving from the sofa to the food dish and back.
Detecting pets usually requires 3D sensor systems which can measure the size of moving things, but Dropcam says that it has analyzed many hours of publicly-shared video in order to teach the system to recognize cats using only analysis of the visual data.
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Today’s can’t miss deals:
Game/App Deals: Up to 90% off 50+ EA iOS games: $1 each, 75% off Civ V + DLC for Mac, iOS freebies more
Amazon Kindle Wifi 6-inch eReader: $49 shipped ($20 off)
$100 iTunes gift card for $85: Save 15% on future apps, music, movies, more
Belkin WeMo iOS/Android enabled light switch $40 shipped (Reg. $50)
Giveaway: Dropcam Pro Wi-Fi video monitoring camera ($200 value)
Other great deals from today:
Save $200 on a current gen.13” MacBook Air if you’re near a Micro Center retail store. http://t.co/9hgkutssHP
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) December 17, 2013
The best deals that are still alive:
Be sure to follow 9to5Toys to keep up with the best gear and deals on the web: Twitter, RSS Feed, Facebook, Google+ and subscribe to the new Safari push notifications feature. Also, check out our updated Daily Deals page (for iPad/iPhone) featuring the day’s best deals from across major US retailers.
Today’s can’t miss deals:
Giveaway: Dropcam Pro Wi-Fi video monitoring camera ($200 value)
Save $50 on any Apple iPod Touch 32GB (newest version) $250 shipped (Reg. $300)
RAVPower deluxe 14000mAh portable power bank $35 shipped (Reg. $43)
Pebble Smartwatch in Red or Black: $90 shipped ($60 off) with .edu email ($120w/o)
Logitech UE Mini Boom portable Bluetooth speaker $72 shipped (Reg. $100)
Best Buy has several PlayStation 4 bundles in stock w/ free shipping starting at $450. Delivers by 12/24 http://t.co/0WpAcUH3uQ
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) December 16, 2013
Other great deals from today:
Dell UltraSharp 24” UHD 4K monitor $1,169.99 after coupon code T2LLG$98G7$F19 (MSRP $1,400) http://t.co/bYTTgLuQQH
— 9to5Toys (@9to5toys) December 16, 2013
The best deals that are still alive:
Dropcam has been around since 2009, but only truly became a player in the app-enabled home security space early last year with the release of the Dropcam HD Wi-Fi video monitoring system. It separated itself from the normal cast of IP video cameras by offering an insanely easy setup process, beautiful software, and effortless mobile device integration (iOS/Android). These wireless cameras have become so popular that Dropcam is now processing more video than YouTube on a daily basis.
Building on the success of the Dropcam HD, the San Francisco-based startup is now launching the Dropcam Pro. It will not be replacing the HD, but rather joining it as ‘step-up’ version for users who want to get the absolute most out of their video monitoring setup. The Dropcam HD will now be known simply as “Dropcam.” We had the opportunity to spend an entire week with the Dropcam Pro. Keep reading to find out if it lives up to the high expectations set by its predecessor.