Skullcandy Unveils Limited-Edition Acid Snow Camo Collection to Mark 20th Anniversary

In celebration of its 20th anniversary, Skullcandy announced today the limited-edition Acid Snow Camo collection. Designed exclusively for boardsport retailers and Skullcandy.com, the collection is a key part of Skullcandy’s strategy to return to the brand’s roots. Acid Snow Camo features the bright color and uncontrolled chaos of retro Skullcandy with a ‘90s skate spin and includes Crusher ANC 2 Sensory Bass Headphones, Dime 3 True Wireless Earbuds and Kilo Wireless Bluetooth Speakers, available now on Skullcandy.com and at select boardsport retailers. 

“Twenty years ago, Skullcandy arrived on the scene as the original lifestyle audio brand and we’ve been serving the action sports community ever since,” said Justin Regan, VP of Marketing at Skullcandy. “We’re celebrating this milestone with the launch of our new Acid Snow Camo collection, dialing up the creativity and delivering an extra dimension of fun to the lifestyle.” 

With this launch, Skullcandy is also announcing a new athlete roster across skate, snow, and surf, including globally-recognized athletes Nora Vasconcellos, Louie Lopez, Anna Gasser, and Red Gerard.

Tech specs tied to each Acid Snow Camo product include: 

Acid Snow Camo Crusher ANC 2 Headphones –  £219.99 MSRP

  • Up to 60 Hours of Battery Life (ANC off) – And up to 50 hours of battery life with ANC turned on
  • Rapid Charge – 10 minutes of charging gives you up to 4 hours of playtime
  • Adjustable Sensory Bass – Skullcandy’s patented bass technology is responsible for the experiential bass for ‘Music You Can Feel’
  • Adjustable 4-Mic Active Noise Canceling – ​​Actively monitors the surrounding environment to filter out external noise, maintaining crisp audio quality
  • Skull-iQ Smart Feature Technology® – Issue simple, hands-free voice commands to take calls, change tracks, adjust volume, turn on and adjust Stay-Aware Mode, activate your device’s assistant, launch Spotify Tap, Take Photo and more
    • Multi-Assistants Feature – Enable additional hands-free voice services, including “Alexa” and “Hey iHeart”, to connect directly to your favorite brands
    • Over-the-Air Updates – Update headphones via the Skull-iQ App to add new features for enhanced functionality and to extend the life of the headphones
  • Personal Sound – Tune your audio experience to your unique hearing ability by taking a real-time audio test to create a Personal Sound Profile for optimized audio levels
  • Multipoint Pairing – Seamlessly pair to multiple devices at once, regardless of platform or manufacturer
  • Clear Voice Smart Mic – Experience a reduction in background noise to ensure calls are crystal clear
  • Preset & Custom EQ Modes – Choose one of the preset EQ modes or create your own custom EQ
  • Customizable Button Functions – Personalize your headphones by customizing your on-board button controls
  • Auto On/Connect – Enjoy automatic connection and pairing with the last device used
  • Built-In Tile Finding Technology – If headphone is misplaced, simply “ring” it from the Tile app
  • Durable, Lightweight Design – All-day comfort with asymmetrical, ergonomic earcups

 

Acid Snow Camo Dime 3 True Wireless Earbuds –  £44.99 MSRP

  • 20 Hours of Battery Life + Rapid Charge – Listen longer with 8 hours of battery life in the earbuds and 12 hours in the charging case
  • IPX4 Sweat and Water Resistance – Go on any adventure fearlessly without missing a beat
  • Multipoint Pairing – Seamlessly pair to multiple devices at once, regardless of platform or manufacturer
  • Skullcandy Supreme Sound – Unique audio-tuning process enables users to maximize the depth and detail of each sound
  • Stay-Aware Mode – Hear what’s going on around you without having to remove an earbud
  • Built-In Tile™ Finding Technology – If earbuds is misplaced, simply “ring” it from the Tile app
  • Clear Voice Smart Mic – Experience a reduction in background noise to ensure calls are crystal
  • clear
  • Preset EQ Modes – Select between your preferred EQ mode: Music, Bass Boost or Podcast
  • Call, Volume and Media Controls – Take calls, adjust volume controls and activate native device assistants (Google, Siri, etc.) without ever touching a phone
  • Integrated Lanyard Loop – Rely on secure portability that protects the charge case and buds from drops
  • Noise-Isolating Fit – Ergonomically redesigned ear gels for all day comfort
  • Microphones in Each Bud – Use either bud solo without losing the ability to take calls

Acid Snow Camo Kilo™ Wireless Bluetooth Speaker – £44.99 MSRP

  • Up to 24 Hours Battery Life
  • IPX7 Waterproof – Fully waterproof design means this Bluetooth speaker is able to withstand full immersion down to 3 feet for up to 30 minutes. Acoustically transparent waterproof fabric mesh is engineered to maximize the passthrough of high frequency audio waves, keeping the speaker’s sound bright and crystal clear. 
  • Rugged & Durable – Seamless mesh fabric material and rugged housing ensures speaker’s durability for fearless entertainment.
  • Clip it Anywhere – Included aluminum anodized carabiner along with allows you to attach the speaker’s built-in nylon strap easily to your bag or bike.
  • Wireless Bluetooth® 5.3 Streaming – Advanced Bluetooth® 5.3 chip, ensures stable transmission up to 33 ft (10m) long range.
  • True Wireless Stereo – Create an immersive stereo sound experience by connecting two Kilo™ speakers to each other wirelessly.
  • Downward Firing Passive Radiator – Surface resonating passive radiator with contoured foot for maximum bass.
  • USB-CTM Input Charging – USB-CTM charging provides a reliable, fast charge to your speaker.


For more information visit skullcandy.co.uk 

Sound from Ultrasound: Audio Pioneer xMEMS’ New Silicon Speaker Reinvents How Humans Experience Sound

xMEMS Labs, pioneers in solid-state, all-silicon micro speakers, today announced a revolutionary breakthrough in sound reproduction, changing the way mass-market, true wireless stereo (TWS) earbuds create ultra high-quality, high-resolution sound experiences across all audio frequencies.

With the introduction of its groundbreaking new Cypress solid-state MEMS speaker, xMEMS engineers have replaced legacy push-air sound reproduction with the company’s ultrasonic amplitude modulation transduction principle. Ultrasonic modulation turns ultrasonic air pulses into rich, detailed, bass-heavy, high-fidelity sound, representing the first no-compromise alternative to the moving-coil concept for high-volume consumer active noise canceling (ANC) earbud micro speakers.

“By shifting to a sound from ultrasound principle, the xMEMS Cypress micro speaker can now officially replace traditional coil-and-magnet speakers in active noise canceling earbuds,” said Mike Housholder, Vice President, Marketing & Business Development for xMEMS. “Cypress maintains all of the benefits of xMEMS’ existing speakers, while being 40x louder in low frequencies, achieving a key requirement for ANC earbuds.”

How Cypress Creates the World’s Best Audio Experience 

Legacy coil speakers generate sound in the audible band, which is intrinsically inefficient. Cypress takes advantage of the characteristics unique to MEMS—speed, precision, and uniformity—to produce high-resolution audio more efficiently.

Sound from ultrasound has been a research topic since the 1960s but has never achieved the acoustic performance required for broad commercial appeal, until xMEMS’ Cypress.

As an air pulse generator, Cypress comprises: a modulator to generate an amplitude-modulated ultrasonic wave (carrier) that faithfully follows the amplitude of the intended audio signal; and a demodulator to synchronously demodulate the ultrasonic wave, transferring the acoustic energy down to the baseband, producing the intended audible sound as a result.

The sound envelope of ultrasonic pulses is an exact acoustic copy of the source signal, meaning across all frequencies, Cypress is more faithful to the original recording than current speaker technologies. As a result of its superior resolution in the time domain, Cypress can more accurately reproduce today’s advanced sound formats, including high-resolution and spatial audio.

“Cypress not only revolutionizes how sound can be reproduced from an electric signal, but it also redefines how it should be reproduced,” said Jemm Liang, xMEMS CTO.

 

Based on Proven Innovation in MEMS Design

Cypress leverages the same production-proven MEMS platform used for all existing xMEMS products and exploits all the benefits of xMEMS’ established solid-state speaker designs when compared to legacy coil architectures, including:

  • Faster mechanical response for unrivaled detail, clarity, and separation
  • Near-zero phase shift for the most accurate, unaltered sound reproduction
  • Superior part-to-part phase consistency for unparalleled spatial imaging accuracy
  • Rigid silicon diaphragms eliminate speaker breakup for unmatched mid/treble clarity
  • Non-magnetic, for lower weight and reduced electromagnetic interference
  • Superior quality, reliability and part-to-part uniformity from the solid-state semiconductor process

Now Cypress, in a 6.3 x 6.5 x 1.65mm package (9mm-diagonal), brings the added and significant benefit of being 40x louder in low frequencies compared to xMEMS’ prior generation speakers, providing stronger, deeper bass that is consistent with the best 10-12mm legacy coil speakers, including sound pressure levels (SPL) greater than 140dB as low as 20Hz.

MEMS and Ultrasonic Modulation Ideal for ANC Performance

This additional low frequency SPL is most critical for ANC earbuds. With Cypress, xMEMS brings unique advantages over legacy coil to further improve ANC applications. Cypress’ faster electrical-to-acoustic conversion can contribute to wider ANC bandwidth (i.e., extension of ANC to cancel higher frequency noise sources, like a crying baby). Plus, Cypress’ near-constant electrical-to-acoustic conversion time (group delay), can reduce DSP filter complexity which, in turn, leads to shorter DSP latency, rounding errors, and power consumption when processing ANC.

Availability

Full-function Cypress prototype silicon is now sampling to select early customers. Production-candidate samples of Cypress and the companion Alta controller/amplifier ASIC will sample in June 2024. Mass production is planned for late-2024.

xMEMS will demonstrate Cypress by appointment only January 9-12 at CES 2024 in Las Vegas, NV.

For more information about xMEMS and its solid-state fidelity solutions, visit xmems.com.

Google Ireland host Kinia Educator TechFest

Google Ireland is hosting the Kinia Educator TechFest, a unique event that brings educators
together with the aim of increasing access to digital and STEM skills for young people, on Tuesday, November 14th.
This marks the second year of the event, which focuses on future skills, diversity, equity and access to digital learning
for young people across Ireland.

The event, which will take place in The Foundry at Google’s Dublin HQ, is open to all teachers, youth workers and
those in Ireland working with children in a teaching or youth development role through either English or Irish.
Organised by Kinia, an education non-profit charity and social enterprise, the event will feature panel discussions,
keynote speakers, industry professionals, educators, and youth representatives, covering themes which include:
“Addressing the skills gap,” “AI – the future and impact on education” and “Building inclusive careers and
learning pathways”.

Keynote speakers at this year’s event include ICT professional and entrepreneur Victoria Nxumalo, founder of AI
Ireland Mark Kelly, and founder and CEO of Mint-Tek Siobhán Ní Chofaigh. Educators attending the event can also
take part in two free skills-building workshops focused on the areas of AI, VR, green technology, smart energy, MoJo,
robotics and podcasting.

The event will also feature the launch of the updated Kinia Academy, an online community learning space, which will
enable educators to learn at their own pace while taking part in funded training opportunities with Kinia.
Marianne Checkley, CEO of Kinia, said “Educators in all youth settings work incredibly hard to make sure that no
young person is left behind in an increasingly complex and digital future. We want to celebrate their commitment to
professional development and creative learning at this event, inspiring the next wave of technology skills and giving
them a space to connect with peers and learn from other experiences.”
Victoria Nxumalo, founder and executive director of girls In STEM Trust, said: “The future of work will form the
basis of a great discussion at this year’s event. It will also be immensely interesting to explore the skills both educators
and young people will need to equip themselves with in preparation for jobs that will inevitably exist over the next few
years as AI and other 4IR technologies continue to evolve.”
For more information about the event, please visit: https://kinia-educator-techfest.zohobackstage.eu/event

Three quarters of organisations are planning to increase their Generative AI IT spend

Generative AI (GenAI) is the accelerator of the decade, representing a significant and immediate opportunity for organisations. A Dell Technologies GenAI Survey of 500 IT decision makers (ITDMs) with GenAI implementation responsibilities across the US and Europe reveals a growing appetite for GenAI, with the majority of respondents surveyed (78%) saying they are excited about the potential GenAI can have on their organisation. Moreover, three quarters (76%) expect to devote increased IT spend in the next year to pursue AI projects.

With a global economic impact predicted to be between $2.6 trillion and $4.4 trillion annually, results suggest organisations are solidifying their GenAI approaches. Of those who have moved beyond a pilot stage, 87% say they believe GenAI is on track to deliver meaningful results, and 80% report they have implemented centralised decision-making and/or centres of excellence. In terms of how they deploy solutions, 82% of ITDMs prefer to build an on-premises or hybrid approach to GenAI, with security, cost and control as leading factors to this approach (37%).

“No other technology has achieved what Generative AI has done in less than a year. It has sparked the imagination of millions and has the potential to be a powerful enabler for companies,” says Adrian McDonald, President, Dell Technologies in EMEA. “With the right strategies, GenAI will be key to innovation, growth and competitive advantage for organisations.”

Organisations seem poised to capitalise on the opportunity – 44% of respondents say their organisations are at the early to mid-stage in their GenAI journey and nearly half (49%) expect to see meaningful results within six months to a year.

The findings reveal more than three quarters (76%) believe its impact will be significant or transformative (significant: 54%, transformative: 22%). Top impact areas include productivity gains, streamlined processes and cost savings.

While investment in GenAI is well underway, 37% of respondents said their organisations are somewhat or very hesitant to adopt GenAI. The UK shows the most concern, with almost half (49%) of respondents reporting hesitancy, more than double that of France (22%). The key barriers driving organisational hesitancy are security, technical complexity, and data governance.

Of those who use GenAI professionally, respondents in U.K. (46%) and U.S. (45%) report using it at least once a day. Respondents from all locations also report higher personal GenAI use, suggesting that ITDMs with GenAI responsibilities are upskilling in their personal time. The UK is at the forefront of personal usage with 64% using GenAI once or more a day, followed by Germany (59%), France (58%), and the US (54%).

Visit https://www.dell.com/en-us/perspectives/new-research-the-dell-genai-pulse-survey/ for more information and to read the full report.

Tech Review – IPEVO VOCAL AI Beamforming Bluetooth Speakerphone

The IPEVO VOCAL AI Beamforming Bluetooth Speakerphone is a conference speakerphone that claims to be the first speakerphone with two-way AI noise reduction. The speakerphone has Mic mute/unmute, Power switch, Bluetooth pairing button, volume knob, microphone mode switch – directional/omni, AI Voice for Mic, AI Voice for Speaker buttons on the unit. It is compatible (Plug & Play) with Mac, Windows, and Chromebooks and can connect to PCs, mobile, and Bluetooth-enabled devices.

Package Contents:

  •         IPEVO VOCAL
     USB Type-C cable (3.94 ft / 1.2 m)
     Quick Installation Guide

 

Features:

 

Controls:

 

 

Compatibility and Output Connectivity   USB Type C, Bluetooth 5.1

Compatibility (Plug & Play)   Mac, Windows, and Chromebooks.

Connectivity  Can connect to PCs, Mobile & Bluetooth Enabled Devices

 

Setup:

The Setup is standard in terms of connection to a Laptop via USB C cable or Bluetooth to a Laptop or phone etc  The setup worked as required while when turning on the IPEVO VOCAL this played music but did not advise connect or not. On occasion having connected to 2 phones and 2 laptops, it was hard to distinguish what the IPEVO VOCAL was connected to as does not have multimode technology and was slow to connect even when the other devices were switched off.  The option of Omni-directional: 360° voice capture or Directional: 120° voice capture was the change of a button which worked seamlessly allowing the whole room to talk or filter out to only one person speaking.

Niggles. The IPEVO VOCAL was tested on numerous conference calls, WhatsApp calls, and traditional calls. During the calls, the peak output power of the 5W speaker was low in terms of sufficient volume to hear for one person in a room, or a small group but a larger room would be difficult to hear with the volume turned up Max. The unit while connected to the various technologies via Bluetooth has worked but switching off and on struggles to automatically connect to the specific device, which resulted in manually connecting again. On occasion having connected to 2 phones and 2 laptops, it was hard to distinguish what the IPEVO VOCAL was connected to as does not have multimode technology and was slow to connect even when the other devices were switched off.

Warranty: 2 years from the date of purchase.

Conclusion:

The IPEVO VOCAL came with Two digital MEMS omnidirectional microphones with a Pickup distance of 5 m, which on paper may not compare well to many other brands which have more microphones. The 5w speaker volume is lower than many others tested in the past.

Ignoring all the above niggles, and specs this is a WOW conference speaker, wow in terms of using the best equipment in the past, conference, or earphones this outshines them all, When the AI Mic option was switched on, with a dog barking and a robotic vacuum running in the background, all the noise was drowned out. The other end of the call could not hear the noise through its artificial intelligence noise filter which used distinct data to capture natural sound while removing noise. The Omni-directional: 360° voice capture or Directional voice capture works flawlessly during calls (This can be heard in the video review when enabling the AI features.)

In conclusion, the IPEVO VOCAL AI Beamforming Bluetooth Speakerphone is a conference speakerphone that claims to be the first speakerphone with two-way AI noise reduction. While it has some niggles such as low speaker volume and slow Bluetooth connectivity, its AI noise reduction feature works flawlessly during calls.  This is a product that often-marketing teams exaggerate their claims of “It removes background noise on both ends of the call and delivers crystal-clear conferencing free of hassle.”  On this occasion, this statement is correct with a sensation feeling of this technology for the future. This is a product that must be tried /heard to believe it’s so good.

BUY

Video Review 

Jabra Early Black Friday Deals

Whether you’re working out to your favourite soundtrack or joining a work call, Jabra’s Elite range of earbuds has you covered. Jabra products are widely available in Ireland and the UK from stores such as Argos, Currys, John Lewis, Very and Harvey Norman so there is no shortage of stores to pick from and get a super pair of earbuds which are now discounted. 

Jabra Elite 5 

The all-rounder for music and calls. Check out our review 

Jabra Elite 3 

Exclusive to Argos in the UK and Harvey Norman in Ireland, these earbuds just got even more affordable.  Check out our review 

Jabra Elite 4

From Jabra with retailers Currys, Argos, John Lewis, Very.co.uk and Harvey Norman in Ireland. See our review 

 

You can  also look out for deals on the following:  

  • Jabra Elite 4 – Affordable earbuds for work and play –  See our review 
  • Jabra Elite 4 Active – Every-day earbuds, great for workouts and active lifestyles –  See our review 
  • Jabra Elite 8 Active – A new standard for durability and fit, these will stay put, even during the toughest workouts. Review soon

Cork-based CompuCal Calibration Solutions launches mobile app at official opening of new HQ in Little Island

CompuCal Calibration Solutions is a SaaS/AI company and specialist in software solutions for the management of calibration & maintenance. CompuCal announced the launch of its CompuCal GO mobile app for on-site technicians from their new Cork-based, Little Island office location. CompuCal has become a global Leader in engineering-based calibration management software, servicing SMEs to Fortune 500 companies within the regulated industry sector as well as calibration service companies.

Minister for Finance Michael McGrath officiating at the opening of the company’s offices, acknowledged the company’s rich history of transformative engineering innovation, “It is to the great credit of all who have worked in this business since its origins in 1964 that it stands today as a leader in a global SaaS/AI market, supporting the manufacturing operations of a highly regulated and diverse client base across 6 continents. It represents the very spirit of enterprise and pursuit of excellence that reinforces Ireland’s reputation as a world-class tech hub. CompuCal’s latest investment in infrastructure, software research, design and product development is an example of a dynamic, versatile and expert Irish business – an essential asset to Ireland’s economy.”

CompuCal operates in a global calibration management market that is valued at over US$5.6B[1] and growing – driven by regulatory requirements, compliance needs, digital transformation to paperless processes, IoT and stringent quality controls. The company’s move to Ascon House in the Euro Business Park in Little Island will support increasing on-site training needs together with capacity for growth in personnel and business over the next 3-5 years. Its newly launched CompuCal GO mobile app enables technicians and engineers working in the field to complete calibration & maintenance tasks on site accurately and In real-time and upload to the CompuCal cloud platform seamlessly.

CompuCal Calibration Solutions CEO Donal Sullivan commented that, “Today marks a significant milestone for CompuCal and our team as we launch our CompuCal GO app in our new facility. From this hub, we support our SaaS/AI platform to manage the complex calibration and maintenance management activities for multi-sectoral industries ranging from Life Sciences and Med Tech to General Manufacturing in sites across the world. As companies look to reduce costs whilst increasing efficiency and automation, CompuCal is well positioned to provide effective solutions for their complex needs. We are immensely proud that our latest innovation is already delivering for the service teams and industries we serve and are excited to have a promising outlook for 2024 in terms of business growth and strategic opportunities.”

Winners of the 2023 Belfast Telegraph IT Awards in partnership with Telefónica Tech announced

The winners of this year’s Belfast Telegraph IT Awards in partnership with Telefónica Tech UK & Ireland, which took place on Friday night at the MAC Belfast, have been announced.

Terry Moore, CEO and founder of Outsource Group, took home the award for Outstanding Contribution to the IT Sector. The Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs won IT Project of the Year for its Soil Nutrient Health Scheme. And Expleo, which scooped two other awards on the night, won Overall IT Team of Company of the Year.

ASOS, which opened up a Belfast hub last year, creating over 180 jobs, also took home two awards for IT Professional of the Year and Young IT Professional of the Year.

The ceremony was hosted by Neil Delamere and took place on Friday 10 November to celebrate the cream of the IT industry in Northern Ireland and winners were named across 19 categories. The awards, which received a record number of entries, were whittled down by a panel of nine judges, led by chairman Noel Brady, managing director of Consult NB1 Ltd and joint chair of the ICT Innovation Forum.  

The awards title sponsor Telefónica Tech UK&I, Chief Executive Mark Gorton, said: “A massive congratulations to all the winners in this year’s Belfast Telegraph IT Awards. The atmosphere in the room on the night was electric and it was an honour to join together with others in our ever-growing IT Industry here in Northern Ireland and celebrate those in the sector.

As technology continues to evolve, so does the extraordinary talent and dedication of our IT community. These awards are a brilliant reflection of the hard work, dedication and talent of so many across the IT sector. Telefónica Tech UK & Ireland was very proud to sponsor this year’s awards.”

Other winning businesses on the night included Business Services Organisation, Randox, Salt Communications, Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs, CinemaClub, Covernet, Liopa, Codec, Locate a Locum, Liberty IT and Options Technology.

Terry Moore founded his own IT Managed Service business Outsource Group almost 25 years ago and since then it has gone from strength to strength. Outsource Group, headquartered in Antrim, was founded in 2000 and offers a broad range of technology support and services to customers in the UK and Ireland, with an increasing focus in recent years on embedding IT security in everything it does. Last year Terry made a significant acquisition in the fast-growing cybersecurity space to enhance his company’s expertise in this important area, and he continues to recruit to grow his team.

Expleo, the global engineering, technology and consulting service provider which has a base in Belfast took home the award for overall IT company of the year. It was a triple award win for Expleo on the night as they also scooped the prize for Best Place to Work and Diversity, Equality and Inclusion Champion which went to Expleo employee, Hannah McAteer.

The Top 5 Home Security Gadgets for Ultimate Protection

Concerns about home security are common, and recent data underscores their validity. In April 2023, statistics from the Irish home security company Phone Watch indicated a significant 10% increase in the number of burglaries nationwide in 2022 compared to the previous year. This rise, the first in the last five years, saw substantial increases in several counties, including Meath with a 34% increase, Mayo with 33%, Kerry with 28%, and Kildare with 26%.

Fortunately, there are various steps homeowners can take to enhance their home’s security. These measures often involve basic precautions and the services of a residential locksmith to prevent thefts by opportunistic criminals in the neighborhood. However, this article will focus on home security gadgets offering additional assurance and peace of mind, ensuring your property is more effectively protected.

Smart Lock Systems

Besides the immediate convenience of getting rid of the bulky key ring in your pocket, smart locks come with several other perks. They let you enjoy keyless door management for locking and unlocking the front door using Bluetooth on your smartphone, tablet, or smartwatch. By eliminating the need to use keys, you also eliminate the risks of losing, misplacing, or having the keys stolen or jammed inside the lock. 

The best smart lock systems feature auto-unlocking that lets you walk up to the front door and watch it unlock itself while adjusting the timing for the locking/unlocking. DB Security are one of the best security & cctv company in Stoke-on-Trent

Best Smart Locks for Homeowners

While the August Smart Lock is one of the most popular options for several reasons, it is certainly not the only alternative available. Most of today’s smart locks can instantly turn any iOS/Android smartphone or smartwatch into a virtual key while letting you track all assigned virtual keys and know who goes in and out of the house 24/7. Research, decide which features you want your lock to have, and allocate a budget.

Best Smart Lock for Renters/Airnbnb

If you frequently rent out your home via Airbnb, opt for a coded entry smart lock to allow guests to easily get in and out with a unique code that will expire as soon as their pre-booked stay expires. The Ultraloq U-Bolt Pro is one of the best choices thanks to the physical buttons that work well no matter the weather conditions, the built-in fingerprint sensor, and the sneaky front face that can be easily flipped down to show the keyhole. It also supports voice control via Google Assistant and Alexa.

Smart Key Lock Mechanism 

A security gadget that works similarly to smart locks is Haven, a key lock mechanism that must be placed at the bottom of the front door to work as an obstacle that can stop unwanted entry. This gadget works with a key fob connected via Bluetooth and is made of sturdy steel and glass-reinforced aluminum and nylon. Haven can be easily integrated with other types of gadgets that are part of a Smart Home system.

Smart Video Doorbells

A video doorbell is an excellent addition to a front door that does not have a prefabricated peephole. However, this is not the only reason these gadgets are so popular today. When connected to mobile apps, they send immediate alerts or snapshots to your phone whenever someone rings the doorbell and let you communicate using two-way sound and video functions. The battery-powered devices can be installed anywhere inside and outside the house. 

Google Nest Doorbell and Arlo Essential are the best options thanks to their ability to send quick alerts, capture crisp images and sounds, and allow 24-hour recording.

Smart Indoor Cameras

These devices feature 180-degree fields of view, excellent zoom capabilities, and built-in smoke alarms on models like the Ecobee. Opt for one to closely monitor your pets, children, or family while traveling. Choose a model with motion detection that issues notifications to your smartphone in case of unwanted movement or smoke detection.

Smart Indoor Sirens and Smart Smoke Detectors

These smart alarms notify you of unusual activity or if they detect smoke inside the house. They automatically activate and deactivate themselves. Installation is a breeze, even though consulting a home locksmith could broaden your horizon significantly. Netatmo is a good option for a smart indoor siren due to the prerecorded noises it features and its easy-to-use app. Novi is an excellent smart smoke detector gadget with a motion sensor, 170-degree HD real-time camera recording, and a loud 90dB siren to deter intruders.

Final Thoughts

From home security cameras to video doorbells, these home security gadgets offer advanced features to ensure the safety of your property and loved ones. Take your pick or use a combo for optimum results.