Amazon unveils some new Ring cameras that cost less than $ 100

Alongside the flood of Echo devices, Amazon announced during its fall hardware event on Wednesday, the company unveiled two new security cameras from its Ring subsidiary: the Indoor Cam Ring and a refreshed model of the Ring Stick Up Cam.

The new Stick Up Cam looks very similar to the previous edition, which Amazon has refreshed at an event last year. It still transmits 1080p video, supports motion detection and night vision and comes in a weather-resistant cylindrical frame that can be mounted indoors or outdoors. It still works with a wired or battery powered power supply, but it can also work with an accessory powered by solar energy. Its field of vision is slightly lower than the previous battery-powered Stick Up Cam, but it is much cheaper at $ 99.99 compared to $ 179.99. It is available for pre-order today, with a complete release on October 23rd.

The Ring Indoor Cam, meanwhile, is essentially a tiny version of the Stick Up Cam that only works when plugged into a power outlet. It measures 46 mm × 46 mm × 75 mm, compared to the new × 60 mm × 60 mm × 97 mm from the company Stick Up Cam. Its field of view is slightly wider: 115 degrees horizontally and 60 degrees vertically, 110 degrees horizontally and 57 degrees vertically on the Camera Stick Up Cam. As with larger models, it supports 1080p video, motion detection, two-way talk and night vision. It costs $ 59.99, which is the price, among others, of the Amazon Indoor Security Camera, the Cloud Cam, and is available for purchase today.

Beyond that, Amazon has announced the creation of a Ring Retrofit Alarm Kit, designed to connect to an existing home security system hub and provide it with the functionality of a Ring Alarm system. . The idea is to get a Ring security configuration without having to install new sensors or cabling. Amazon has not provided complete details on how this solution works, but says that the device will cost $ 199.99 alone or $ 375.99 with a Ring Alarm Hub. This will allow you to control smart devices compatible with Ring. Amazon says the renovation kit will arrive in November.

Regarding Ring's software, cameras and video ringtones will soon support a new feature called "Home Mode" which, according to Amazon, will prevent Ring products from recording audio and video data while you're at home . It will also happen in November. The company has also introduced a feature that will allow voice assistant Alexa to "conversely" respond to visitors through a ring tone. It could for example ask a delivery person to leave a package. Amazon says that this will happen first at the Doorbell Elite Video Ring (which is not battery powered) next year.

And now for something completely different

Finally, there is Ring Fetch, a dog tag and tracking connected. This allows you to close your yard and ping when your four-legged friend leaves a defined perimeter. Again, Amazon has not insisted too much on the details, but says its release is scheduled for next year.

Fetch has been announced as one of the first devices to use Amazon Sidewalk, a new low-bandwidth wireless protocol using the 900 MHz free wireless spectrum. Again, Amazon does not talk much, but it does offer Sidewalk as a way to extend the distance that allows you to control simplistic, low-power, low-cost Internet devices when you're out of Wi-Fi or Bluetooth. at home. interval. The company said Sidewalk will have built-in support for automatic software updates and can work at distances of more than 500 meters to one kilometer using other access points.

Amazon gave the example of a sensor in your mailbox that uses Sidewalk to warn you of the delivery of your mail or a weather station that uses the network to tell you how much rain is fell. The company said it has tested the mesh network by sending 700 home access points to Los Angeles and is making the Los Angeles Basin "fully covered" in three weeks.

In the case of the Fetch tag, if Sidewalk became general, it could eventually allow you to track your dog's position if it wandered beyond your yard. Amazon launched the Sidewalk protocol Wednesday but admits it is still in its infancy and has not given more details on availability. Anyway, it seems that it will join an already crowded area of ​​wireless IoT standards including Zigbee, Z-Wave and Thread, which are already being used by Amazon's own Echo, Ring and Eero devices, respectively.

Whatever the case may be, all the news relating to Ring is coming as the company has had to face scrutiny for having worked with more than 400 law enforcement agencies. Critics fear that Amazon will help set up a surveillance network for the police in exchange for marketing stimulation.

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