This amazing infographic comes to us from HomeInsurance.org and brilliantly breaks down the way crime statistics impacts neighborhoods. Especially useful is the list of America’s safest and most dangerous cities listed at the bottom. Enjoy!
When choosing a provider for your home protection, there are a number of different choices. In the U.S. alone, there are over 13,000 regional and national companies focusing on home protection and security. Here’s a list of the best so you can make an informed decision…
One of the largest home protection providers in the United States, Protect America Inc. has been in operation since 1992. The company focuses entirely on wireless home security systems, which they say offers substantial savings for customers. Along with security systems, Protect America also provides security solutions for vehicles, fire, flooding, and carbon monoxide.
Owned by hardware giant, Stanley Black & Decker, Stanley Security Solutions primarily operates in the commercial security sector but they’ve been making substantial gains in home security. The company offers intrusion detection, fire monitoring, and more. Stanley Security Solutions also handles government contracts with clients at the local, state, and federal level.
With approximately 800,000 customers across the U.S., Monitronics International is one of the largest home security companies in the country. Owned by the Ascent Media Corporation, Monitronics offers a range of security solutions for small businesses and homes. The company is one of the few in the home security industry to utilize celebrity spokesmen having used Chuck Liddell and Deon Sanders for marketing materials.
As a recent crime wave appears to be moving out of one Colorado town and into the surrounding counties, police in Greenwood Village are offering residents tips to protect against possible future break-ins.
Home security systems are great, and can provide peace of mind when people are away from their homes for an extended period of time, local police officers told KUSA. Automatic timers on lamps can also create the illusion that someone is home when they are not. To avoid the possibility of a would-be burglar figuring out the lights are on timers, police recommend having a neighbor or friend change the location of the timers periodically.
Residents should be sure to lock doors and windows, police told KUSA. Motion sensing yard lights can deter criminals at night. And never leave spare keys in obvious places like under a doormat.
Home security systems can lead to lower crimes rates, say New Orleans Police.
In the wake of a series of recent burglaries, police in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, are telling local residents to be on alert, and to beef up their home security systems.
Burglaries in the area have spiked 13 percent over last year, according to local reports from the Times-Picayune. While most of the burglaries have involved unlocked vehicles, area residents have also reported an increase in the number of home invasion burglaries. Area businesses have also been hit by criminals stripping facilities of copper wiring and other valuables.
Having an audible security alarm – and advertising its presence to would-be criminals – is a great crime deterrent, local sheriff’s officers say.
“If somebody sees the signage, there’s a good chance that unless they’re crazy, they’re not going to try to go into that particular home,” Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesman Colonel John Fortunato told the Times-Picayune.
Orlando Police Chief Paul Rooney recently told a CNN affiliate that crime in Orlando would fall by 10 percent if every homeowner invested in a security camera.
Home security can be a fairly basic and mundane topic. Every once in a while, thanks to advances in technology, home security enters the realm of science fiction.
We at The Security Blanket have showcased neat home security devices and technologies before. But this is different. Below is a collection of bonafide, genuine home security robots! Sure, there’s the obvious risk of these devices becoming sentient and rebelling against the very masters they were programmed to protect. (If you’re not worried about this, well, that’s just naïve…) Fears of unleashing Skynet aside, these robots are cool and quickly dropping in price.
[Note: There are some detractors that don't believe robots can be effictively used for home security. Read up on that viewpoint here.]
Interestingly, many of the companies making home security robots started out producing toy versions. Tech-capable, wanna-be Bond villains have been modifying toy robots for home security purposes for years. Eventually, a few manufacturers realized the market and started producing robots specifically designed for home security.
In the next few years, more models will be released and prices will drop further. Who knows? Maybe home security robots are the next growth sector of a $28.2 billion industry. Probably not, but these are pretty awesome in the mean time.
Whenever the U.S. military ends up with a cool, new toy, civilians begin clamoring for a mass market version. In general, the military likes to keep its most awesome tools secret but every once in a while, the common people get the goods too. Examples can be found everywhere from the Hummer to the AR-15 assault rifle. So what’s next for the average Joe looking to supply his own personal army? Flying drones.
Introducing the Parrot AR Drone. This drone takes full advantage of its flying functionality by featuring two cameras, one forward-facing and another on the bottom. The video feed appears directly on your phone, which also acts as the controlling device for the drone. One drawback to the Parrot AR Drone is the lack of any other control options. You either use your phone or you’re out of luck. (Okay, not entirely. You can use a Linux-based PC and a joy stick but that just sounds like too much work. Bring on the complaints UBUNTU fans!)
In general, the Parrot AR Drone is pretty cool, even if it reduces military grade technology to video game status…
...and, of course, sometimes this works out really well.
Certainly not cheap and more than a little funny looking, the Roborior (the word is a portmanteau of “robot” and “interior”) comes equipped with infrared sensors, digital camera, and videophone. Roughly the size of a watermelon, the Roborior is a colorful robot that shines orange, blue, and purple lights. It’s makers, Tmsuck Co. Ltd. and Sanyo Electric Co., created Roborior to act as an “electronic sentry” built solely for the purpose of interior home security.
Using the Roborior is pretty similar to most interactive home security systems. Users can access their robot’s streaming video feeds from any internet-enabled computer or smart phone. They can also remotely control the Roborior’s movements to guide the device through the house. In “house sitting” mode, the robot will detect intruders and call the user’s cell phone. Even more interesting is the video phone capability which syncs with your TV to easily connect video calls. Unfortunately, full-functionality of the Roborior is only possible in Japan.
With severe limitations and a retail price of $2,500, the Roborior is still too impractical for the mass home security market. However, more than a few gadget geeks may feel compelled to fork over the money. Inspired by jellyfish, the device was designed by Paul White, who created a few Bjork album covers.
Featuring unique, three-wheel omni-directional movement, the Rovio WiFi Robot allows users to patrol their homes with ease. The Rovio works more like a security camera than a security system since it doesn’t actually “detect” intruders like other models. This robot simply lets a user patrol any area without having to leave the comfort of their well-worn computer chair. The Rovio also includes a 2-way microphone, which allows for communication with someone near the device.
Interested consumers can have the Rovio for anywhere between $300 and $500. Much of the price savings comes in the “dummy” GPS system that requires beacons in order to navigate across rooms. Other devices, like the Roborior, are able to analyze their surroundings and navigate independently.
On the plus side, WowWee, the makers of the Rovio, made the robot incredibly easy to use. A Rovio can be controlled from most phones, computers, and video game consoles.
