Over the last year and a half, I've used a few different connected cameras to monitor my home. This includes more popular offerings such as the Dropcam Pro, but I found myself ultimately unhappy with the yearly fee and the requirement to store video on Dropcam's servers. I've also played with a Foscam IP camera, but it seems like you need a network engineering degree in order to properly set them up (and let's not get started on how ugly they are). That's why I was pretty excited about the opportunity to spend some time with the $200 Withings Home HD camera. It was definitely a departure from similar devices and had that shiny, new-toy smell, too.
First off, why would anyone go to all this trouble to monitor their home? For me, it was all about peace of mind and security. We live in Oakland and have to keep an eye on things, you know? But if I'm being entirely honest with you, this is really just an excuse to watch our puppy while I'm at work.
James Potter