By Andrew Liszewski
On my side of the pond, security companies rely on the fear of thieves breaking into into your home and stealing your prized possessions to sell security systems. But based on the AlertMe website, in the United Kingdom the fear of a bear breaking into your home and stealing your marmalade is just as concerning. (Paddington!!) So AlertMe is another broadband compatible security system that will let you know about any problems no matter where you happen to be. (As long as you happen to be somewhere near a cell tower.)
The system includes motion sensors, door and window sensors, a smoke or carbon monoxide alarm detector and even a set of keyfobs for tracking who’s at home and who’s away. All of the sensors and detectors communicate with a central hub, which in turn sends the information to the AlertMe website servers. In the event of a break-in or other problem the system will automatically alert you via a text message, at which point you can either respond with your cellphone or by accessing your home’s account on the AlertMe website.
The AlertMe starter kit which includes a collection of sensors, detectors, keyfobs, the base unit and other accessories sells for about $790. On top of that there’s also a monthly service fee of about $23. It might seem expensive to some, but for the peace of mind of having a bear-free home, I think it’s worth it.
[ AlertMe ] VIA [ Shiny Shiny ]
Wow from the picture it looks you get an Aduki light made by Mathmos to boot. Awesome!
http://www.mathmos.com/erol.html
I could be wrong.
Here, just found a photo of the Aduki and sure enough it sure looks like one. http://www.thinkgeek.com/images/products/zoom/mathmos-aduki-ni.jpg
Why the hell does it come with a monthly service fee? Because it sends SMSes? Just let me hook it up to my router and have it send me an email.
Would also be better if there was a fob that fit well on my dog’s collar. Having him around kind of makes the motion detector a moot point, but I’m fairly certain that if somebody broke in, he’d run off, so it could easily notify me that the dog was out of the house when he shouldn’t be.