Modern security cams are great. They’re easy to set up, easy to use, and easy enough to manage with the accompanying smartphone app. They even come with advanced features like 4K recording, subject identification, and unlimited cloud storage. For majority of folks, though, it’s overkill. That’s why it’s great there are also options like the Blink Mini.
An entry-level home security cam, the device packs on all the basic functions, from motion sensing and night vision to 24/7 live feed and two-way communications, so you get all the necessities you need to keep proper tabs on your home. While it won’t be an adequate replacement to full-service security cams, it should be enough for most folks who just want the bare minimum in keeping their homes secure.
The Blink Mini is an indoor security cam with a built-in stand, so you just need to set it down on a flat surface, like a table or a shelf, instead of having to mount screws or plates elsewhere in the house. From there, it’s mostly plug and play, so you just hook it up to a power outlet, pair it with the phone app, and follow the steps from there, which basically just requires you to connect it to your home network. According to the outfit, the whole setup should take no more than 10 minutes, so you should be ready to monitor your home in short order.
Once set up, the camera can record anything within its 110-degree field of view in 1080p resolution at 30 fps, complete with infrared night vision, so it will continue monitoring your home even in the dark. You can see what the camera is seeing in real time via the smartphone app at any point during the day, all while storing any recorded clips on the cloud (requires $3 a month subscription per camera) or local storage (via the Blink Sync Module 2, which saves footage to a USB flash drive).
The Blink Mini comes with a motion detector that triggers automatic recording, so it can alert you any time that movement is detected in the space, saving you from the hassle of having to check your live feed periodically just to make sure no one’s creeping around in your house. There’s also the option to define motion detection zones, so it can restrict monitoring to sensitive areas liked doors and windows to further minimize any false positives. It has two-way audio support, so you can talk to anyone in the house using the onboard mic-and-speaker setup.
With Blink being an Amazon company, this naturally works with the outfit’s Alexa intelligent assistant, so you can control the camera, stream live video, and play recorded clips using voice commands, provided you have a compatible Alexa speaker or app. The app, by the way, is available for iOS, Android, and Amazon’s Fire OS.
The Blink Mini is available now. Each one comes with a free trial of the cloud storage up to the end of the year.
- Monitor the inside of your home day and night with our 1080P HD indoor plug-in smart security camera...
