Smart home companies are turning us all into crime fighters - will it actually work? - The Ambinet

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Why turning to social media might not make us safer

In 2015 Ring installed video doorbells in 10% of homes in the Wilshire Park neighborhood as part of a pilot program with the Los Angeles Police Department. According to the company, the LAPD saw a 55% decrease in home break-ins over the following six months. It made for a nice flashy number for Ring to point at, and undoubtedly helped it in its journey to getting snapped up by Amazon, even if there's some debate over the evidence. 

It gave Ring a reason to hone in on the community angle, and now it's venturing into a new crime fighting space – social media. Will sharing what our smart home sees with our neighbors make us safer? Or will it redefine the term nosey neighbor?

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9 Steps Every Smartphone Owner Should Take to Protect Private Data - Mercury Insurance

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Smart Home

Not worried about someone hacking your smartphone? From 2015 to 2016, mobile device malware infections jumped 96%, and mobile ransomware surged 415% in 2017. Smartphone infections currently account for 72% of all mobile virus infections.

Take a moment and think about what a person could learn if they had access to your phone. From bank details to family photos, important emails to social media accounts — an hour with your phone and someone could effectively gain access to all areas of your life.

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Smart Home DIY: 5 Reasons Your Family Is Going To Love Smart Door Locks | FunTimesGuide.com

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Smart Home

The phrase “latchkey kid” was a popular one among my generation — the first where many families boasted two working parents. Coming home from school to an empty house was a pretty common occurrence for many of my school friends. However, thanks to smart door locks, today’s latchkey kids can dispense with the key entirely and parents can dispense with the worry over whether their children made it home safely!

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