This post is brought to you by link-U. Please note that, as always, any personal opinions reflected in this post are my own and have not been influenced by the sponsor or compensation received in any way.
A couple of years ago we knew someone that had a camera and dvr security system at his home. He worked a lot of hours so he liked being able to see that his home and family was safe. His system sounded very interesting to me. But, when he told me some of the drawbacks and issues he faced I knew that solution wasn’t for me. First. Every time the internet went down he had no camera. Second. If the power went out he had no camera. And third. The system required a time-consuming installation that wasn’t exactly simple. To use what he had I’d need another power supply put in, holes drilled and wires run. I decided to wait and see what kind of difference a little time would make. As it turns out, technology has continued to improve and evolve. Recently a new kind of video monitoring camera has become availble, the link-U Hybrid SmartCam.
The link-U Hybrid Connection SmartCam is a video monitoring system that is designed to be fast and easy to set up. It’s also designed to stay up and running, whether the internet is working as it should or if it’s down. The camera connects to your home network easily, with no drilling, additional wiring or special power supply needed. Should your internet service go down, the link-U’s patent-pending hybrid technology will automatically connect to your mobile phone’s 3G/4G connection. Should your power go out, the camera will continue to operate on it’s internal 8 hour battery. The camera has a 130 degree Wide Angle Lens and an internal infrared LED for night vision .
This system is great for the obvious – checking on the elderly, the sick, the teens, the family, the home, and the valuables. There’s also an aspect to this that intrigues me. Because the camera is designed to be self-installed, with no drilling or wiring, that means you can move it. I’m thinking this would be great to bring on vacations, and really helpful for folks that do a lot of travel in a motor home. Since the camera can be easily repositioned it could be used in other ways, such as to help keep an eye on the property while entertaining.
Once your system is in place the HD video footage of your home is streamed to any smartphone or tablet running iOS 8.0 or Android. The internal interface also gives users the ability to control a variety of home devices such as carbon monoxide and fire alarms from their phone. Because we all have busy schedules and can’t sit looking at a screen all day, there’s an alert system that will send you messages in real-time notifying you of movement or noise-triggering events picked up by the HD video sensor. Recorded events are stored on an internal SD memory card.
Having a system in place can help ease your mind. Having an interactive system that you can actually use can help give you peace of mind. The camera has on-board speakers and an internal mic that allow you to see, speak and interact with those at home from your mobile devices.
Here’s a brief video on how link-U works.
Over the years video monitoring has become available through some of the same companies that offered home alarm systems, but they come with a long-term commitment and a monthly monitoring fee. The link-U looks to be an affordable option that you can use when you want to and when you need to, with no obligations or monthly costs. Making it even more attractive to budget-conscious consumers is the fact that no expensive contractors are needed to get this system up and running. link-U is now available for pre-order on Indiegogo, starting at $99.00 for early backers.
CONNECT
Link-Union website – link-U on Facebook – link-U on Twitter
Some posts on this site contain an affiliate link. Affiliate links are used in an attempt to offset the operational costs incurred by running this website. Clicking on an affiliate link does not increase the cost of the product if you buy it. It does mean that I MAY make a commission if you purchase the item. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
This would be perfect for our family. My elderly dad is convinced he can live alone, and we worry about him.
That is just awesome. I would love to spy on my kids LOL.
I like that the whole set-up is mobile. It’s nice to be able to use it in different situations as the need arises.
I’d love to be able to check on my home (or my cat!) if I’m traveling or at work. I work 30 minutes from home. This would also be great for my grandma, just for peace of mind.
I would love to have this set up to spy on my 18 year old son and his friends. I like that it is mobile so you can use it in different situations.
Home alone when the dog barks and I hear a bump in the night.
2 summers ago punk bully kids were egging our house would have loved it then. Even now when I’m alone and my dogs bark, or someone knocks on my door!
I’ve been looking into a home monitoring system but didn’t realize you could get one outside of a security company. I’ll have to look more into LinkU
I would love this. I have an app on my phone that tells me every time my door is opened. I would love to be able to see inside the house.
This is a pretty cool device. I need this to get on to my dog every time she is getting into trouble while we are away. lol
How cool is that! What an awesome tool to have.
Love that it’s not dependent on internet! I would keep an eye on my kids 🙂
I am going to show this to my husband. He has been looking for a good video camera system.
We have something similar and it is so nice to have that extra piece of mind when you are away from home! My husband was constantly checking ours when we took a trip last week. If he didn’t have it, he probably would have been a nervous wreck the entire time we were gone!
I can think of a few instances where this would be helpful. Thanks for letting us know a product is out there for our protection!
The thing that stands out for me is that it’s not dependent on the internet. That’s a big perk of the system!
This does sound good for so many things. I’m thinking this would be great for my nephew and his wife who are about to have their first baby. It doesn’t have to be an official baby monitor to be great at monitoring the baby. 🙂
Video monitoring has really come a long way. I’d like to get something like this for my own home, and maybe even our family’s hunting camp.
I would’ve loved to have something like this last year when we got broken into over Thanksgiving weekend! Still to this day I’ll be at work and worried what’s happening at home! This would be great for some peace of mind!
We’re home alone late more than I would like, just like your friend, so I’d love it for just seeing around the house. Being able to look into dark rooms and corners without being afraid would be well worth the purchase price.
We have a camera in our house now but it was to monitor my teenage daughter allowing her boyfriend to come over. Now that we don’t need it for that, we enjoy watching what our dog does all day (which is usually sleep).
I think a camera system would be great to have, just in case there ever is a break in or anything. Otherwise, I would love to watch what our dog and two cats do while we are not home. 🙂
My husband set up a cam like this in one of the rental properties we were rehabbing and we were able to catch someone breaking in and stealing. The police recognized the guy as there was a warrant out for his arrest and the guy ended up getting convicted. These cams can come in super handy!