Home Security Las Vegas-Worth it or Pass?

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Here’s How The Ring Doorbell Security Camera Makes Social Distancing Easier

Recently, homeowners with security and home automation systems have noticed an unexpected benefit from the Ring Doorbell security camera. Many people install this doorbell for security purposes, but in these uncertain times, smart doorbells are instead helping people stay healthy.

If you’ve paid attention to the outbreak of Covid-19 (coronavirus) for the last bit, you’re now practicing social distancing. For most of us, it hasn’t been easy. It’s tough to adjust to remote work, kids at home all day, and minimal face-to-face interactions. Here’s how Ring video doorbells have made that burden easier:

Outdoor Playtime for Kids

Many parents are not only dealing with the stress of a completely new work environment, but also with taking care of kids that are out of school. The Ring Doorbell security camera is helping parents keep an eye on kids without having to be physically present.

When kids play in the front yard, you can use the video feature to check that they are being safe. It allows you to be sure your kids are staying out of the street and keeping an appropriate distance away from people that walk by. Many working moms and dads are feeling especially grateful for this feature right now.

Neighborhood Visits

One of the hardest parts of social distancing is the inability to visit friends and neighbors. However, neighborhoods with Ring Doorbells are able to keep up a sense of community by allowing neighbors to visit each other virtually.

If you’re tired of being at home, feel free to visit your neighbors who have Ring Doorbells. These neighbors are able to virtually answer the door and hold a conversation, all while avoiding the risk of infection.

Food and Package Delivery

While most restaurants are closed for dining-in, many are open for delivery. Homeowners with a doorbell camera are keeping both themselves and delivery people safe, by checking their video feed to know when food has arrived, and the coast is clear to come outside.

This contact-free delivery method works with any type of package. If you or someone in your household has a compromised immune system, it’s a good idea to limit trips to the store as much as possible. If an item you need is available for delivery, take advantage of that. Order the product, get notified when it arrives, and be sure it’s safe to claim it.

Although many things about this time are difficult, thanks to 21st-century technology, we have many ways to adapt and maintain a sense of our regular lives.

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Landline or Wireless Home Security Systems: How to Know Which Is Best

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When you’re in the market for a reliable home security systems, it can feel overwhelming trying to decide on the best system for you. There are so many different options and so many choices to make. You know you want a trustworthy and dependable company. You’ve probably also narrowed down your price range. One thing many people don’t think about, though, is which type of connection they want. You’ll have to choose between cellular and wireless home security systems. Unless you have experience with home security, though, how can you know which is best? Here are the pros and cons of these two common types of systems:

Landline Home Security Systems

This type of system used to be the most common, but now it’s frequently being replaced with more up-to-date technology. The benefit of using a landline system is that it may be cheaper than other options. The downside, though, is that it’s easy for intruders to get around.

When landline security systems were first put in homes all over the country, burglars learned that simply cutting a wire would lead to easy access to any home. Because of this, it’s better to go with another option. If you already have landline security system technology installed, it might be a good time for an upgrade.

Wireless Home Security Systems

The more reliable option is to go with a wireless system. These systems are very difficult for burglars to disable. They are also compatible with modern automation technology. This means your system will not only keep your home protected, but it will also run more smoothly. You can automate your doorbell and door locks. Automated door locks allow you to monitor who is entering and exiting your home, while also eliminating the need to carry around house keys.

Making the Decision

Although wireless systems have more benefits than landline systems, some people still prefer landline. Perhaps you moved into a house that already has a landline system in place, and it isn’t in the budget to upgrade. Or maybe you’ve found an excellent deal that you just can’t turn down. Every home has different needs, and it’s important to choose whatever works for you. In the end, the thing that really matters is that you and your family feel safe in your home.

 

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How Can a Smart Home Save the Family Budget?

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When people hear the phrase “smart home” they think it must be a massive expense. The truth is, though, it actually saves money in the long run. Families who’ve recently implemented smart devices into their lives love how much money they save every month. The return on investment for smart home products is the reason more and more families are automating their lives.

Improve Energy Efficiency

According to the Department of Energy, the average home can save as much as 10% on heating and cooling by adjusting the temperature by 7-10 degrees for 8 hours a day. While you’re away at work or asleep at night, you won’t even notice this adjustment. Adjusting the temperature with a traditional thermostat can lead to many frustrations, though.

If you adjust the temperature when you leave in the morning, the temperature when you return home could be boiling hot in the Summer or uncomfortably cold in the Winter. It could take an hour or more for your home to reach a comfortable temperature. Similarly, many people struggle to sleep when the temperature is adjusted at night unless the adjustment occurs after they are already fast asleep.

Smart thermostats, such as the Nest thermostat, allow you to control the temperature in your home from afar. When you leave work in the evening, set the thermostat to start heating or cooling your house to a comfortable level. It’s also possible to set a schedule so the temperature can be adjusted during sleep. You’ll be able to save significant amounts of energy without sacrificing any comfort. You’ll realize one day that you have more money, and you hardly had to change a thing.

Keep Utility Bills Low

Sadly, too many of us know the pain of getting an electric bill that nearly gives you a heartache. Parents especially know the struggle of trying to get kids to remember to turn out the lights when leaving a room. Smart lights can save you from that endless battle, though, because you can turn out the lights even after you’ve left home. You can set all your lights to turn out at night, so you never have to walk the house checking each room when you really just want to go to bed.

Not only can smart lights turn out the lights when they aren’t needed, but you can also dim the lighting when full brightness is unnecessary. When lights only have an “on” or an “off” feature, most people use more electricity than is really needed. When you install smart lights, you have so much more control, which can bring your electric bill down tremendously.

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3 Ways to Turn Your New House Into a Home

Moving into a new home is exciting, but it can take a while for a place to feel like it is really yours. No one likes that uncomfortable feeling of living in a place that does not feel like home. Everyone wants a sense of security as well as personality in their house. We put together a list of tips to help you achieve those things more quickly after a move.

1. Create a Sense of Security.

The key to feeling at home is feeling safe. It’s common to feel uneasy when you first move into a new place. Sleeping in an unfamiliar house in an unfamiliar neighborhood can bring out the anxiety in anyone. To put your mind at ease, a simple first step is replacing the locks. Especially if your home has ever been a rental, there could be spare keys floating around without your knowledge.

After the locks are replaced, you may want to look into installing a security system. These systems range anywhere from ultra-simple to highly complex, depending on the level of security you’re looking for. Some systems include only simple sensors to let you know if a door or window has been broken, while others have complete camera systems with 24-hour professional monitoring.

Some security systems have options for replacing locks with automated smart door locks. Save time by installing a new security system and replacing locks at the same time. These simple steps are sure to get rid of that uneasy “new home” feeling and turn your place into a comfortable sanctuary in no time.

2. Add Personality.

Every home has a unique personality. It’s important to make sure that personality matches you. Are you an accent wall kind of a person? Choose a fun color to add to one of the walls in your living room. Maybe you have a thing for the 1970s. Show it off! Put in a shag carpet! Hang your favorite art in every room. Bring your unique qualities into your living space, and it will quickly start feeling like the place where you belong.

3. Learn the Neighborhood.

The final step to feeling at home is learning your neighborhood. You’ll never feel at home until you are comfortable getting around. Start by going on walks. Introduce yourself to neighbors that you pass. Find out where the best local restaurants and parks are. This step can take the most time, but it also the most fun. Get involved in your community. When you give time and energy to a new place, it will give back to you. You’ll soon find yourself recognizing more people that you pass on the street. Waiters and baristas will start to remember your usual orders. You’ll be part of a new community that truly feels like home.

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3 Things Intruders Hate Most About Your House Camera System

It’s rare to hope people will hate your house. But it’s different when those people are burglars. You want to make your home as uninviting to intruders as possible. Including a visible house camera system is one way to ensure intruders will steer clear of your home. These are the three most important things to include to scare away unwanted visitors:

1. Infrared Capabilities

For centuries, nighttime has aided burglars with their break-in attempts. Infrared technology is putting a stop to this, though. Infrared cameras convert heat into visible light, allowing you to see any living thing on your property, regardless of how dark it is. No amount of dark clothing or hiding in bushes stops infrared cameras. Burglars have still not been able to figure out a way to outsmart a house camera system that includes this feature.

2. Motion-Activated Sensors

Camera systems are always most effective when paired with motion detectors. Occasionally, intruders will attempt to disable your camera system before sneaking in. When motion-sensors are present, though, the intruder will be detected before they can get close enough to do any tampering with your system. The motion sensors are also less visible, so thieves don’t realize they need to avoid them in order to get close to your home.

3. 100% of Entrances Secured

Many homes have the front door secured with an alarm and a security camera in place to keep intruders out. Unfortunately, this signals to burglars that a house has valuables inside, so they simply look for a different entrance. Unsecured garage doors or windows are a popular entry method. Intruders hate it when a house camera system is set up to provide coverage for every possible entrance.

Be sure to place cameras and motion sensors near every door and window. A security system that doesn’t provide full coverage is nearly as dangerous as no security system at all.

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How to Choose the Right Smart Door Lock for Your Home

When adding modern house updates, you have many design options. Some options work with old homes, while others are a better match for newly constructed houses. The smart door lock is becoming a very popular update among many homeowners because of the added convenience of not having to worry about keys.

40% of burglars enter through unlocked doors. They know that many people forget to lock up, which leaves a prime opportunity for robbery. Smart locks let you lock up even after you’ve left for the day. If you’re adding a smart door lock, it can really affect your home’s aesthetic, so it’s important to choose wisely. We’ll help you decide which option is the best match for you and your door.

Lever Smart Lock

The lever style of smart door lock is a stylish option if you don’t mind replacing the doorknob on your door. This style works well with elaborately designed doors because it is less obtrusive than a deadbolt. The dark brown color goes well with dark stained woods. It’s also very secure.

Some people confuse this style of lock with the interior doorknob style locks. Those locks are easy to pick because they are not meant to keep out intruders. The lever lock, which is intended for exterior doors is much more secure.

Deadbolt Lock

This smart door lock is perfect for older homes with beautifully designed, original doorknobs. You can preserve your doorknobs by adding this to your door. Many homeowners want to preserve the original doorknobs on their house because they are a subtle and stylish indicator of the era of the home.

If your home still has original, vintage doorknobs, the deadbolt lock can be installed just above the knob on your front or back door. You’ll enjoy the modern convenience of a smart lock while preserving the historical authenticity in your home.

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The Best Home Security Camera Has These 3 Features

No home security system is complete with security cameras. Surveillance cameras are able to reduce crime significantly in homes. Everyone has different needs when it comes to home security, but while searching for the best home security camera, everyone should pay attention to these three features.

1. Wide Range of Vision

The best home security camera will never leave you vulnerable to blind spots. Skilled burglars know how to sneak past cameras by hiding in corners. When you’re deciding between different camera options, you’ll want to choose a camera with a 140-degree range of motion or higher.

If you prefer a camera with a smaller range of vision because you like its size or the price tag, try implementing cameras in strategic places so every blind spot is covered. A security system that is easy to bypass is nearly as dangerous as having no security system at all.

2. Two-Way Audio

Many cameras provide excellent images and a wide range of vision, but they lack audio. To get the most out of your investment in a security camera, look for the two-way audio feature. This not only allows you to more easily identify intruders with voice recordings, but you can also deter package thieves or communicate with kids while at home.

The two-way talk feature is especially important if an intruder enters the house while kids are present. A face-to-face confrontation between an intruder and a child is one of the scariest imaginable circumstances for most parents.

If an intruder enters the house while your children are home, but you are not, you can fool a burglar into thinking an adult is present by speaking through your security camera. Burglars will typically run at the first sign of being caught. These cameras are the easiest way to keep your family safe.

3. Image Quality

One of the most important qualities in your security system is having a camera with excellent image quality. While searching for the best home security camera, you should really only look at cameras with recording ability of 1080 pixels HD resolution or better.

A few of the most popular cameras record at 780 pixels. While these cameras are still helpful because they can scare thieves away, the image is often too blurry to identify an intruder that does enter your house. Be sure to look into the image quality during the night as well. Many break-ins occur after the sun goes down. You want your camera to catch intruders at any time.

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Can Smart Lights Cure Your Insomnia?

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If you’re feeling exhausted from multiple bad nights of sleep in a row, you’re not alone. Around 60 million people in American suffer from insomnia. Artificial lighting is one of the most common causes of sleep trouble because it messes with the sleep patterns that humans are naturally accustomed to. You can decrease the amount of artificial light you are exposed to by installing smart lights. You’ll start quickly start getting better sleep.

Dim Your Smart Lights

Smart lighting systems allow you to dim the lights in your home using just an app. To help with your insomnia, you should take advantage of this feature, especially in the evening. Hundreds of years ago, humans knew it was time to go to sleep when the sun went down. In our modern society, we see just as much light at night as we do in the day. This confuses our bodies and keeps us from falling asleep when we want to.

The less artificial light we expose our bodies to, the better for our sleep schedule. By dimming your lights, you are minimizing the harm done by that electric light exposure. Dimming your lights throughout the day is good for your body, but it’s most important in the few hours before you go to sleep.

Set a Schedule

Our bodies function on a schedule, and now the lighting in your house can too. Most adults need 7-9 hours of sleep, but even when you get that, it’s hard to feel rested when you wake up in the pitch black. With a smart light system, you can schedule your lights to slowly turn on in the morning. This simulates the experience of waking up to then natural sunlight.

You can also set a timer in the evening when you’re ready to dim the lights. This way, if you forget to decrease the artificial light at night, your lights can do it for you. Although the invention of modern lighting messed with our sleep schedules, the invention of smart lighting just might save them.

 

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