Malcolm Owen
Netgear has issued an update to its Arlo Baby Smart HD Monitoring Camera that adds support for HomeKit, a change that now allows homeowners to watch a live video stream from the camera through the Home app on their iPhone or iPad, as well as by asking Siri to view the feed.
Initially announced during CES in January, the update to the Arlo app in the App Store includes a listing advising of HomeKit support for Arlo Baby, the company's infant-monitoring camera. A new option will appear in the app, guiding camera owners on how to set the camera to work with HomeKit.
Once set up, users will be able to view the live camera feed via the Home app on an iOS device, as well as via a connected Apple Watch, with the most recently taken image recorded by the Arlo Baby when it was last activated provided in the app. When set up within a specific room in HomeKit, a query to view that room, such as "Hey Siri, show me the nursery," will bring up the captured screenshot alongside other devices grouped to the same location.
The live view itself is streamed at a resolution of 1080p, and can also be viewed on a larger screen using a fourth-generation Apple TV. The two-way audio facility also allows parents to say things to their children through the camera's speaker, and can instantly see and hear any response from their offspring through the feed.
The Arlo Baby includes night-vision capabilities, air sensors to monitor the temperature and humidity of the room, motion alerts, a multi-colored night-light, a built-in battery for temporary repositioning of the camera, and a music player with built-in lullabies to help get infants to sleep. A cloud storage service is also included to provide a free seven-day archive of motion- and audio-triggered recordings, so parents can monitor the activities of their child throughout the night.
While the added HomeKit support will provide access to some of the essential features of the camera, more advanced elements, such as the cloud storage archive, will still only be accessible using the main Arlo app.
Available in a choice of three animal costumes, Netgear's Arlo Baby Smart HD Monitoring Camera is priced at $199.99 on Amazon. Other animal costumes are available for the camera, starting from $19.99 each.
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5 Comments
Wonder what is Netgear's plan to bring HomeKit support to other Arlo camera lineups.
Nest...oh Nest! Are you reading this? I love your products and don’t mind your app but HomeKit support would be appreciated!
Besides the looks I’m assuming there’s not much difference between this and their other cameras so I could buy this one with HomeKit support and use it like any other homekit camera.