We’ve all had that sinking feeling that something bad is happening to our home while we’re at work, on the road or on vacation.

Call it paranoia, but there’s no denying that disasters can and do strike when you least expect it. It happened to my family and just a few months ago. Arriving home from a weekend ski trip, we were welcomed to standing water in our rec room. A pipe had burst, ruining the floors and walls. We’ve since gutted and remodeled the room, but since then we can’t help but feel apprehensive about leaving our home unattended for any length of time.

Thanks to a affordable app from Smartvue, nervous Nellies like me can check up on their homesteads right on the screen of an iPhone or iPod Touch.

The 99-cent application, available on the Apple App Store, supports an unlimited number of IP surveillance cameras.

Other features include:

• Works on EDGE and 3G
• Works on WiFi
• Support for Unlimited Number of Cameras
• Zoom with iPhone “Pinch” and “Squeeze”
• Point and Click Ease of Use

Smartvue recommends an unlimited data usage plan for using the app over a mobile data connection to avoid being charged by a wireless service provider for 3G, GPRS and EDGE mobile data usage.

Lisa Montgomery - Contributing Writer

Lisa Montgomery has been writing about home technology for 15 years, with a focus on the impact of electronics on a modern lifestyle.