Last year, Dropcam released a decent little $149 webcam called the Dropcam HD. I got to test it out when the camera first came out, but the company has since released a number of upgrades and it’s now an integral part of my household.
Now, Dropcam has a little something else for iOS users. The company just announced new scheduling and location-based camera control. The new options work specifically with the latest version of the Dropcam iOS app.
Oh — I can’t tell you how wonderful this is. One of the things that bothered me about the Dropcam was that every time I moved in the living room, I would get a text message saying that there was motion detected. At home, I would unplug the camera to solve the problem. Unfortunately, about 60 percent of the time, I would forget to plug it back in when I went out.
Now the Dropcam can be turned off or on based on pre-determined settings such as location, time, or day. It can also be set to automatically turn off when you get home and turn on when you leave.
“We designed Dropcam so you can start streaming and recording just two minutes after you take it out of the box,” said Greg Duffy, Dropcam’s CEO and co-founder. “Now, by enabling scheduling and making Dropcam apps location-aware, we give customers more control over streaming. This was one of our most popular requests from customers, so we’re happy to deliver these new features as part our ongoing strategy to make Dropcam smarter through software.”
The Dropcam HD is a WiFi-based video camera that promises 720p streaming, night vision, digital zoom and two-way audio. The camera sells for $149 and offers free Basic service with real-time viewing, motion and sound detection, and email alerts. However, the company also offers stored footage for anywhere from 7 to 30 days, starting at $9.99 per month (or $99 per year).
Dropcam version 2.1 for iOS is now available. It’s designed to work with all Dropcam models, including the Dropcam HD, Dropcam Echo, and Dropcam Original. Currently, the scheduling and location-based features are not available for Android users.