What’s the Deal
with Cell Phone Security Systems?
For a few hundred
dollars, you can get a security system for your
home that links to your cellular phone system.
Before you get all starry eyed and excited, take
a minute to consider what this means. First and
foremost, it means a lot of different
technologies are involved and that they won’t
all be from the same manufacturer. In some
cases, this mix of technology can be as
effective as working on a Model T with a set of
metric wrenches. In others, it can be quite
impressive. These systems sometimes wow and
sometimes do little beyond cost you money and
provide you with some new gadgets.
Cell phone
security systems are part of a broader trend of
technologies being linked to one another via the
Internet or cell networks. An article in the
Washington Times by Mark Kellner basically reads
like the advertising these companies put out;
going on about how each component is linked to
the next and how he was able to handle a call
from his wife reporting a problem while he was
clear across the country. These are nice ideas,
but consider what these systems offer.
Many of them offer
an integration of technology that allows you to
watch what’s going on in your house via security
cameras. The idea is that you can see what’s
going on in your home at all times and that, of
course, you may end up foiling a thief by seeing
them at work in your house while you’re down at
the coffee shop on your cell phone. This may
well be true and you may catch someone in the
act. Of course, that doesn’t decrease the police
response time and, in the end, it may only mean
that you see someone in the act of stealing your
television rather than just coming home to find
your television stolen.
These systems do
have very real value, however, and you need to
look beyond the wow factor to see it. One of the
most important features they offer is the
ability to control your alarm system from a
remote location. This means that you don’t have
to go racing home to turn off a false alarm and
that you can let people in without giving them
the codes. This is a great feature for letting
in service people who may visit during your
working hours. Combined with the camera, you can
verify their identity and disarm the system for
them from anywhere you happen to be.
The fact that you
can be alerted whenever your alarm is tripped is
also a nice feature. It lets you stay in touch
and eliminates the necessity for people to try
to track you down to tell you what’s going on.
This can be a great peace of mind feature and
that is not at all insignificant, even though it
won’t deter thieves in and of itself. An article
on Geeks R Sexy does a good job of explaining
this in the context of a high-tech gadget and,
to some extent, the cheaper systems are just
that more than they are security systems.
A
professional-grade alarm system can be
integrated with your cell phone to great effect.
Just be sure it’s actually up to par for
security. There are some devices that are really
not security systems at all but they’re sold
under that pretense. You’ll also need to keep in
mind that there are strict laws about admitting
any video evidence into a trial, and you’ll need
to address these issues before you count on the
footage.
http://www.geeksaresexy.net/2008/05/15/cell-phone-security-using-your-phone-to-monitor-your-home/
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2009/aug/12/cell-phone-controls-alarm-system/
