If you’re looking for a Smart Hub for your home — one that’s very cool and slightly creepy to boot — the new Indigogo project from 1-Ring may be the gadget for you. The Moon is a levitating 360-degree smart camera with day- and night-vision-capabilities, wireless charging, cloud storage, and numerous sensors to monitor everything that’s happening in your house.
The Moon is the first Indigogo venture from 1-Ring, and it will be available early next year. The developers have already blown past their funding goal, and still have a month left to go. “The world’s first levitating camera” rises gently and floats quietly just above its base, and it can smoothly rotate in any direction for a full 360-degree scan of its surroundings. It has voice and noise recognition built in, and it charges wirelessly, so it never runs out of juice
The Moon also integrates seamlessly with your very own Internet of Things (IoT) and your smart home devices. Cameras are becoming more and more common in smart homes, and the Moon device is compatible with Amazon Alexa and Google Home, with support for Apple HomeKit is coming soon. It uses ZigBee, Z-Wave, Bluetooth Smart, and an IR blaster to interact with your home devices.
The sphere encasing the wide-angle lens is made of aluminum, plastic, and rubber. It can detect, rotate, and begin automatically recording when it senses sound or motion in the room. It also includes a speaker and three noise-cancelling microphones so it can be used for voice chat.
You can automatically upload photos or video to a cloud storage service such as Google Drive or Dropbox. If you’re paranoid about privacy (and who isn’t these days?) you can also opt for storage on your own FTP servers or microSD card, notes Android Police.
The device is controlled remotely with the free Moon Commander app, letting you keep an “eye” on things when you’re away from the house. The camera can be removed from its base and magnetically attached to any metal surface. The wireless charge allows five hours of HD video streaming.
Sensors in the Moon can monitor room temperature, humidity, light, and carbon dioxide levels. It also includes a “Presence Simulation” tool that occasionally switches lights or other devices on or off as if someone was home.
If all goes according to schedule (this being an Indiegogo project, after all) the Moon will be available in March 2018 for a retail price of $330, although you can pre-order from its funding page for $209.
Outdoor security cameras are not always practical if you live in an apartment or rental. Drilling into an exterior wall may be off-limits, while pointing a regular indoor camera through a window can create another problem once reflections start showing up after dark.
Baseus is trying to solve both issues with the new PrimeSentinel W1, a $69.99 security camera designed specifically to monitor the outdoors through glass. It mounts directly to a window without drilling and uses a 4K Starlight sensor with an F1.0 aperture for full-color monitoring during the day and at night.
This post is brought to you in paid partnership with Best Buy.
Technology evolves every day, transforming how we live and work. Our devices are becoming more than tools we use. They are increasingly capable companions that help streamline day-to-day routines and spark creative ideas. If you have been waiting for the right moment to upgrade your tech setup, the Discover Samsung Shopping Event offers an opportunity to explore what connected, AI-powered living can look like.
With AI progressing so fast, it's only a matter of time before we start getting AI companions like the ones we used to see in movies like R2-D2, Wall-E, or Baymax. Now, Singapore-based OKA Technology has unveiled Mori, a cute little AI companion that looks less like a conventional home robot and more like someone turned the Pokémon Foongus into a table lamp.
Mori isn't meant to clean your house or control your smart home, but to serve as what OKA calls a "Nature Companion." It uses subtle movements, warm lighting, nature-inspired sounds, and small reactions to make its presence around the house feel calming rather than distracting. Mori can sit quietly while you read, sway along to music, welcome you when you enter a room, or encourage you to slow down for a moment without requiring a screen or a conversation.