The IT Nerd

What do Batman and a Ring Video Doorbell have in common? They both work overtime to keep you safe. Ring announced today the availability of Batman-themed Quick Replies, preset replies for Ring’s interactive answering machine experience, in partnership with Warner Bros. Pictures’ The Batman movie.

Batman fans will be able to choose from the following preset responses in preparation for the highly anticipated film.

The Batman Quick Replies include: 

• “Hello Neighbour, looks like we missed your bat signal. Please leave a message”

• “Alfred has the day off today. And we are in the bat cave. Please leave a message with the doorbell”

• “Bat signal activated. We’ll be right there!”

How to get The Batman Movie Quick Replies:

To get the Batman Movie Quick Replies, open the Ring app and select the Ring devices you want to set up Quick Replies for. Tap the Smart Responses tile to access The Batman Movie replies. Find specific instructions on how to change your Quick Reply here.

The Quick Replies are available now on most Ring Video Doorbell devices for a limited time, through March 21.

Ring just rolled out a set of football-specific Quick Replies – preset replies for Ring’s interactive answering machine experience – on all Ring Video Doorbell devices. Ahead of championship weekend and the big game, football fanatics can now choose from the following preset responses, so they don’t have to miss a second of the game. Here are some examples with sample audio:

[Announcer] If you’d like to leave a message, you can do it now!

[Referee] The ruling on the field is…that we can’t miss this play. Leave us a message.  (Crowd Cheering Background)  <Hear the sample audio>

[Announcer] They’re at the 30! At the 20! At the 10! Almost to the door! They’ll be right there! (Crowd Cheering Background)  

Also, Alexa also has a number of new game-day utterances that can be accessed on any Alexa Device. Examples include:

• Alexa, when is the Superbowl?
• Alexa, where is the Superbowl?
• Alexa, who is playing in the Superbowl?
• Score utterances will be answered during the game

Check them out before the big game.

Today, Ring announced the Ring Alarm Glass Break Sensor, the first sensor of its kind from Ring. Ring Alarm Glass Break Sensor enables households and businesses with Ring Alarm to monitor glass windows or doors for break in attempts. The Ring Alarm Glass Break Sensor leverages AI technology to accurately detect valid glass break events like windows being smashed or cracked and dismiss false alarms like jingling keys or clattering dishes. At $49.99 CAD it is available for Pre-Order today, January 5 and will be available for purchase on February 16.

Home security is not a one-size-fits-all solution. For Ring, real smart security is based on a customer’s needs and preferences, and customers have the control to create unique home security systems using a mix of devices and features that specifically address their needs. With Ring Alarm Glass Break Sensor, Ring is able to give customers even more choice when building the alarm system that works best for them.

You can find out more via this blog post from Ring.

The holidays aren’t slowing down Ring’s momentum as the company is introducing new festive customizations for devices like the new Quick Replies and Chime Tones. In addition to all of these new devices and features, Ring is also offering deals on many devices for the gift giving season.

NEW from Ring

• Package Alerts: Package Alerts send customers a notification when packages are delivered within their designated package zone. Package Alerts are available just in time to keep an eye on holiday deliveries, and ahead of Package Protection Day coming up on December 1. The holiday was created by Ring in 2016 to educatepeople about how to keep their packages safe following Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Currently, Package Alerts are rolling out to Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 and Ring Video Doorbell (2020).

• Holiday Customizations
  • New Holiday Quick Replies: With Quick Replies, a Ring Video Doorbell becomes an interactive answering machine with six preset responses for users to choose from. This season, users can greet guests at the door with responses such as:
    • “We’re busy wrapping presents right now. If you’d like to leave a message, you can do it now.”
    • “Happy Holidays! If you’d like to leave a message, you can do it now.”
    • “Be right there! We’re getting into the holiday spirit!”
    • “Please leave the package outside. Thanks for getting our presents here safely!”
  • Holiday Chime Tones: Ring Video Doorbell users can activate a variety of sounds as their Chime Tone and have them play each time a guest is at the door. Put your home in the holiday spirit with Chime Tones such as Deck the Halls, Elves, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, Hark the Herald Angels Sing, Ho Ho Ho!, Jingle Bells, Silent Night, Sleigh Bells, I Have a Little Dreidel, Ma’oz Tzur and Oh Hanukkah.

The Perfect Gift for Everyone on your List

• For the New Homeowner: The Floodlight Cam Wired Pro includes ultra-bright LED floodlights and Ring’s most advanced outdoor security camera yet equipped with 3D Motion Detection and Bird’s Eye View, giving homeowners more insight into what’s happening around their property.
• For the traveler: Keep a close watch over your presents and packages as they arrive with the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 It includes Head-to-Toe View, 3D Motion Detection, and Quick Replies, the interactive answering machine feature that lets you answer the door with six preset responses right from the Ring App.
• The budget gift: Ring Video Doorbell Wired is just $79, making it the perfect gift for college students, new homeowners, or even your neighbors. It’s Ring’s most affordable and compact doorbell yet, and a perfect start to smart home security.

Holiday Shopping Deals from Ring

• Black Friday + Cyber Monday: As the holiday season sneaks up on us, so do the biggest shopping days of the year. Here are the top deals to look out for from Ring this coming Black Friday and Cyber Monday:
  • Available from November 21 – November 29:
    • Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro is $259.99 – $65 off!
    • 5 Piece Ring Alarm Security Kit – $164.99 – $105 off!
    • 8 Piece Ring Alarm Security Kit – $204.99 – $135 off!
  • Available from November 25 – November 29:
    • Ring Video Doorbell Wired is $55.99 – $24 off!
    • Ring Video Doorbell (2020 release) is $104.99- $25 off!
    • Stick Up Cam Battery is $97.49 – $32.50 off!
    • Stick Up Cam Plug-In is $97.49 – $32.50 off!
    • Spotlight Cam Battery is $179.99 – $70 off!
    • Spotlight Cam Wired is $179.99 – $70 off!
  • Available November 27 – 29:
    • Ring Indoor Cam is $59.99 – $20 off!

To learn more about Ring, visit www.ring.com. To learn more about Ring and privacy, visit Ring’s Privacy Page. This page is dedicated to helping neighbours of Ring customers learn more about their approach to privacy, security, and user control.

Today, Ring announced its next generation of home security devices, features and services, including Package Alerts and Custom Event Alerts, refined computer vision-based custom smart alerts that can detect things like when a package arrives to whether or not the garage door is open.

With Package Alerts on Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 and Ring Video Doorbell (2020), users will receive notifications when packages are delivered within a preferred package drop zone. And with Custom Event Alerts, users can train the Ring Spotlight Cam Battery to identify when an object is in a specific state, such as when a garage door is left open or closed, or when a car is spotted in the driveway.

You can read more in a blog post here, and watch the video below:

Ring today announced Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro, its most advanced outdoor security camera equipped with 3D Motion Detection with radar and Bird’s Eye View. The all-new Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro is a re-imagined floodlight that builds upon the features of the popular Ring Floodlight Cam to monitor outdoor spaces with motion-activated LED lights and HD video, providing homeowners more insight into what’s happening around their property.

Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro

Now the most advanced outdoor camera in Ring’s lineup, the newly re-designed Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro is equipped with Ring’s new innovative features, 3D Motion Detection and Bird’s Eye View, a 110db siren and color night vision. Additionally, new Audio+ helps users hear what’s happening more distinctly, with crisp, clear sound thanks to an array microphone for enhanced audio and echo cancellation. Users can easily hardwire Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro to the outside of their home and connect to wifi for around-the-clock power. Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro enables customers to check in on their property anytime from anywhere from their mobile or Alexa-enabled device, and see and speak with visitors in real-time. 

Designed with privacy and security in mind, Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro includes advanced features such as Customizable Motion Zones that trigger recordings, and Privacy Zones that exclude areas in the camera field of view from video recording. 

Expanding 3D Motion Detection Around the Home

Committed to providing customers with new features that make their cameras work better for them, Ring is expanding its 3D Motion Detection technology to Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro to give customers more control of the motion alerts they receive. 

With 3D Motion Detection technology, Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro allows homeowners to customize which areas of their property to monitor by selecting distance thresholds. The radar sensor determines when an object crosses the distance threshold by measuring its specific distance from the camera, and the camera then only activates once that threshold is crossed, sending homeowners a motion alert. 

Powered by 3D Motion Detection, Bird’s Eye View provides an aerial map view of the motion events in front of the floodlight camera and clearly shows the path visitors take when visiting the property. Also available on the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2, this new feature creates a visual representation of the path traveled once a visitor crosses the selected threshold but before a motion alert is sent, so the homeowner has greater understanding of what’s happening when viewing individual videos from each device in the Ring app. 

Pricing and Availability

Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro is $324.99 and is available for pre-order at Ring.com and Amazon.ca. Ring Floodlight Cam Wired Pro will begin shipping to customers on May 6, 2021.

Ring today announced Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2, a new advanced video doorbell complete with innovative 3D Motion Detection with radar, enhanced audio capabilities with an array microphone, and customizable privacy features. Combined with a new Head to Toe video, 3D Motion Detection and Bird’s Eye View gives homeowners more context about what is happening at their front door. 

The Next Generation of Motion Detection with Radar Technology

Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 uses radar to better detect objects and homeowners can customize which areas of their property they want to monitor by selecting distance thresholds. The radar sensor determines when an object crosses the distance threshold by measuring its specific distance from the camera. The camera only starts recording once that threshold is crossed, and sends homeowners a motion alert. Unique to Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2, 3D Motion Detection gives you more control to record video only when and where someone steps onto your property.

3D Motion Detection also powers a new Bird’s Eye View feature, which provides an aerial view of the homeowner’s property and a map of where a motion event starts to give you historical context to the nature of the event. Together, 3D Motion Detection and Bird’s Eye View are the newest way for homeowners to get more control and context about what’s happening in front of their door. 

Premium Features and Convenience

Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 is Ring’s most advanced wired doorbell that lets homeowners check in on their front door no matter where they are. In addition to 3D Motion Detection and Bird’s Eye View, advanced features include Head to Toe video, 1536p HD video, and an array microphone that limits sound distortion for clearer audio and video of what’s happening at the door. 

Designed with Privacy and Security in Mind

Like all Ring products, Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 is built from the ground up with privacy and security in mind. The Ring app makes it easy to tailor specific privacy and security settings. Homeowners can set 3D Motion Detection thresholds and Customizable Motion Zones that trigger recordings and Privacy Zones can exclude areas in the camera field of view from video recording for added privacy.

Pricing and Availability

Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 is $324.99 and is available for pre-order at Ring.com and Amazon.ca. Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 will begin shipping to customers on March 31, 2021.

The risk with having an IP enabled security camera inside your home is that some hacker might get access to it and see into your home at will. That’s not far fetched as that has happened. But bad as that is, the fact that the people who make said camera can do exactly the same thing is worse. Case in point is Amazon owned Ring. The Intercept is reporting that  Ring employees had unfettered, unnecessary access to customer camera feeds with the only thing being required is a email address.

This apparently stared in 2016 when Ring allowed its Ukraine-based research team to access every video created by Ring cameras around the world. What’s worse is that the videos were not encrypted, could browsed easily and viewed just as easily, and as mentioned above, tied to specific customers via an email address. And what is really, really bad is that this is apparently still going on to this day.

Now Ring had this to say when asked about this:

We take the privacy and security of our customers’ personal information extremely seriously. In order to improve our service, we view and annotate certain Ring videos. These videos are sourced exclusively from publicly shared Ring videos from the Neighbors app (in accordance with our terms of service), and from a small fraction of Ring users who have provided their explicit written consent to allow us to access and utilize their videos for such purposes

So in short, Ring users who opt into the Neighbors system, which allows for sharing of videos to “create safer videos” are unknowingly opting in to potentially having those videos viewed by Ring employees. That’s a #EpicFail. I guess the take home messages are as follows:

• If you value your privacy, don’t use Ring’s Neighbors system.
• If you really value your privacy, don’t buy a Ring camera as clearly they do not take privacy seriously regardless of what they say.
• How many other companies who make IP enabled cameras do this?

Lets face it, we love our smartphones and we’re constantly checking them keeping them in our hands or pockets. As screen sizes become larger and phones get thinner, its challenging to comfortably and securely hold them. Phone cases keep your phones protected against drops but they don’t help you make a more efficient use of your time when operating them.

THE RiNG, is a slim, round aluminum attachment that adheres to the back of any smartphone, device, or case. It is lightweight and unassumingly simple in appearance, yet incredibly sturdy, stylish, and powerful in function. THE RiNG brings you confidence, comfort, and style to your mobile device experience. Early adopters will be able to get one for $20 on Kickstarter.