Ping family and friends straight from Vivint's new security camera
Vivint's latest security camera has a built-in button so you can reach out to family and friends directly -- no phone needed.
Vivint just introduced a next-gen camera called Ping to its home security lineup at CES 2016 -- and it has a unique feature.
While many cameras available today offer two-way talk -- that's intercom-style communication between a microphone-and-speaker-equipped camera and a smartphone -- Vivint's new cam boasts a built-in button on top that anyone can press to "Ping" other users associated with the account.
Traditionally, two-way communication can only be initiated from a mobile app on a smartphone or tablet, but Ping is changing all that with this new call-out feature.
In addition to Ping's outgoing call button, the camera also offers:
- 1080p high-definition resolution with live streaming
- 140-degree field of view
- Video analytics designed to distinguish between important and unimportant motion events
- Up to 45 days of free 20-second video clip storage
- Custom motion-related alerts
- Integration with Vivint's larger home security platform, including professional monitoring
Vivint is also introducing a new thermostat to its lineup, the Vivint Element, designed to work in concert with many of Vivint's other security accessories. Pricing for the Ping camera and Element thermostat have not been announced just yet, but both are slated for this spring.
Also new today, and a first for a professional security company -- Vivint says it's working on integration with Amazon's Echo to enable voice control for its entire platform.
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