Camera maker Canary speaks up with new two-way talk feature
The security startup has added a few new features to its DIY cameras.
Home security startup Canary introduced a suite of new features on Monday for its original indoor All-in-One camera -- and for the indoor/outdoor Canary Flex camera.
Here's an overview:
- Canary Talk: Canary cams now feature something called Canary Talk. While similar in concept to two-way talk, Canary's version is supposed to allow multiple individuals from many remote locations to communicate at the same time. Note: This feature will be available on the Flex camera in September.
- Web app: Canary is extending remote user access from the phone and Apple TV to the computer via a new web app.
- Watch Live: Canary also claims to have improved its live video viewing on the mobile app with "an optimized Watch Live experience." This supposedly includes reducing video latency.
Canary does offer 24 hours of free, 10-second clips, as well as an optional subscription service available starting at $10 per month or $99 per year (about £75 or AU$125). Canary Talk and access to the web app are limited to subscribers.
While these upgrades should help make Canary's camera lineup more competitive, these features aren't new for the category. Standard two-way talk is typically a free feature available on a wide variety of DIY cameras. Web apps are less common, but are also typically free.
We'll just have to try out Canary Talk and the web app for ourselves to see if they're really worth paying for the subscription service.
