Peeple gives your peephole security camera smarts
The Peeple system transforms your existing peephole into a camera-equipped, motion-sensor-enabled smart home device.
With various smart doorbells and locks already on the market, it was only a matter of time before someone came up with the idea of a smart peephole. To be fair, the Peeple -- a product that's currently in the midst of a Kickstarter campaign that's only shipping to the US, Canada and Mexico -- isn't exactly a smart peephole, but it does repurpose your existing one in a pretty clever way.
The Peeple is a disc-shaped device that's designed to attach to the inside of your door, either to a peephole or to glass. It's battery-powered and is equipped with a camera as well as motion and movement sensors. (The team says that it's easy to detach if you want to peer through your peephole the old-fashioned way.)
Since the Peeple is Wi-Fi-enabled and works in tandem with Android and iOS apps, it's supposed to send you an alert whenever someone knocks on or opens your door. And, it should work whether you're on your home network or on a distant cellular or Wi-Fi network.
Like the Ring and SkyBell doorbells, the Peeple lets you see who's at your door by checking your phone. It's also supposed to keep an activity log so you can review various events to see what happened when.
Early backers were able snag a Peeple for just $99, but that tier has since sold out. Now, you'll have to hand over at least $149 to get one.
That converts to about £100 or AU$195, but the product isn't currently available outside of the US, Canada and Mexico, and some tiers don't ship to Mexico, so make sure to visit the Kickstarter page for more details. Shipping is slated for May 2016.