By John R. Delaney

Canadian-based Skylink Technologies has been in the DIY home automationbusiness for almost 25 years. Its latest digital homesecurity solution, the SkylinkNet Alarm System Starter Kit (SK-200), makes it possible for homeowners to monitor their home from a smartphone without spending a bundle. It's a basic kit that includes a motion sensor and a pair of window/door sensors, and for $149.99, it's a very affordable way to get in on the home automation craze. You can add things like cameras, dimmer switches, and alarm sirens, but they have to be Skylink products as the system doesn't work with third-party devices. The kit is a snap to install and the app is easy to use, but it doesn't offer helpful features like email and phone notifications or event triggering.

Design and App The SK-200kit comes with two window/door sensors, a motion sensor, a keychain remote, and an Internet hub. The tiny hub measures 4.0 by 4.0 by 1.2 inches (HWD) and has a five-button keypad for arming and disarming the system. It also has two LED indicators (Power and Wireless), an Ethernet port, and a power jack. The 2.2-inch keychain remote contains four buttons for arming the system while you're away, arming the system while at home, disarming the system, and sounding the built-in panic siren.

The SK-200 uses a proprietary wireless protocol (dubbed M-Code) which has a 600-foot range. The hub supports up to 100 sensors and uses four AAA batteries as a battery backup in case the power goes out. Add-on devices include a water leak sensor, an outdoor siren, indoor and outdoor wireless cameras, and a variety of dimmers and wall switches.

The system can be controlled using an iOS or Android app, but lacks Web browser support on the PC. The app offers a simple user interface with large icons for each connected device. The Home page displays each device and its status; for example, if a door sensor is activated, the icon for that sensor turns red and is displayed as an open door. Clicking the wheel in the device panel opens a Settings page where you can change alarm settings (Arm Away Only, Arm Home/Away, and Disarm). In Arm Home mode the system remains active but motion sensors are disabled, Arm Away activates all sensors, and Disarm disables everything.

In Settings you can also set up push notifications and enable a chime when a sensor is triggered. Other features include global alarm settings (Siren Duration, Entry and Exit Delay), event logging, and a panic alarm that can be activated from the app. Missing is support for email and phone call alerts like you get with the iSmartAlarm. Additionally, the SkylinkNet system lacks support for IFTTT (If This Then That)event triggering.

Installation and Performance Installing the SK-200 is quick and easy. Simply connect the hub to your router using the included Ethernet cable, download the app, and create an account. When you fire up the app a setup screen will appear to walk you through the initialization and naming process, which takes less than five minutes. To add sensors, go to the System Settings screen, select Setup Wizard, then select Add Device. Choose the type of device from the menu, give it a name, and tap Learn Now. A video clip displays what you have to do to enroll each device. For the window/door sensors, all you have to do is activate the sensor by separating the two pieces. For the motion sensor, simply remove the back cover and press the button. To enroll the keychain, press the Arm button. Enrollment for each device was instantaneous.

The alarm worked flawlessly. The hub responded immediately whenever the window/door sensors and the motion detector were triggered, and the notifications were pushed to my iPad within seconds of each event. Moreover, the built-in 110 dBsiren was very loud and could be easily heard from across the street, even with the door and windows closed. Event logging was accurate and the remote keychain worked without a hitch.

Conclusions For just $150, the SkylinkNet Alarm System Starter Kit (SK-200) lets you monitor your home from your smartphone without incurring monthly subscription fees. The system is a breeze to install, and the user-friendly app makes it easy to arm and disarm the system, view the event log, and see what's going on in your home with a glance. Its sensors are responsive and the panic alarm is ear-splitting, as it should be. Compatibility with Wi-Fi, Z-Wave, and ZigBee wireless devices would be a welcome upgrade, however, as would email and phone notifications. If you have an extra $200 to spend, our Editors' Choice for home security systems, the iSmartAlarm Premium Package, comes with more features, including a pan and tilt camera and presence sensors, and offers both email and phone call notifications. The SmartThings Hubis another good choice if you opt for the Smart Home Starter Kit, though it's more of an all-purpose home automation hub than a dedicated security system.

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SkylinkNet Alarm System Starter Kit (SK-200)

Story highlights Aaron Hernandez on trial for death of Odin Lloyd Testimony focused on security video from Hernandez's home Debate over whether Hernandez holding gun or electronic device

Taking center stage this week -- videotape never before seen in public, taken from Hernandez's own home security system.

Prosecutors are using that grainy footage to suggest Hernandez is holding a .45-caliber handgun -- the same kind police say was used to kill Lloyd. Hernandez is seen on camera pulling into his driveway minutes after Lloyd was shot to death in an industrial park about a mile from Hernandez' Boston home.

"In my opinion, the firearm shown in the video stills is a Glock pistol," Glock sales manager Kyle Aspinwall testifies.

Hernandez, Ernest Wallace, and Carlos Ortiz are seen on the same security video, recorded at about 3:30 a.m. on June 17, 2013, after the men walk into Hernandez's home. All three have been charged with murder in the death of Lloyd and have pleaded not guilty. Wallace and Ortiz are being tried separately.

The video is time-stamped minutes after workers in a nearby industrial park describe hearing loud noises like fireworks -- the moment prosecutors say Lloyd was gunned down after getting out of a car driven by Hernandez.

Jurors lean forward in their chairs, peering into monitors and scribbling notes as Aspinwall, a former Massachusetts state trooper and New Hampshire police chief, takes them frame by frame through video during two days of testimony.

Aspinwall tells jurors Hernandez appears to be holding the pistol by its muzzle as he's standing at his basement door.

The defense will have none of it. They attack Aspinwall's credentials. Aspinwall is well-schooled in Glocks but admits he doesn't consider himself a gun identification expert.

Hernandez's lawyers then show a different part of the video time-stamped a few seconds earlier with Hernandez holding what appears to be a shiny object in one hand, suggesting it may be an iPad.

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Prosecutors: Footage shows handgun

What goes on in your house when youre not around?

A startup called Camio offers a free service that turns any old Android or iOS smartphone or tablet into a web-connected surveillance camera. Just install the app, sign up for an account and youre ready to go.

Camio co-founder Carter Maslan, a former Google Maps project manager, says people use it for everything from home security to finding out what their pets do all day while no one is home. But the company ran into a problem soon after launching last year. Even though it only captures video that includes motion so that youre not storing hours and hours of video where nothing happens it was still more than most people actually needed. For most users, only about 51 seconds per day matter, Maslan says.

Camio saves 30 days worth of video in the cloud, which you can watch from anywhere. You only have to pay if you want to connect more than one camera to your account.

So last week, the company launched a new feature called Camio Daily, an email digest of the stills that the companys algorithms predict youll find most interesting, based on which clips youve watched before. Click a still, and you can watch the the video clip it came from.

Its certainly a different take on the Internet of Things. Instead attaching sensors and Wi-Fi card to everything we want to know about or keep track of, the company repurposes something many of us just having lying around old phones and turns them into a way to learn more about whats happening in a particular place. You can search your video archives using natural language for example, people approaching my walkway or set up alerts when certain things happen, such as when it captures an image of someone inside your house.

The idea stemmed from Maslans time working on Google Maps Street View. During literally every usability study at least one person would ask Why isnt my car there? I parked it there this morning,' he explains. That led to the realization that there was a demand for live monitoring. There were plenty of other video streaming products out theresuch as Dropcam, which was acquired by Googles smart home company Nest last yearbut they tended to capture far too much video to be useful. Plus, since they tended to stream everything they captured, theyd use a lot of banddwidth, which could slow down other video streaming services like YouTube or Netflix.

Camios innovation is that the camera app is selective about what it uploads. Maslan says that its algorithms are smart enough to tell the difference between, say, lighting changes or a blowing tree branch, and someone walking up to your porch. By reducing the total amount of data uploaded and stored, Camio can use much less bandwidth than a traditional webcam, and the company can afford to offer a free version of the service.

For most users, only about 51 seconds per day matter. Carter Maslan

Once the footage is moved to the cloud, Camios computers analyze the videos to try to automatically detect things such as which ones have people and what colors are present, so that users can search the archives.

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Stalk Yourself At Home With This Free App

Cold caller alert over security

First published in News Last updated

ELDERLY residents in Shelf are being plagued by cold callers asking about their home security, say police.

The pensioners are told there has been an increase in crime in the area and then offered a free home visit to check their security.

A police spokesman said: During the telephone conversation people are asked do you currently have a burglar alarm? and are your doors and windows fitted with the correct locks?. We are not saying that these companies are bogus. However, we strongly advise that no information of this nature is given out over the phone.

Residents in the Shelf area who would like a free security check carried out at their home can ring PCSO Sarah Conderson on 07921 282199.

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SCAM ALERT: Cold caller warning over security

Official sources said the Home Ministry is likely to review the the methodology adopted to conduct the security profiling of political leaders.

Government on Monday countered the Congress charges of snooping on Rahul Gandhi saying it was making a "mountain out of what is not even a molehill" as information collection was part of a transparent security profiling used on 526 VIPs, including Sonia Gandhi and former Prime Ministers.

In the Rajya Sabha, the issue was raised by Leader of Opposition Ghulam Nabi Azad who said Rahul had been a SPG protectee since his father Rajiv Gandhi became Prime Minister and it was "beyond comprehension" why the police was only now collecting such information on him like his shoe size, colour of hair, habits, his associates, friends and aides.

Official sources said the Home Ministry is likely to review the the methodology adopted to conduct the security profiling of political leaders.

Unwanted questions may be removed from the proforma and new relevant questions can be added, sources said.

Besides, in case of MPs, the secretariates of Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha could be taken into confidence while doing the procedure with regards to Parliamentarians, sources said.

The Home Ministry is expected to convene a meeting to review the process of conducting the security profiling of political leaders and take appropriate decisions, sources said.

Responding to the charges, Leader of Rajya Sabha and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in both Houses the police has been collecting such information since 1987 on VIPs living in Lutyens Delhi through a proforma as part of a transparent security profiling.

Security needs and profiling should be left to security experts and "we should not attempt to become one", he said, adding "the issue raised is making mountain of what is not even a molehill."

The proforma, which was revised in 1999, has been used to profile former prime ministers H D Dewa Gowda, I K Gujral, Manmohan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee. The same was also used to profile Congress President Sonia Gandhi in October 2004, 2009, 2010, 2011 and 2012, the Finance Minister said.

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Government denies snooping on Rahul Gandhi; hints at change in doing security profiling of leaders

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