A cool article on Houzz, outlined some very cool technology tips on how to keep your home safe while you’re on vacation. We’ll highlight the tips in this blog, but be sure to check out the full article here.
Keep your social media posts private:If you don’t have your security settings setup on sites like Facebook, Twitter and Foursquare, you’re basically broadcasting to the world that you are gone, and even where you are. Check the privacy settings on your sites, or just avoid posting all together while you’re gone.
Turn smart phones into security cameras:
You can convert old smart phones or tablets into security cameras if you don’t have one installed. See instructions:
- Download an app that will upload pictures when motion is detected. My favorite iOS app for this purpose is MDC Free (MDC stands for “motion detection camera”). It’s easy to set up the app to upload any motion-detection photos to Facebook — but shared only with yourself. There are many apps in Google’s Play Store for Android and Apple’s App Store for iOS that you can choose from. Some send pictures via email. Others post them elsewhere. It’s a good idea to download a few highly rated ones and try them out.
- Once you’ve got an app you like, change your phone’s Auto-Lock feature (which turns off your phone after a certain number of minutes) to Never, so your phone doesn’t go to sleep.
- Set up each iPhone, iPad or Android device you want to use so that it’s plugged in and the camera is pointed at the room, door or area you want captured if someone comes in. Make sure you test it a few times.
Control your door via your phone:
There’s apps out there that allow you to control locks through your smartphone, such as Lockitron.
