X
Business

Ring's Always Home Cam takes flight, new Alarm Pro, more services announced during Amazon event

Ring just announced several new products and services during the Amazon event.
Written by Jason Cipriani, Contributing Writer
amazon-sign-cnet.jpg

Ring's Always Home Cam taking off. 

Ring

As expected, during Tuesday's privately streamed Amazon event, Ring shared the stage with its parent company. The home security company is expected to use the time to announce new products and services. The announcement started off by highlighting Rings' efforts to increase account security by adding support for two-factor authentication apps, and end-to-end encryption for all Ring captured or streamed video. 

screen-shot-2021-09-28-at-9-38-56-am.png

Ring's Always Home Cam flying through a home. Creepy or not? 

Image: Ring

Ring Always Home Cam

Remember last year when Amazon and Ring announced a small drone designed to fly around and monitor your home? Well, it's ready to take flight. The Always Home Cam will be available by invitation only — request one here

The camera will only take to the sky when it's triggered by a Ring Alarm sensor, or by you through the Ring app on your phone. Once it leaves its charging cradle, it'll fly a predetermined path, capturing video along the way, and then return to its dock. 

The camera only records while the Always Home Cam is in the air, and when it's charging the camera is covered. 

Again, you'll need to request an invite to get your hands on the Always Home Cam.

20210621-us-lifestyle-insitu-alarmpro-secuirtysystem-livingroom-rgb-16x9.jpg

Ring's new Alarm Pro and all of its devices. 

Image: Ring

Ring Alarm Pro

Ring's home security system is getting a big upgrade. Ring Alarm Pro provides professional monitoring and a backup internet connection for your home thanks to Eero's TrueMesh Wi-Fi 6 capabilities. There will also be a future update that activates Ring Edge, which allows you to store your camera footage on a local microSD card in the Alarm Pro. 

There's a new Ring Pro subscription that costs $20 per month or $200 per year. It includes all of the standard Ring subscription features, along with professional monitoring of your home's security system, plus 3GB of cellular data per month. You also get all of the premium features offered by Eero, such as online threat protection. That data can be used when the internet goes out at home to continue recording the cameras, or provide brief relief to entertain your kids or let you finish work. You'll pay $3 per GB over the 3GB limit, which can add up fast. 

Ring Alarm Pro is available for pre-order today, and starts at $249. Ring Protect Pro is available right now for $20 a month.

20210621-lockup-jobsitesecurity-5pc-orange-rgb-1500x1500.jpg

Ring's Jobsite Security system. 

Image: Ring

Ring Jobsite Security

Ring also announced a Home Depot partnership that brings the new Ring Alarm Pro to a job site, and uses cellular data to transmit alerts and video from a construction site. You can sign up for the Ring Job Site Security package for $399 at HomeDepot.com.

Ring Virtual Security Guard

Ring has a novel new service — Ring Virtual Security Guard. Essentially, Ring will monitor the cameras of your choosing, and when motion is detected, a third party will be able to view your camera's feed and, if needed, talk to whoever is in the camera's view to ward off any would-be bad guys. 

Privacy is part of this equation, and for Ring's part, the company says only a livestream of your camera will be available to view. Clips can't be downloaded, saved or shared by the third-party monitoring service.. And if you have areas of your camera's view marked as private (a feature that currently exists), that area won't be visible to the agent when they view your camera(s). 

If Ring's Virtual Security Guard service sounds like a good fit for you, you'll need to have a Ring Alarm system with a professional monitoring plan, and an outdoor hardwired Ring Video Doorbell or Security Cam. If you meet those qualifications, you'll need to request an invite to the service, which should begin rolling out later this year.

package-alerts.jpg

Ring is finally getting package detection. 

Image: Ring

Ring Package and Custom Event Alerts

Ring is making its cameras smarter by adding two new alert options. The first one, which is long overdue, is package detection. You can designate an area within your doorbell's view to monitor for packages, and when one is detected, the push alert you get for the Ring app will tell you that a package was dropped off. Package alerts will start rolling out today to users of the Ring Video Doorbell Pro 2 and Ring Video Doorbell (2020) who have a Ring Protect Plan. 

The second feature is coming to Ring Spotlight Cam Battery users, and sounds very interesting. You'll be able to teach the camera what it's looking at. Ring uses the example of during setup of the camera, you'll be asked to take two still pictures of an area in the camera's view that oversees a garage door. One picture when it's open, another when it's closed. The camera will remember that, and send you alerts when the door has been opened or closed.

Editorial standards