Alexa Guard Plus expands home audio surveillance for $4.99 per month

AppleInsider

Alexa Guard Plus is a security and safety system built around enhancing the listening powers of Alexa products to flag more abnormal noises for $4.99 per month.

Amazon Guard Plus

Amazon is utilizing the Echo smart speakers and smart displays you already own to detect security and safety threats. The service adds onto the existing Amazon Guard system that listened for alarms or sounds.

With the Alexa Guard Plus subscription users will be able to call trained emergency response agents that will request an ambulance, or contact the police, or fire department when needed. Just ask Alexa to "call for help."

Alexa Guard already monitored your home for shattering glass, fire alarms, or CO alarms. Now it will listen for unusual activity like footsteps or doors shutting when you are not home and alert you.

While you are away, Alexa Guard Plus will play sounds of dogs barking if motion is detected outside. If activity is detected inside, it will play a siren to deter thieves. Lights automatically turn off/on for the free Alexa Guard plan, and continue to do so for Alexa Guard Plus.

Alexa Guard Plus is included with Ring Protect Plus at no additional cost. Starting in 2021, Alexa Guard Plus will also be available through partners including Abode, Scout Alarm, Resideo, and Wylie.

Alexa Guard Plus Compatibility

• Echo
• Echo Dot
• Echo Plus
• Echo Flex
• Echo Show 5
• Echo Show 8
• Echo Show 10

cpsro

While you're home, Alexa will note which shows you watch and which commercials you listened to rather than muting or talking over.

SpamSandwich

Houses and businesses all over New York City, Portland, Seattle, Louisville and any other city beset with street hoodlums and acts of domestic terror need these installed inside and outside their properties. Increase the surveillance which has proven invaluable to convicting criminals.

dewme

I use the free Alexa Guard feature with my Echo devices because it fills a gap in Ring Alarm's sensor catalog, which is missing a glass breakage sensor. I can't figure out why Amazon isn't consolidating their Alexa Guard offerings under the Ring brand to round out their Ring portfolio more completely. When it comes to a roll-your-own home security package Ring is as close to being a complete, turnkey solution that you can get. The amazingly affordable professional monitoring that includes cloud based camera history storage for all of your Ring cameras blows away everything else on the market. It's only gotten better over time and they'll soon be offering end-end camera video/audio encryption - with a caveat. The caveat being that the end-end encryption will not work with Echo Show devices. Perhaps newer Show devices will be updated to allow encrypted video.

I think there are some folks who are mad at Ring for not following through (yet?) on their promise to support HomeKit. Perhaps that will change, but I wouldn't hold my breath. It's unfortunate because Ring+Amazon has the closest thing to a turnkey solution comprised of all in-house components and services. My biggest knock on HomeKit is the fact that it's founder/creator (Apple) doesn't offer turnkey anything. It's a bag of parts and services that you have to put together yourself, not a solution you can buy from one vendor. The ideal scenario for me is to have both options available, turnkey for folks who want to do a one-stop shop, and pieces and parts for people who want to pick & choose the best of breed components for each required function. Not having a turnkey offering creates too high of a hurdle for a lot of folks.

viclauyyc

Now Jeff want to know what is going on your house even you are not in the house.

another big NO

viclauyyc

SpamSandwich said:

Houses and businesses all over New York City, Portland, Seattle, Louisville and any other city beset with street hoodlums and acts of domestic terror need these installed inside and outside their properties. Increase the surveillance which has proven invaluable to convicting criminals.

Funny how when George W., Obama or other Ex-POTUS were in power there is no such thing as “domestic terror”. Now it is everywhere, I wonder why. 

GG1

viclauyyc said:

Now Jeff want to know what is going on your house even you are not in the house.

another big NO

Who's watching the watchers?

MplsP

Not so long ago there was an uproar over ‘inappropriate’ listening on smart devices, not we’re supposed to pay amazon to listen in?

chasm

viclauyyc said:

Funny how when George W., Obama or other Ex-POTUS were in power there is no such thing as “domestic terror”. Now it is everywhere, I wonder why. 

Well, no. Has everyone really forgotten the OK City white supremacist bombing of 1995? The Atlanta Olympic bombing ("christian" nut job) in '96? Those were two of the biggest examples of right-wing violence, but there have been many many other mass shootings, bombings, and other acts of domestic terror by people like that stupid Pizzagate moron, the Nazi march killing, Sandy Hook, and too many others to list. Let's not tie domestic terrorism to a particular person -- there are always disgruntled nut jobs (mostly of the right-wing variety) who deliberately try to inflict terror and death on the innocent.

The difference now is that it is condoned and encouraged by certain authoritarian (oops, authority) figures.

chasm

PS. Alexa Guard -- HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA fuck no.

This is even stupider than the Facebook VPN that would protect you from trackers except for Facebook! LOL

evilution

viclauyyc said:

Funny how when George W., Obama or other Ex-POTUS were in power there is no such thing as “domestic terror”. Now it is everywhere, I wonder why. 

Selectively remembering events just to bolster your BS narrative doesn't make it true.