AlertMe
16 MAR 2008
Launch price
£400.00
Stuff says
Like having a guard dog that can text and e-mail, this all-in-one home security system is a doddle to install and easy to retro-fit
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Stuff.tv hot buy
Instead of a uniformed security guard dozing in front of a bank of TV monitors, AlertMe provides a more practical and altogether more elegant solution to home surveillance. There are no cameras included, but its array of orange components can detect intruders or fires at home and send you a text or email wherever you are.
The kit, which arrives in one beautifully packaged box, includes three window/door alarms, two door alarms and two sensors that can tell when your existing smoke alarm goes off. If any of these devices are triggered, an alert will be sent to the AlertMe hub, the brains of the outfit, which will relay a message to you via the internet.
Textual healing
The hub itself is a friendly-looking white cube that connects to the mains and to your home network via an Ethernet cable. It uses Wi-Fi to communicate with the sensors in your house. There’s also a slot for a mobile SIM card, so it can text you if something untoward is happening.
The package also includes a Mathmos lamp – the ones that look like glowing pebbles – which acts as a signal booster for the wireless ‘zigbee’ network. This ensures that all of your sensors are within communication distance and it also glows reassuringly to indicate your current status.