[This competition has now ended and is no longer open for entries, please visit here to view our latest competition and remember to keep an eye on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages]
Our latest fantastic competition brings smart home technology to our lucky winner. We’ve teamed up with our friends at Hive to bring one lucky winner a Hive View indoor security camera. Smart technology in the home has a huge number of benefits, so we set one of our reviewers the task of putting the Hive View through its paces. Read on to see how our reviewer got on when she trialled the Hive View and find out how you can be in with a chance of winning one for yourself!
I need to be upfront & honest and confess that ever since I viewed a smart home show apartment, I’ve felt almost evangelical about smart home technology, because of the range of applications and uses. Needless to say, I jumped at the opportunity to try out the Hive View. We recently installed a Hive Active Thermostat for our heating and hot water and it’s brilliant (more on that soon), so I was delighted to get an insight into the Hive View, to make an informed decision before we buy one.
The reason I’m so into smart
technologies in the home is for the huge range of practical implications. Our lives are busy and we’re ‘juggling’ more
things on increasingly busy schedules; smart homes are becoming the help that
we need around our homes. Whether it’s
checking the fridge contents, while we’re at the supermarket or analysing the
water use on your washing machine, smart tech is a way to make life
easier. The uses don’t end there,
though. As a society, we’re living
longer, and smart home technology helps an older generation and people who are
physically or mentally-impaired to have greater independence in their own
homes.
Essentially, the Hive View is a security camera that allows you to keep an eye
on your home whenever you’re away from it.
Whether you’re away for a few short hours or longer, the Hive View will
notify you when it detects motion or sound.
With the free and simple-to-use app (available for iOS & Android)
you can stream live full HD footage, and watch footage from the prior 24
hours.
We were sent the Hive View in black and copper finish although the design, by the award-winning industrial designer, Yves Behar, is available in an equally stylish white and champagne finish. The design is simple and elegant and didn’t look out of place in our home. I used the magnetic mount to position the View on our bookcase. There’s a built-in battery that will give you an hour wire free, (which later proved perfect for the children’s bedtime!)
To set up, I downloaded the Hive app onto your smart ‘phone and set up the Hive View camera quickly, by using Bluetooth. It was as simple as that and the app itself is brilliantly intuitive.
I really appreciated the person recognition which meant that, as an animal lover, I can check up on my furry friends or easily customise the Hive View so that it will only respond when it detects a person, ignoring the endless daily miles our pets seemed to manage.
There’s clever people notification where, on recognising that it’s recording a person, it captures a facial shot and sends that image to your smartphone as a notification. As our children get older, it will alert me to when they get home from school but I can also see the benefits of this in the home of an elderly relative, for example.
My husband is away from home quite often so, the security benefits aside, we liked the idea that he could check in on us and, thanks to the two-way audio, say hi and be part of our dinner table chats. That was a feature that we used every day – it’s particularly useful during homework sessions!
I loved that we were able to download recordings straight to our smartphone
from the Hive View. This meant that we were able to instantly share funny
moments or something that warranted attention.
In terms of the imagery, the resolution is outstanding. Thanks to 1080p Full HD resolution the Hive View captured every detail. The 130° wide-angle view means that you can see the whole room, and even zoom in for a closer look. During darkness, the night vision field of 16 feet means that the Hive View is never off the clock!
There is the option to play back your video history from the
previous 24hrs period, as well as live-streaming via the Hive app. There’s also
a Hive Video Playback Membership (accessed via subscription), which gives you
access to a full 30 day camera history.
You can set the Hive View to monitor your home only when you want it to, via schedules in the Hive app or by switching on the View’s privacy mode at any time.
The Hive View is fantastic additions to the home, for peace of mind as well as making busy homes feel calmer and more connected.
To find out more and to be in with a chance of winning a Hive View Indoor camera just head to our Facebook, Twitter or Instagram pages to find out how you can enter our brilliant FREE competition.
You can also buy the Hive View online, view our Hive range online or ask your local store about a demonstration. To see the latest in smart home technology fully integrated into a property, ask the Smart Home team about a free, no-obligation visit.
[This competition has now ended and is no longer open for entries, please visit here to view our latest competition and remember to keep an eye on our Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages]
