Between smart locks and smart thermostats, the Smart Home Revolution just keeps getting better for those wanting total control of their home through their devices. The latest to enter the market comes in the form of Canary—a fitting name for an all-in-one home monitoring device that features an HD camera, a microphone, night vision, motion detection, temperature, air quality, and humidity sensors all in one sleek cylindrical vessel. Currently seeking crowdfunding (they are $700,000 beyond their $100,000 goal at the time of this writing) on IndieGoGo with 29 days left, the device has been one of the most successful product launches in IndieGoGo history.

Canary: Home Security Gets Smart

“Installed systems cost a few thousand dollars, they’re complicated to install, and they’re complicated for users…Ninety-nine percent of alarms are false alarms. That becomes such an annoyance that people turn their security off. To us that’s absolutely crazy.”
-Canary CEO Adam Sager

For those who are obsessed with quantifying their lives all the way from the Nike Fuelband on their wrist to their Smartphone calorie counters, this is essentially Christmas in July. The only drawback that I can see at this point in time is the sequence of events for actually having a first responder on the scene in case of an actual security breach. While the Canary does have an onboard ‘siren’ and ability to call police, how quickly does that happen? Alternatively, more expensive systems will do this automatically…and quickly. While the other features such as humidity and temperature are nice, they are relatively void of any use in the case of an actual home break-in. If Canary can prove that their emergency response system is just as good (or at least comparable enough) to existing response systems, then they just might have developed the next ‘vital’ must-have for tech-savvy homeowners ready for the future of home automation. Who wouldn’t want a random alert that says ‘All is calm at home” during a stressful meeting ?

But similar to other smart devices, it isn’t just about what the device is capable of, it’s about what the device means to the user. What other problems could the Canary solve besides being the next must-have smart home device? Currently, (decent) live-feed video baby monitors and petcams are going for roughly the same price as the Canary ($199). Perhaps some new parents will find it to be the best option for a baby monitor and find little use for any of the other features? Or perhaps some frequent travelers with valuable items will use it to monitor their hotel rooms or rental houses? Nomadic renters will be able to monitor their urban dwelling without jumping through the hoops with a landlord to install a wired system? Could Canary be used to remotely monitor the elderly or those requiring living assistance? Ultimately, this product has so many different potential uses that it could even have a ‘How I Use My Canary’ ad campaign down the road similar to iDevice ads. Would you feel safe with the Canary as a primary home security system?

If interested, head over to their IndieGoGo page to pick one up for $199.