Using a Home Security Camera Responsibly: Privacy, Audio and the Law
A small camera is easy to place almost anywhere — which is exactly why it is worth knowing where it should go. The practical rules on privacy, audio and consent.
Technology
XCAM Pro vs XCAM Max: Which WiFi 6 Camera Is Right for You?
Both run WiFi 6, both record 1080P, and there is nine dollars between them. The difference is battery versus mounting flexibility.
Why Your Security Camera Battery Dies Faster in Winter
A camera rated for eight hours can manage three in an unheated garage. The chemistry is well understood, and most of the loss is recoverable with a few adjustments.
Security Cameras for Renters: Coverage Without Drilling a Single Hole
Most security camera advice assumes you can drill into your own walls. If you cannot, battery cameras and magnetic mounts get you most of the way — with a few placement compromises.
Fisheye vs Standard Lens: What a Wide-Angle Security Camera Actually Gains
A 140° fisheye sees roughly twice the scene of a 70° lens — but spreads the same pixels across it. Wide angle is a coverage decision, not a quality upgrade.
Using a Mini Security Camera as a Baby Monitor: What to Get Right
A general-purpose mini camera makes a capable baby monitor, but three things matter far more than resolution: alert quality, placement, and cable safety.
Do Security Cameras Need a Subscription? Local vs Cloud Storage
The cheapest camera on the shelf is often the most expensive over three years. Here is how to work out the real cost, and what you lose by avoiding the cloud.
Why Your Security Camera Keeps Sending False Alerts
If you have turned your camera's notifications off, the camera has effectively stopped working. The cause is usually the detection method, not the settings.
4K vs 1080P Security Cameras: When the Extra Resolution Is Wasted
4K is four times the pixels, four times the storage and a shorter battery life. Whether that buys you anything depends almost entirely on how far the subject is from the lens.
Where to Place a Home Security Camera (and Where Not To)
Most cameras are mounted too high, pointed at the wrong thing, and aimed straight at a window. Placement affects whether footage is usable far more than resolution does.
Choosing a microSD Card for a Security Camera (and Why Cheap Ones Fail)
Security cameras write continuously, which is the one workload consumer memory cards are worst at. Here is what the speed classes actually mean and why a card that works fine in a phone fails in a camera.