Pets caught on camera – What does your pet get up to when you’re not at home?
Y-cam explores how you can watch your pet from work, track your pet from your smartphone, and even find out how much exercise they’ve had!
Ever wondered what man’s best friend gets up to as soon as you close the front door? If so, you are certainly not alone. There is a growing curiosity amongst pet owners’ about what their pets are up to when you leave them alone, and this is leading to more and more households looking to technology to help them answer their burning questions.
From ensuring that all is safe and sound to sharing hilarious and endearing clips, pet cams are talking the market place by storm. Even the BBC are jumping on the trend with their new program ‘The Secret Life of the Cat’, airing tonight on BBC 2 at 9pm, where they will be following the mysterious life of 50 felines to see what they get up on when their owners eyes are turned.
You can watch the trailer for the show below, or follow our feline friends live here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-22567526
Getting started in pet monitoring
If, like most of us in the office here at Y-cam, you desire to know more about your furry friends, then here’s a rundown of our favourite products for getting to know more about your pet.
Loc8tor Pet 
http://www.loc8tor.com/uk/pets
Track your pet wherever they go in your household, using the Loc8tor Pet credit card-sized handset, which locates a small lightweight homing tags attached to your pets collar. Not only is it tiny, but its waterproof too, so even the animals with maximum slobber can be found!
£64.99
Buy – http://www.loc8tor.com/uk/loc8tor-pet-372.html?___store=ukview
Tagg Tracker
http://www.pettracker.com/pet-products/pet-gps-tracker
If your little darling spends more time around the corner of the street rather than around your house, the heavier duty Tagg Pet Tracker could be for you. Using advanced GPS and wireless technology, you can track your pet’s location and activity from your computer or mobile device, 24 hours a day, from wherever you are. History is saved, and alerts are send when fluffy strays too far. However after 3 months, you will be charged $7.95 per month for the tracking.
$99.95
Buy – http://www.pettracker.com/pet-products/pet-gps-tracker
Whistle
The Whistle Activity Monitor is an on-collar device that measures your dog’s activities including walks, play, and rest, giving you a new perspective on day-to-day behaviour and long-term health trends. Check-in from your phone, share memorable moments with family and friends, and send detailed reports to your vet. The Whistle is a new generation connected devices, all part of the internet of things, connecting everything from your fridge to even, yes, your pet, to the net! Whistle is available to pre-order now.
$99.95
HomeMonitor
What better way to find out what your pet is up to than by installing a camera so you can monitor day or night, indoor or out? The new Y-cam cloud camera HomeMonitor offers live view and audio from anywhere you are so you can check in from the office or when on holiday. HomeMonitor is uniquely the only cloud camera available which gives users 7 days free cloud storage of all clips, combined with unlimited clip downloads, so you can review what’s been happening if you can’t watch all the time, plus download and share clips with whoever you want. HomeMonitor is perfect for a low cost, easy-to-use Wi-Fi pet camera.
$149.99
Pets caught on camera
And if you’ve still not had enough pets getting up to mischief action, YouTube is jam-packed full of videos shared by the owners of their mischievous, adorable and downright hilarious pet, all caught on pet cams. Here is a few of our favourites:
Cat stole my pants
Head banging Cockatoo
Funny running cat
Busted Dog
Come & meet Y-cam at Synology’s DiskStation Master 4.3 Beta Launch
Are you a football fanatic that’s into Home Automation and network storage? Yes! Than this is certainly a date to add to your diary. On Thursday 27th June Synology are hosting a ‘first look’ launch party for their fantastic Synology DSM 4.3 Beta, and Y-cam will be along for the ride.
Come along and see our brand new Y-cam Cube in action plus gain hands on experience with all that’s new on the DiskStation Manager 4.3. Connect with both Y-cam and Synology teams to pick our brains with all your networking questions and gain insight into new ways to personalise your storage to its full potential.
We will be showing off our new Cube range cameras, including Cube HD 1080p for the first time, with the new DSM 4.3 plus Synology promise an exclusive “presentations from representatives from Synology’s Taiwan HQ”, offering the perfect opportunity to get ahead of the crowd.
Also, not that you need more incentives; Y-cam will offering one lucky attendee a chance to win a brand spanking new Cube!
What better way to experience the new and improved UI and features than at Old Trafford, home of Manchester United? Spaces are limited but attendance is free so to reserve you place follow the link below.
Sign up: here http://www.synology.com/events/2013_dsm4.3_beta_uk.php?lang=uk
Look forward to seeing you there.
Understanding the ‘Internet of Things’ – How does it work?
If you are interested in the growing trend of ‘Connected Home’ or the buzz word ‘Internet of Things’ you may already be clued up on the market shift, however if the idea of having your life intertwined together with technology is new to you we have a few great tips to help get you started.
What does it all mean?
Connecting your ‘stuff’ to the internet has been an emerging trend for a while, we have seen the pickup of the Connected Home and Smart Home grow for a while, if you read our blog you’ll know it’s something we’re incredibly interested in, however this market has seen a sudden burst of activity which is getting everyone excited.
This growth is primarily down to three core factors:
1. Money – It’s now cheaper than ever to design, create and develop products and software that can slot into this growing segment.
2. We’re all wireless - The growth of Wi-Fi connections, 3G and 4G plus acceptance of mobiles have created a Wireless hub.
3. Cloud technology – The ability to transmit and save large amounts of data makes it possible to keep people connected.
Over the last year, companies have been cropping up in all aspects of the market, including our new cloud camera HomeMonitor, and this trend is sure to continue growing. Tech Crunch produced an overview image (below) of the current market infrastructure and this is only the beginning.
How can I get started?
Creating your own connected home may seem a daunting task, however there are a few easy products that will help ease you in.
- Sonos music player offers Wi-Fi speakers and a streaming playlist which can be accessed through mobile apps starting at £349.99.
- Control your temperature with the Nest thermometer when you’re at home and when you’re away. (USA only – $249.99)
- Why not start with a Roku streaming box at only £39.99 and have entry level media streaming.
- See your home where ever you are with our new cloud camera, HomeMonitor (£149.99), listed by TechCrunch as a great place to start.
What does the future hold?
These are four small ways to dip your toe into the ‘Internet of Things’ and, with the growth seen over the past year, there will soon be a million of ways you can connect to your world. The space is extraordinarily exciting, however it is still rapidly evolving so we should expect to see dramatic changes over the next few months and years.
To learn more about the current offering, read TechCrunch’s article ‘Understanding the Internet of Things’: http://techcrunch.com/2013/05/25/making-sense-of-the-internet-of-things/
Visit Y-cam and ASUSTOR at COMPUTEX 2013
The world’s second largest ICT trade show is only a mere few weeks away and for those of us that like to keep our ear to the ground on the latest technology then COMPUTEX ASIA is the show for you; packed full of industry leaders, new and exciting developments and, of course, Y-cam.
COMPUTEX TAIPEI is currently the largest computer exhibition in Asia with over 17,000 exhibitors and 130,000 visitors and boasts one of the largest international attendances. Offering worldwide trade, professionals, analysts and journalists from the computer and information industry – a fantastic opportunity to experience the latest technology and trends emerging from the market – it is not hard to see why people are drawn to COMPUTEX.
Taking place from June 4th – 8th at Taipei World Trade Center, COMPUTEX will be highlighting the best companies, services and products in computers, digital entertainment and data storage, plus offering seminars on emerging topics including the popular trend of the Internet of Things.
During the show, Y-cam will be present on ASUSTOR’s booth, our newly announced partner, highlighting our compatible camera, including our new Cube range, with their fantastic NAS storage solutions. To come and see the solution for yourself and ask any questions, visit us in the Taipei Nangang Exhibition Centre 4th Floor, Booth L0404.
To see a full list of exhibitors at this year’s show, visit www.computextaipei.com.tw
Visitor registration is completely free and closes on May 29th so if you are planning on attending make sure your visit their registration page here: https://computex.leadexpo.com/EN-index.html.
HomeMonitor awarded Webuser Gold Award for Best Network Security Camera
New cloud camera from Y-cam, HomeMonitor, has been awarded best in class from Webuser magazine and a full 5 out of 5 stars for Best Network Security Camera.
Webuser reviewer, Andy Shaw, knew all too well how difficult pinning down a burglar can be; however, with the help of network security cameras, “you could take a picture of a burglar as he prowls around your home, you’re in a much better position to help the police recover your property and apprehend a public menace.”
To help their readers, Webuser set about testing seven cameras available as a security camera for home users, finding out which was the best to keep an eye on your home while you’re away. By thoroughly testing each camera’s connection through Ethernet and Wi-Fi, its overall features, software, apps, video and audio quality plus value for money we are pleased that Webuser voted HomeMonitor as best network security camera, winning their converted Gold Award and 5/5 stars.
HomeMonitor was the only cloud camera they tested that offered features including 7 rolling days free online storage for the entire life of the camera, unlimited live view and motion detection email alerts straight from a box.
Webuser’s verdict
Note: HomeMonitor is a new cloud camera from Y-cam. HomeMonitor uses a dedicated camera and is not compatible with Y-cam IP cameras. For more information on the differences between HomeMonitor and Y-cam IP cameras continue reading ‘Introducing HomeMonitor, a new cloud camera from Y-cam‘.
To find out more about HomeMonior visit www.homemonitor.me